The Stone Fabricators Alliance will hold its first "MEGA-WORKSHOP" educational event and trade display on Oct. 7-9 at the Gateway Center in this St. Louis suburb.

The event will feature two 20,000 ft² exhibition areas – one carpeted with standard booths like a standard trade show, and one with bare concrete floor to house operating stone machinery and gear.

The second space will also be the location for "THE CAGE," an area with workbenches, equipment and instructors for testing tooling and hands-on instruction of fabrication techniques and tricks.

The working area will also feature an area for learning stone-floor refinishing, as well as sessions on safe and efficient unloading of stone-shipment containers using shop equipment and the venue’s overhead gantry crane.

The event will also include the fabrication of several kitchens as an integral part of the working area; the completed work will be donated to area homeowners.

All of the MEGA-WORKSHOP will take place at the Gateway Center, located approximately 12 miles northeast of St. Louis.