(ORLANDO, FL—April 9, 2019) Coverings (coverings.com), the largest international tile & stone exhibition and conference in North America, opened its doors Tuesday to an enthusiastic crowd at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. To kick off the start of the show’s 30th year, representatives from Ceramics of Italy, the Tile Council of North America, Tile of Spain, the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association, and the National Tile Contractors Association gathered for an official ribbon cutting ceremony. Open through Friday, April 12, Coverings will showcase the latest in tile and stone from over 1,100 exhibitors and more than 40 countries.
“The strong attendance on the first day of Coverings and thousands of inspiring displays from our global exhibitors truly showcases significant growth in the tile and stone industry,” said Jennifer Hoff, president of Taffy Events, the management company for Coverings. “With 2019 marking Coverings’ 30th Anniversary, we’re honored to continue fostering valuable connections and expanding industry knowledge.”
In celebration of Coverings’ anniversary, attendees were greeted by music from the show’s 1989 launch year as they entered the convention center. A timeline with highlights from Coverings’ heritage further showcased the show’s long-standing history and recognized exhibitors who’ve participated annually. To create new memories, attendees also were encouraged to take pictures in a 30th Anniversary-branded photo booth.
On the show floor, the newly expanded Installation & Design Experience (Booth 3538) was abuzz as attendees explored demonstrations, interactive learning features, and inspring vignettes showcasing the synergy between design and installation. The vignettes were designed by locally-based designers and architects: Reginald Dunlap Interior Design design and Welch Tile & Marble installation, using ESTIMA Ceramica products; Interstruct, Inc. design and C. C. Owen Tile Company, Inc. installation, using Crossville, Inc. products; and HHCP design and Nichols Tile & Terrazzo Co., Inc. installation, using Ceramics of Italy products. This year, Tile Council of North America (TCNA), offered a new feature— its highly respected Product Performance Testing Laboratory — which explains the tests that are commonly conducted within the TCNA Lab, exemplifying how vital this information can be for product suitability and performance.
Color expert Leatrice Eiseman was one of several prominent speakers that kicked off the robust conference program. Her popular session discussed how the culinary and auto industries will impact 2020 color trends and noted that copper and black-and-white patterns will remain popular this year. Through its duration, attendees will have the opportunity to attend more than 50 conference sessions where leaders in the tile and stone industry will provide daily education and trend insights.
Additionally, tile and stone industry colleagues reconnected at a wide range of networking opportunities available on the show floor, including daily happy hours inside the Installation & Design Experience booth, the TCNA booth (Booth 3219), and the Coverings Connect lounge (Booth 5832). Also at the Coverings Connect lounge, “Byte Size” speaking sessions – which focus on maximizing social media and technology for business – kicked off with a session on tile’s sustainability.
To learn more and to register to attend visit coverings.com.
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About Coverings
Coverings is the largest and most important ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and expo in the United States. It features exhibitors from over 40 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 45 informative, accredited seminars and live demonstration sessions throughout the show, all free of charge. Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifies, architectural and design professionals, builders and real estate developers, as well as journalists and bloggers who cover this vital and dynamic industry.
