Happy New Year!

As we enter 2023, I feel a buzz of positive energy. Anticipation is high for the upcoming trade show season – especially for the five that will all be in Las Vegas at the end of this month.

While COVID still lingers, overall it doesn’t seem to be having much of an adverse effect. Travel seems to be back in full swing – with crowded airports and traffic on the highways – and attendance is expected to be high at in-person events such as The International Surface Event (TISE). Jason Kamery, Stone World’s managing and group digital editor, had the chance to speak with Dana Hicks, TISE show director, right before the holidays. Listen to what he had to say about the upcoming exhibition.

Here at Stone World, we are excited about the presentation of our 2022 Fabricator of the Year Award, which will be presented in a few weeks at StonExpo. It was a competitive race with several worthy nominees. I would like to thank those who submitted nominations and all of you who took the time to vote. There was a flurry of activity on our voting page during the month of December. We look forward to sharing the outcome with you soon!

In several weeks I hit the road and will be attending quite a few in-person industry events, including the Stone Summits that Stone World organizes with the Natural Stone Institute.

I look forward to catching up with many of my long-time industry friends, as well as meeting new people. If you see me, don’t hesitate to come say hello, and if you have a story to share about your company or a recent project, I’d love to hear about it!