Those attending the second edition of the International Tile & Stone Show (ITSS) at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas were pleasantly surprised with the exhibition's significant growth from the previous year. Taking place from November 13 to 15, 2003, the results of this event show signs that ITSS is following a road to success.

The exhibition was launched in October 2002 with the specific intention to target the stone and ceramic tile industries on the West Coast. For this reason, an annual edition of the show will permanently remain in Las Vegas, according to show organizers. While the show's debut brought a fair amount of traffic, this past edition included a drastic increase in the number of exhibitors and attendees.

At the time of the first exhibition, many exhibitors expressed optimism about the new show. Not only were they pleased with the favorable location, but manufacturers of stone products, machinery and accessories, and installation and maintenance products believed that ITSS provided an opportunity to conduct business with fabricators, distributors and those in the design community who don't regularly make the journey to exhibitions on the East Coast.

ITSS 2003 produced even more positive comments than the first edition. Many exhibitors were enthused and optimistic with the progression the event has demonstrated. They explained that while ITSS might not yet provide the same amount of traffic as some of the more established shows, they are receiving quality visitors. Attendees stopping at the booths mostly are coming with the intention to make a purchase and form business relationships, many exhibitors reported.

Once again, the show provided an arena for those in the stone and ceramic tile industries to gather and showcase their latest developments in technology, but this time on a larger scale than the previous ITSS. In addition to display boards of the newest stone and tile collections, including decorative mosaic patterns and borders, the exhibition floor was also comprised of demonstrations of large-scale and hand-held machinery as well as presentations explaining the benefits of maintenance and cleaning products.

The third edition of the International Tile & Stone Show is scheduled for October 21 to 23, 2004, at the Mandalay Convention Center. Organizers of the show are also planning to hold an East Coast version of the show in New York from July 15 to 17, 2004, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.