SURFACES | StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 2012 To Host HGTV and DIY Network Celebrities

(Dallas, Texas) SURFACES | StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas will be the scene for all things floor covering and natural stone January 23-26, 2012, but the event will also be the place to see two well-known celebrities in the tool and design world.

The DIY Network’s Chris Grundy, host of Cool Tools, will be on hand in Tool Alley on Tuesday, January 24, from 10:00am – 1:30pm, putting tools to the test and offering assistance on the Tool Alley stage where participating exhibitors will demonstrate their latest tools. Chris will also be signing autographs in the Stone Fabricator’s Alliance booth #B1032 on Tuesday from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. For more information on Tool Alley, visit www.stonexpo.com.

Antonio Ballatore, Season Four winner of HGTV’s top-rated reality competition, Design Star, and current host of The Antonio Treatment, will share his creative flair and stylistic vision as keynote speaker for the Designer Day luncheon on Wednesday, January 25 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm. The luncheon is part of the Designer Day program on Wednesday, January 25. Antonio will also sign autographs and speak with attendees on the show floor in Bedrosians booth, #B3843 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm.  .

In addition to the luncheon, Designer Day will feature two educational seminars, Design and Color Trends: 2012-2013 with Victoria Redshaw, Scarlet Opus and Surfaces Stories – International Trends with Mark Woodman, Mark Woodman Design & Color. Two tours, Speed Trending, led by Victoria Redshaw and The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, led by Friedmutter Group, designers of the hotel, are also included in the Designer Day program. For more information on Designer Day, visit www.Surfaces.com.

SURFACES and StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 2012 will be held January 24-26 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. Exhibits will be open Tuesday – Thursday and the Education Program opens Monday, January 23 and goes through Thursday. For more information on SURFACES and StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 2012, visit us at www.Surfaces.com or www.StonExpo.com, like us on Facebook or follow us at @Surfaces_Show and @StonExpo.

The official sponsor of SURFACES is the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), the floor covering industry's largest advocacy organization representing floor covering retailers, contractors and allied service providers throughout North America.  The WFCA is a recognized leader in marketing research, industry certification programs, and operates the premier consumer flooring web site, www.wfca.org, providing unbiased information about every type of floor covering and connecting customers to members’ retail stores. The WFCA also influences public policy affecting the floor covering industry and consumers. For more information about the WFCA, visit www.wfca-pro.org.

StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas’ Official Sponsors are the Marble Institute of America (MIA) and Natural Stone Council. The mission of the MIA is to promote the use of natural stone and be the world's most authoritative natural stone information resource. Membership in the association is worldwide and includes over 2,000 natural stone producers, exporters/importers, distributors/wholesalers, fabricators, finishers, installers, and industry suppliers—all committed to the highest standards of workmanship and ethics.
 
The Natural Stone Council, home of the Genuine Stone® brand, is the leader in the stone industry that represents the major associations who are committed to promotion and education of the industry and general public on the value and benefits of natural stone. Member associations include: Allied Stone Industries, American Monument Association, Building Stone Institute, Canadian Stone Association, Elberton Granite Association, Marble Institute of America, National Building Granite Quarries Association, National Granite Manufacturers Association and Natural Stone Alliance.
StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 2012 official endorsers are Marmomacc, Allied Stone Industries and The Concrete Countertop Institute.

About Veronafiere
Veronafiere (Verona Trade Fair Company) is Italy's most important direct organizer of trade shows and among the top organizers in Europe. Founded in 1898, Veronafiere now focuses on economic sectors of primary importance to the Italian economy, including stone (Marmomacc), construction (Samoter), and wine (Vinitaly).  Veronafiere conducts or hosts 37 trade shows a year in Verona and 11 abroad.  Annual turnover in 2007 was more than $110M.

Marmomacc is the global leader in natural and engineered stone materials and related technologies and design.  Samoter is one of Europe's major exhibitions of construction equipment and earth-moving machinery.  Vinitaly is the largest wine trade show in the world.  All three are owned and organized by Veronafiere.

About Hanley Wood
Hanley Wood, LLC is the premier media company serving housing and construction. Through four operating divisions, the company produces award-winning magazines and Web sites, marquee trade shows and events, rich data and custom marketing solutions. The company also is North America’s leading publisher of home plans. Hanley Wood Exhibitions (Dallas) conducts events serving the industry’s strongest market segments, including World of Concrete, one of the top 20 trade show events in the country.

Founded in 1976, Hanley Wood is one of the ten largest B-to-B media companies in the United States. Hanley Wood is owned by affiliates of JPMorgan Partners, which uses CCMP Capital Advisors to manage this investment.