The inaugural International Countertop Expo (ICE) held early last month drew more than 800 attendees and exhibitors from 17 countries.



The event, held Feb. 7-10 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, included a slate of seminars and a ballroom-sized exhibition area.



“Great things come in small packages,” said Evan Kruger, president of the event’s owner, the Lehi-based International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA). “ICE may not be the largest expo of the year, but I can guarantee you that everyone who came took away at least two or three nuggets that will save or make their companies thousands of dollars in the coming year.”

The ISFA noted after the show that exhibitors found ICE to be a worthwhile investment.

“ICE was a total success for us,” said Joseph Winters, marketing director for Domain Industries. “By the second day of the show we already had nearly 150 leads. And the people we talked to were serious about doing business.”

The event also featured the First Annual Innovations in Design Competition featuring all types of decorative surfacing materials. Best of Show went to Jon Olson of Sterling Surfaces for “Ambient Experience,” a commercial/institutional project .Best Residential Kitchen went to Troy Thompson of Surface 519; Christopher Carrol of Innovative Concrete Systems picked up the award for best residential bath.

Best Freestyle/Art went to Eric Pottle and Erick Perkins of Surfaceworks, while Hugh Simon of Refresh Interiors earned. Best Green Project. Kirk Olsen of Envision Concrete Countertops won the On-Site Vanity Fabrication award.

The Dream Sweeps Giveaway Raffle offered another award – a trip for two, donated by Cosentino North America to the Silestone plant in Macael, Spain – although the recipient had to be attendance at the end of the event to claim the prize. Kate Bisley of Bisley Fabrications Inc. in Gresham, Wis., ended up making the best of the long wait. was the lucky winner of the trip.

Other raffle items were generously provided by Integra Adhesives, ITW Plexus, Gruber Systems, Schechner Lifson, Domain Industries, Color Rite and Monument Toolworks.

The ISFA also offered its its own awards and honors during the show, including a Hall of Fame designation for Richard Christ of Richard Christ Consulting. Thierry Delles of CREA Diffusion received the Fabricator of the Year award, and David Cranke of Interfab garnered Innovator of the Year honors.

In vendor awards, Colonial Saw took Associate of the Year, and ITW Plexus received the Envision Award for its UV Stone Repair kit.



Dates and location for next year's ICE are still under consideration by the ISFA.