[Las Vegas] As the industry gears up for the new year, The International Surface Event (TISE) is a key event for debuting new products and programs, and laying the foundation for the year ahead. Here, TISE show director Dana Hicks shares with FCW some of the show staples as well as new and meaningful attractions for the 2023 event taking place later this month.
FCW: There is a genuine enthusiasm for the 2023 Surfaces event. What does attendance look like and can you offer perspective around its significance?
Hicks: Registration officially opened in mid-September, so we now have significant stats. We are pacing well ahead of TISE 2022 and each week we are getting closer to our TISE 2020 attendance. As exhibitor participation is rivaling TISE 2020, we anticipated attendance to trend the same. People know the value of meeting in person and are excited to gather. Board meetings, association meetings, membership meetings, certifications, training and more happened in conjunction with the standard events TISE offers our attendees. From an exhibitor and attendee perspective, it is evident TISE brings value to their business and launches the calendar for our industry.
FCW: You all have been giving the event a critical eye and making changes to meet market and attendee needs. Can you walk us through some of this?
Hicks: We are always looking to keep TISE vibrant and relevant. The pandemic has given us opportunity to make meaningful changes to make a better event.
• We are a safer event.
• We are a more sustainable event.
• We have condensed the expo hours to reflect the needs of our attendees and exhibitors.
• We have more content on the expo continuing to make the expo an all-inclusive experience.
• We have more à la carte attendee registration offerings to meet individual attendee needs.
FCW: Take us through the special lounges and areas that bring added value to attending.
Hicks: We are hosting several “Beyond the Surface” programs with a focus on our inaugural “start-up station.” This is where new industries, under two years old, are able to apply for a complimentary booth space at TISE 2023. This will be offered to unique and worthy companies who have real potential to make a difference and add value to the world of flooring.
“Beyond the Surface” programs include the first time attendee reception, Women’s Leadership Conference, Green Step Lounge Feature, Donation Program and more. Programs that specifically elevate the floor industries niche groups looking for opportunity and recognition. This is a priority of our parent company, Informa Markets.
Our TISE Live Demo Stage is a long traditional and very active feature on the expo featuring the latest installation and product demos across our industry.
FCW: What is the state of the global presence for 2023?
Hicks: International exhibitor presence had been slow through Q2 of 2022. Q3 and Q4 have shown significant exhibitor interest and booth purchasing. We are tracking to have greater than 20 percent of our expo inclusive of international exhibitors, including Canada, South America, Europe and Asia. China will have a strong presence, as they did prior to covid, by using U.S. distributors and sales reps to man their booths.
FCW: TISE is at the forefront of education. Can you talk about some of the critical topics you will be addressing during the show?
Hicks: We have more content programming on the expo than ever before. A dedicated theatre to each of our shows — Surfaces, StonExpo and Tile Expo will feature show specific content programming, allowing attendees to stay on the expo, as they prefer, and still gain all they are looking for — exhibitors, show features, demos, content programming and more.
We have developed our new PULSE Seminars to ensure the industry has their finger on the pulse of what is new, forecasted, future-focused and must-know for the upcoming year and beyond. We have sessions dedicated to social marketing, what the midterm elections mean, effectively managing people, state of the industry address, design vision for 2024 and beyond.
TISE is connected to the leading industry associations from across the entire floor covering, stone and tile industry providing the opportunity to deep dive into learning, training and certifications with their organizations while you are at the event. This year we are offering training with ICRI, CFI, NFCI and NWFA.
FCW: Anything in particular you would direct attendees to at this year’s event?
Hicks: We have a new pavilion of bespoke, high-end area rugs from Cover Magazine. Attendees will be excited to see these products. Exhibitors from Stark Studio Rugs, French Accents, Design Materials, Tibet Rug Company, Tamarian and more.
Our Installation Competition is more exciting than ever. We hosted three regional competitions in 2022 leading up to TISE 2023. Our national competition is featuring the winners of the regional competition all vying for the coveted National Competition Winner with scholarship support from Mohawk Industries. This event is so fun to watch the best installers in the nation showing their craft for two full days on the expo floor. Winners will be announced the morning of day three of the expo.
FCW: Anything else significant around 2023 Surfaces that attendees can expect or look forward to?
Hicks: Mandalay Bay has begun a multi-million dollar capital investment renovation project encompassing the entire convention center. You will see changes and upgrades at TISE 2023 and will continue through 2023. This includes carpet, paint, wallcoverings, technology, restaurants and more.
TISE/Surfaces sets the tone for the calendar year, as it did in 2022. Surfaces 2023 will continue to show our industries that events are back, people want to gather and the future is bright.
Design Week is occurring during TISE. KBIS, NAHB, The Hardware Show, TISE and the Las Vegas Market are all happening the same week in Vegas. This is a unique opportunity for attendees to get more from their travels than ever before. Free badges across all shows will be offered, so your badge will give you free expo access to all expos. Shuttle service to all expos will be offered as well.