(LAS VEGAS, NV—APRIL 30, 2014) Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, Coverings’ first day started strong, with a renewed optimism shared both on the show floor and throughout the day’s numerous activities at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Welcoming a new era for Coverings, the show opened with the introduction of its new creative campaign and logo by Maiarelli Studio during the annual ribbon cutting ceremony. Celebrating its own 25th Anniversary, Coverings exhibitor Creative Edge, a waterjet and design fabrication firm, unveiled its beautiful interpretation of the new creative with special marble and tile installation.
“We’re especially excited to be in Las Vegas to celebrate the show’s 25th year and what better way to start the show than with a little creative inspiration – something we know our attendees look for each year,” said Karin Fendrich, Coverings show director.
Activities were abundant on day one, particularly in the robust conference program. Keynote speaker Sheldon Yellen, CEO of Belfor, the nation’s leading disaster restoration company, commanded a packed room for his inspirational presentation on why companies that put employees first are most successful. Recently featured on Undercover Boss, Yellen, recounted his impactful journey from growing up on welfare in Detroit, to truly understanding how to successfully run a billion-dollar company and make a difference with his 6,000 employees. Yellen told the audience of tile and stone professionals that their work brings significant value to many homes and commercial buildings around the world.
Featured speaker Eric Astrachan, dove deep into the ever-evolving changes in tile standards. Underscoring the importance of regulated tile installation practices, Astrachan’s in-depth overview brought clarity and understanding to often difficult-to-navigate standards.
Additionally, two of Coverings sponsors, Ceramic Tile Distributors Association and Confindustria Ceramica announced an exciting new program to improve shipping procedures for tile and stone containers being transported to the United States. The program aims to save distributors money and improve the delivery of products to its customers increasing the availability of beautiful tile and stone from around the world in the United States.
On the show floor, activity buzzed on both the levels of the convention center, as well as the first-ever outdoor pavilion – The Plaza – where Posh Tiles, an Anaheim-based tile distributor was exhibiting for the first time. Rafael Resindiz, head of sales for Posh Tiles said he previously attended Coverings in 2011 when he worked for a tile manufacturer. He urged Posh Tiles to exhibit this year for the first time, because he had witnessed first-hand the value of the show.
“We had a really good response with sales when I attended the show four years ago,” he said. “So we wanted to exhibit this year and take advantage of the proximity to the show.”
The University of Nevada Las Vegas, School of Architecture also joined in the first day frenzy. Together with Coverings, they celebrated the finished works of its collaboration with the show – a 10-week course and design competition that investigated the use of tile as a medium for furniture and produced six fully fabricated benches. Introduced in a special afternoon ceremony, were the six winning designs along with the course director, Jonathon Anderson, an assistant professor at the UNLV School of Architecture. The winning projects were:
Andres Diaz, “Weave Bench”
John Gassaway, “Binoc”
Jamie Mitchell, “Mesa”
Arely Lopez, “Strata”
Logan Ziegler, “Interstice”
Brenda Tena, “Desert Plateau”
The winning benches will be on display throughout the duration of Coverings as part of a silent auction that will benefit Ceramic Tile Education Foundation and UNLV. The silent auction winners will be announced on Wednesday at 10 p.m. during Coverings’ 25th Anniversary celebration.
Download high-res images taken on April 29, 2014 here.
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About Coverings
In 2014, Coverings celebrates its 25th Anniversary as the largest and most important ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and expo in the United States. It features exhibitors from more than 35 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world.
The exposition serves as a valuable resource for continuing education for all segments of the industry, with more than 80 informative, accredited seminars and live demonstration sessions throughout the show, all free of charge.
Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders and real estate developers, as well as journalists and bloggers who cover this vital and dynamic industry.
Sponsors of the show are The Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), Tile of Spain/Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER), Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and Tile Council of North America (TCNA). The show is managed by National Trade Productions.
Coverings 2014 takes place April 29—May 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with the education programming beginning on April 28. For more information, visit coverings.com or contact National Trade Productions, Coverings Show Management, 703-683-8500.
