As we kick off Concrete Decor’s 19th year, we are busily preparing to host our third annual Decorative Concrete LIVE! at the 2019 World of Concrete in Las Vegas. At this event’s inception, we were challenged to find ways to include exhibitors in all aspects of the concrete industry. Now its success has led to a new event inside the WOC pavilion at The Buildings Show in Toronto called Concrete Decor LIVE!
The presence of Concrete Decor and the Concrete Decor RoadShow in Canada last November gave the decorative concrete industry a new platform on which to build awareness as a recognizable player in the construction market. The event’s success has us scheduled to be back in Toronto again in 2019.
Also Oct. 28-31, 2019, the now biennial Concrete Decor Show returns to Texas to promote and support the expansion of decorative concrete both stateside and internationally. If you’ve never been to the show, don’t miss this event in Arlington that only happens every other year. By far, it’s the best international gathering of tradesmen and women looking for new technologies, best-in-class education and networking opportunities to maintain their competitive edge. If you’re new to the industry, be prudent now and register yourself and key members of your staff.
Traffic at www.ConcreteDecor.net is steadily rising as more people tap into our immense decorative concrete archive. As 2019 unfolds, new services will continue to launch that’ll make it faster to find information, products, advice and the ongoing learning opportunities our industry thrives on.
We’re learning this trade in new and different ways today. I don’t agree with them all because I still believe that trades are best taught through on-thejob mentorship and training programs that start with fundamentals. I also believe our industry will sell itself short if we don’t collectively embrace this fact. I recently joined ACI-641 (Decorative Concrete Certification) to better understand, support and communicate its value to our industry. I encourage you to do similarly.
As a long-term planner, it’s my experience that keeping the long term in focus prevents ongoing disruptions from affecting a business’s daily success. Decorative concrete is a proven and marketable force in the construction and renovation markets. Quality workmanship still trumps the lower quality, lowercost alternative. Long-term planning may prove that you don’t get every job that comes along, but it ensures you get the right jobs and that’s where I believe our industry belongs.
All of us at Concrete Decor wish you a prosperous, fulfilling year ahead. Enjoy this edition and thank you for choosing Concrete Decor.
