From the Editor's Desk
March 2006
Francis Heck

Escape Winter in Miami and Orlando!

As winter prepares to make room for spring, opportunity knocks. An opportunity to enjoy warm balmy weather and ocean breezes beckons stone industry professionals to the coast of Florida at Miami and the vacation destination of the world in Orlando.
The International Tile & Stone Show will be held in the Miami Beach Convention Center March 24 through 26th. Many attendees will have a great opportunity to meet manufacturers and suppliers in southern Florida. There will be free seminars and professionals to address your questions and explain recent advances in technology. It will be a great opportunity to mix stone and tile business with pleasure over the last weekend in March.

Following closely behind during the first week of April will be the Coverings show to be held in Orlando, Florida, April 4 through 7. This annual event will draw exhibitors and attendees from around the world. Attendance is always high, and there will be a vast area covered with a wide variety of machinery, material handling equipment, software, tools, and tooling. In addition Coverings always manages to garner the most gorgeous displays of tile and stone exhibits found anywhere. It is truly an educational experience to walk the floor and enjoy the many artistic works craftsmen have worked around the clock to have ready for the grand opening of the show. Whether your company is fabricating kitchen tops, installing tile, kitchen renovation, or involved in general contracting work this will be a show to stir your imagination.

Miami offers things to do unmatched in other cities around the world. Nature lovers would enjoy the Miami Seaquarium, Parrot Jungle and Gardens, Big Cypress National Preserve, Gator Park, Everglades Safari Park, and the Miami Metro Zoo. Art lovers can visit the Lowe Art Museum of the University of Miami, Bass Museum of Art, Miami Art Museum, and the Latin American Art Museum. There are numerous theaters and many excellent golf courses. Miami offers great opportunities to enjoy business and pleasure. The warmth of the city will be a welcome break from winter.

Orlando is the family vacation destination of the world. Disney World can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Kennedy Space Center and Cypress Gardens are nearby as are the most imaginative miniature golf courses you can find. There are many museums, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, airboat rides, and dolphin and snorkeling cruises that will provide a clean break from winter cabin fever. There are many fine restaurants and theaters. Take the wife, children, and grandparents… everyone will have a good time.

If you are itching for an opportunity to get away and improve your business performance, pick up the phone and ask your travel agent to arrange the details. You will return tanned and vigorous.