Bob Harris of the Decorative Concrete Institute to deliver keynote at 2012 Concrete Decor Show

The Concrete Decor Show is pleased to announce Bob Harris of the Decorative Concrete Institute (DCI) as its keynote speaker. Harris will discuss “Going the Distance with Decorative Concrete” at the Welcome Reception and Awards Program, Tuesday evening, February 21, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. While sharing his insights on the challenges faced by the decorative concrete industry and how we can make the most of the growing popularity of decorative concrete globally, Harris will discuss trends and changes he foresees on the road ahead.

ConcreteIDEAS.com is sponsoring the keynote speaker.

When Bob Harris was inducted into the Decorative Concrete Hall of Fame in 2010, Bent Mikkelsen, CEO of Professional Trade Publications and publisher of Concrete Decor magazine, said this in his introduction:

“Bob Harris has changed our expectations of training for decorative concrete and set new standards. With a quest to continuously improve his craft, he reached out to learn from artists, muralists, faux finishers and other artisans to bring a fresh way of looking at decorative concrete that has benefited all of us. He had the good fortune to work on Disney properties where creative uses of concrete and attention to detail were pushed as far as possible, and he generously shared the perspective and skills he gained through outstanding training programs throughout the United States and in Canada, the Caribbean, Germany, England, Greece Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Spain — to name just a few. As an independent trainer, he published Bob Harris’ Guides and DVDs, popular bestsellers that have improved the quality of work in decorative concrete.“

With his depth of experience and passion for quality, Bob was not satisfied with the state of existing tools and materials on the market. In 2009, he introduced a new line of exceptionally realistic stamping tools called Palladiano — Wonders of the World, distributed through Brickform. The patterns replicate historic stone and rockwork, and were produced by making and refining molds at historic European locations. In 2010, DCI introduced Terra Fresco by Bob Harris, a versatile skimcoat line and coloring system distributed by Kemiko.

Bob is also the official spokesperson for Surface Gel Tek.

Bob’s pedigree in concrete is far-reaching. Starting at the age of 3, he learned the fundamentals of good concrete practice from his father, Robert J. Harris. In the mid 1990s, after working six years supervising “themed” concrete installations on Disney properties, he became director of product training for a large materials manufacturer. Bob conducted hands-on architectural concrete training and became the go-to guy for technical support. He carried out product trials for research and development. His passion for sharing his experiences with seasoned veterans and beginners around the world led him to form Decorative Concrete Institute in Temple, Ga. There, he conducts training in his own showroom and training facility and in locations around the world. A full schedule of his workshops is available on his website.

The Concrete Decor Show takes place Feb. 20-24, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas. The event focuses on hands-on training and continuing education for decorative concrete contractors and specialty artisans. Live demonstrations of the latest product and equipment developments are scheduled at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center alongside exhibits. During three days, the demo pavilion showcases competitions in arenas dedicated to polished concrete, concrete coatings, and precast fabrication. Exhibits and demos take place Feb. 22-24. The comprehensive educational program features 60 courses that offer AIA/CES approved credits, including 15 hands-on workshops and 45 seminars.

The Concrete Decor Show spring training workshops and seminars are grouped into a broad selection of educational tracks: concrete coatings, countertops and precast concrete, fresh concrete, grinding and polishing, overlays and toppings, staining and coloring, stamping and texturing, plus walls and hardscapes. Seven of these workshops will take place at SAY Sí in February 2012.

For more information on the Concrete Decor Show, visit www.ConcreteDecorShow.com or call (877) 935-8906.

An affiliated green building program, the Green Matters Conference, provides seminars and panel discussions where industry experts will share new information on sustainable technologies, trends in green building, and an update on new research.