The 2011 Concrete Decor Show & Spring Training call for presentations deadline has been extended to Sept. 13, 2010.

The 2011 Concrete Decor Show, to take place March 15-18 in Nashville, Tenn., is looking for innovative and informative presentations and workshops on the art and business of decorative concrete.

By submitting a proposal, you will help shape our educational programs as well as the future of your industry. As a speaker/trainer, you will gain visibility in the industry and contribute to the advancement of your profession. Earn recognition for your expertise and leadership, and help the industry grow at the same time.

We are looking for hands-on workshops, seminars and panel discussions to complete our educational lineup. Also, just like in 2010 when we partnered with the Children's Museum of Phoenix for workshops, we have a special community outreach program planned for Nashville. The Concrete Decor Show & Spring Training will partner with Nashville's popular youth community center, Rocketown. The decorative concrete industry will perform the ultimate concrete makeover there as part of our Spring Training program. To review presentation guidelines and submit your presentation online, please visit the Show website.

The 2010 Faux Expo, to be held Sept. 20-24, 2010, in Orlando, Fla., is a trade show designed around all aspects of decorative finishing for the professional artisan.

From decorative concrete to painting to sculpting and all points in between, the show works to provide a full experience. Classes focus on high-end finishes and methods taught by recognized masters from France, Italy, the Netherlands and around the world. Demonstrations in the exposition hall by teams of muralists assimilated specifically for their individual strengths will produce a mural in just three days. In the exhibit space, attendees can move from booth to booth seeing the newest each vendor has to offer and having a chance to play with many of the materials right at the show.

Each night of the trade show carries with it an event with open bar and food for all registered guests.

Stoneman Concrete, a new company based in the south of France, serves as an overseas home for Buddy Rhodes Concrete Products, training artisans from throughout Europe. The company will provide concrete interior design for local homeowners and host workshops on both Buddy Rhodes' methods and products.

The first Stoneman Concrete workshop in February 2010 was taught by popular GFRC artist Brandon Gore and included spray techniques and sink forming. Stoneman owner Pierre Freau led a class in July, which included students from France, Germany and Cyprus. Stoneman Concrete is set up to ship anywhere in continental Europe and across the Mediterranean. Their first big order went out in July 2010 to Cyprus.

Freau named the company after the street in San Francisco where he and his wife and twin boys live when stateside. After apprenticing in France with a third-generation mason in the art of regional stonework while restoring his own 18th-century stone barn, Freau returned to San Francisco to immerse himself in concrete finishing, training for more than a year at Buddy Rhodes Studio. Freau brought a full ship's container of Buddy's materials and molds along with him when he moved his young family back to the barn to open his distributorship, showroom and training center.

From the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI): The final registration deadline for the fall CDT and advanced certification exams (CCS, CCCA, CCPR) is tomorrow. Hurry up and do it, if you need to.

For those who are not familiar with the acronyms, here's a primer from the CSI. The tests are for the Construction Documents Technology (CDT), Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) Program Overview, Certified Construction Contract Administrator (CCCA) and Certified Construction Product Representative (CCPR) programs.

The exams will be offered the week of Sept. 20-25, 2010, at locations around the country.

Get ready to set aside traditional GFRC for NeoMix D-FRC, Cheng Concrete's new technology that it claims will transform the decorative concrete industry.

Cheng Concrete now offers a groundbreaking suite of NeoMix D-FRC Products that yield ultra-thin, high-strength decorative precast concrete with precision results. D-FRC (decorative fiber-reinforced concrete) is user-friendly, reduces production time and is virtually error-proof.

With D-FRC Advanced Technology, the only ingredients are bag, bottle, water and mix. There is much less time consumed in preparation, planning and execution than with GFRC.

D-FRC can be cast in environments ranging from 40 degrees F to 90 degrees F without any need for ice water, heaters or expensive shop enhancements. It offers the same strength in large-format countertop projects as thin as 1/2 inch that a GFRC mix could achieve at a 3/4-inch thickness.

The fabricator can control shape, color and dimension with NeoMix and achieve finer, detailed texture transfer. Applications for ultrathin 3/8-inch-thick pieces include floor tiles, stair treads/nosings, column surrounds, hearths, furniture and sculpture.

Click here for more information and to sign up for a two-day Professional D-FRC Training in Seattle, Wash., or Berkeley, Calif. NeoMix D-FRC training and product ordering in the Pacific Northwest is available through New Edge Design LLC at (360) 318-8005.

Cheng Concrete would like to introduce its newest authorized trainer, Mike Moncrieff of New Edge Design LLC, based in Bellingham, Wash.

Moncrieff, a passionate artisan, has logged more than 15 years of construction experience and nearly a decade experimenting, developing and creating with decorative concrete. One of the first ever trained at Cheng Concrete, Moncrieff launched New Edge Design LLC shortly after his 2003 training, partnered with his father, Sam Moncrieff, owner of Moncrieff Construction. Their focus at New Edge Design is designing and creating unique interior concrete environments. Their vast experience ranges from countertops, hearths, and vertical walls to inlays, logos, conference tables, integral sinks and furniture.

Cheng Concrete's innovative two-day Professional Decorative Fiber Reinforced Concrete (D-FRC) Training will now be featured in the Pacific Northwest, led by Moncrieff. Click here for more information and to sign up for a two-day Professional D-FRC Training in Seattle, Wash., or Berkeley, Calif. (NeoMix D-FRC is Cheng's new decorative fiber-reinforced mix.)

Training and product ordering in the Pacific Northwest is available through New Edge Design at (360) 318-8005.

Due to popular demand, Concrete Decor has decided to extend the entry deadline for the 2010 Concrete Countertop Design Competition by a few weeks. The new deadline is August 14, 2010. No submissions will be accepted after that date.

You can find the online entry form here. Or, download a PDF entry form here. Fill in the form, print it, and mail it (along with a disc or thumb drive with photos) to: Countertop Contest, Professional Trade Publications, P.O. Box 25210, Eugene, OR 97402.

If you're having trouble uploading photos on our online form, please contact us immediately and we will work with you to make sure your entry arrives here safely. After all, thousands of dollars worth of prizes are at stake.

From the ASCC: The Decorative Concrete Council, a specialty council of the American Society of Concrete Contractors, is pleased to announce its 2011 awards program, to recognize outstanding decorative concrete projects around the world. Entries will be juried by an independent panel of industry professionals. Deadline to enter is September 30, 2010, and awards will be presented at the World of Concrete 2011.

Click here to download entry information.

GG Innovative Products is holding a contest for the best picture submitted showcasing jobs done with Beer Concrete Stain.

The first prize is $300. The winning picture will be posted on the home page of the GG Web site along with promotion of the contractor for a period of three months. Two honorable mention prizes of $100 will be awarded, and those pictures will be posted on the home page of the Web site with company information for a period of one month. The winners will also be announced in Concrete Decor.

By submitting your pictures, you agree to let GG Innovative Products use your picture in advertising, literature and promotions. The contest ends Sept. 15 and prizes will be awarded immediately. Submissions should be emailed in jpeg format to info@gginnovativeproducts.com. For more information, call (541) 678-7364.