The 2019 edition of the Vitoria Stone Fair/Marmomac Latin America brought together more than 15,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors from around the world to promote the overall industry and the products that it offers.

Since its inception in 2001, the Xiamen International Stone Fair has exploded. Geared for stone industry professionals worldwide, the scope of the international exhibition has drastically changed from its beginning days.

When a group of fabricators and other stone industry members come together at a fabricator forum, it immediately becomes an arena for an exchange of ideas, experiences, advice and solutions.

During the many years that I have been with Stone World I have sat in on more fabricator forums, workshops and other industry events where ideas and experiences are discussed than I can count.

This Stone of the Month is supplied by Guidoni of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Technical details provide a frame of reference only. Because stone is a product of nature, testing to determine specific physical qualities should be repeated for each project.

Located in Vienna, Austria, Juan Amador has opened his new restaurant, Wirthaus and Greisslerei. The restaurant features Neolith Beton Silk surfacing for the restaurant's countertops and central island in the kitchen. Neolith is made by Spain-based manufacturer, TheSize.

The United Polaris Lounge is offered by United Airlines for its first class and business class travelers, currently only available at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, IL; George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, TX; San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, CA; and Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, NJ.

Originally built as Fort Saint Anthony in the 1820s, Fort Snelling is spread across 300 acres in St. Paul, MN, and is strategically situated at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. Today, the Minnesota Historical Society runs the fort, which is located atop a bluff along the Mississippi River.

Karen Kettler, the president of Karen Kettler Design, based in Charlotte, NC, talked with Contemporary Stone & Tile Design to discuss her 20 years of experience with using stone and tile in her designs and the trends she is seeing in the industry.