Mason said "We don't want the PanAmerican Stone and Tile Expo to become a battle ground of ego ... where companies feel pressure to build larger and more expensive exhibits ... only to make them stand out from the crowd and producing very little, if any, tangible results.

"The day has come for a change," he added. "I did not expect it to happen this way, but it has ... and Michael (Coburn), I and our staff, including Team One Inc., want to continue to work for the stone and tile industries."

Coburn stated "We felt that we really needed to follow the established business model of American trade shows. The trade show industry knows that as many visitors attend a three-day show as a four-day show. The PanAmerican Stone and Tile Expo will run for three days. This saves our exhibitors a substantial amount of time and money."

The expo will focus strong attendance on wholesalers, distributors and fabricators from North America. Emphasis will also be placed on attracting and delivering clients from Central and South America, including the Caribbean Basin, according to TSI. The PanAmerican Stone and Tile Expo will strive to build strong alliances with the southern design and architectural community, whose activities are centered in the Miami area. Coburn stated that he expects "The professional design community will return to attending the PanAmerican Stone and Tile Expo in very strong numbers. It is simply a matter of geography. Southern Florida and particularly Miami is the design capital for the entire region."

"The industries will be able to work with long established friends who have proven their ability to create a world class event and do so while respecting an exhibitor's budget," Mason said. "We look forward to working with the stone and tile industries on what is sure to become the next generation of trade and marketing events."

For more information, telephone Trade Show International at (561) 776-7771, fax at (561) 776-0313, or e-mail info@tradeshowintl.com.