Surfaces 2005 will kick off at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Jan. 26-28. More than 1,000 companies will showcase their products and installation materials, with an increased international presence from China, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Turkey and other countries.

The show, which is expected to draw about 40,000 attendees, is sponsored again this year by the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) and hosted by Hanley Wood LLC.

A live, on-the-floor Installation Showcase will feature experts installing various types of floor coverings while offering step-by-step instructions. The showcase is sponsored by Floor Covering Installer, National Floor Trends, the WFCA and Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI).

All demonstrations are hands-on and presentations are by individuals and assistants who have years of extensive hands on experience. The most up-to-date installation techniques will be presented, and the types of problems that can occur with improper installation will be addressed, along with ways to correct them. A question-and-answer session will follow each presentation.

BNP Media plans to have a major presence in the educational Conference Program, offering a number of presentations including “Tips in Avoiding Floor Installation Failures/Problems,” presented by John Moore, editor of FCI and TILE Magazine; Tim Cole, director of support services for Forbo Linoleum; Christopher Capobianco, FCI/NFT columnist; and Jon Namba, FCI columnist.

A seminar titled “Live By Price, Die By Price; Live By Fashion, Thrive By Fashion,” will be presented by NFT senior editor Howard Olansky, along with Dan Hussey, president of B&L Flooring America; and Sam O'Krent, president of O'Krent's Abbey Flooring Center.

Patti Fasan, TILE columnist, will offer “Tileology,” and “Euro-Influence on Fusion Design" at the Conference Program.

For more information, visit www.SurfacesExpo.com, or telephone (800) 547-3477.