MIA+BSI will be presenting several free education sessions during TISE 2017, which will take place January 17-20 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit www.tisewest.com to register. 


Tuesday, January 17

10:30-11:30am: Utilizing the Natural Stone Promotional Campaign: What It Is (And Why You Should Get Involved)

MIA+BSI recently launched a campaign to promote the use of natural stone among homeowners, architects, and designers. During this session, attendees will learn about a new website, www.usenatural stone.com, and get tips for repurposing content on the site for their own marketing efforts. Attendees will also learn how to contribute content for the site and gain widespread exposure for their work.


Wednesday, Jan. 18

10:30-11:30am: Business Metrics & Benchmarking

One of the most important aspects to running a successful business is understanding what metrics are important to measure and how to measure your company against competition. This session will define business benchmarking and discuss what metrics should be measured to ensure a company’s success. The session will also discuss resources for finding industry benchmarks so a company can better measure their metrics against others in the industry. 

MIA+BSI recently updated the Dimension Stone Design Manual to include a new chapter on restoration and maintenance.  Learn from top committee members as they discuss best practices for diagnostics, repairs, restorative processes and maintenance.  Come away from the presentation with a guide on how to deal with the toughest restoration problems and a network of people who provide solutions.


10:30-11:30am: Attracting More Designers to Your Showroom: How to Administer CEU Programs

Want to expand your outreach to architects and interior designers? Have you ever had difficulty getting an appointment at a large firm in your area? 

Consider providing CEUs (continuing education units) to the design community. This session will showcase how the CEU program works and how to position your company as the leading expert on natural stone in your marketplace. We’ll also explore how the various CEU programs work (AIA, ASID, IDC, IDEC, IIDA, NKBA and others) and how to get started giving presentations. This “how-to” explanation will help you get started down the CEU provider path!


2:30-3:30pm: Silica Exposure and Employee Safety in the Stone Industry

How is the stone industry addressing the proposed OSHA silica rule change? What are leading fabricators doing NOW to reduce silica exposure for their employees? What are the real costs associated with making your shop safer? This session will prepare attendees to create a safety program that address silica exposure, baseline testing and a number of issues your employees will encounter.


2:30-3:30pm: Why Specify Certified Stone? How the Natural Dimension Stone Sustainability Standard Can Assist Green Building Projects

This course highlights how the dimension stone sustainability standard (ANSI/NSC 373) can assist projects with sustainability goals. The standard examines and verifies through a third party, numerous areas of stone production such as: water usage, custody and transportation, site and plant management, land reclamation, corporate governance, energy, waste, chemicals, worker health and safety and innovation credits. It also includes a companion Chain of Custody (COC) program, which ensures traceability of certified stone from the quarry to processing and throughout the supply chain and ultimately to their journeys end.