For the third straight year, the International Tile & Stone Show (ITSS) will take place in Las Vegas, NV, and it will feature a new wrinkle this edition. The show, which takes place from October 21 to 23 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, will feature educational seminars after the close of the exhibition floor on the event's second day, October 22.

The exhibition will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each of the three days, and exhibitors will be showcasing the latest offerings in natural stone tiles, slabs, cut-to-size pieces and furnishings. On the machinery end, suppliers from around the world will be offering equipment and tooling for fabricators of all sizes. Finally, products for stone installation, maintenance and restoration will also be on display at ITSS.

The organizers of ITSS report that hosting the seminar program after show hours will maximize the exhibitors' and attendees' opportunity to interact and do business with each other. The seminar program is free, and they will be set in a networking cocktail reception where buyers and fabricators can mingle with the owners of important industry companies.

Seminar participants do not need to register in advance. Simply follow the signs for the ITSS Networking Cocktail Reception, which will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Friday, October 22. This will be followed by the ITSS Speaker Presentation from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The following seminars are scheduled:

1. CNC Technology: To Purchase
or Not? (panel discussion)
2. The 10 Biggest Mistakes Made
by Fabricators
3. Fabrication Technology
4. Restoration of Stone
5. Where to get the Money You
Need Now
6. Inventory Investment: Making the Most Out of Your Working Capital
7. The Stone Industry in the Year 2010
8. Designing with Stone
Attendees are admitted to the show and seminars free of charge. In addition to another edition in New York next summer, ITSS organizers are planning to hold another version of the show in Miami Beach, FL, from March 31 to April 2, 2005.