Sustainability top of mind for tile and stone show
Orlando, Fla.—A trio of design ideas incorporating tile and stone will come to life next month as part of Coverings 2012 with the presentation of this year’s Installation Design Showcase.
Scheduled for April 17 to 20 at the Orange County Convention Center here, Coverings is more than an exhibition of tile companies showing their latest wares, noted Bart Bettiga, executive director of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), a Coverings co-sponsor. “The Installation Design Showcase exemplifies the true mission of Coverings: To bring all segments of the tile and stone industry together and amplify how these materials can transform both our living spaces and our world.”
The combined live-action demo and exhibit underscores how critical skilled installation is to realizing any design project, he added, and will be a must-see during Coverings. NTCA helped in pairing three designers and three installation teams for the event. The participating installers all have NTCA Five Star Recognition, the association’s highest ranking, and are certified by the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation.
The collaborations between designers and installers will result in three concepts where tile and stone have star billing—an outdoor living area, a master bathroom and a hotel guest-room.
Construction gets under way a day prior to the opening of Coverings and will continue to be built in full view of show attendees, with completion marked for April 18.
“The fact the showcase will be completed during the course of the show, right on the exhibit floor, offers attendees the opportunity to witness the process first-hand, and to interact directly with the designers and installers,” Bettiga said. “It is yet another example of the kind of value-added programming that makes Coverings such an incomparable experience.”
Along with installation, sustainability will take center stage at Coverings, said Karin Fendrich, show director. “Now more than ever, the design community is committed to going green. To help encourage excellence among the various segments that attend Coverings and emphasize that tile and stone can contribute to ecological innovation, we are expanding our programming in this area.”
As an example, she pointed to Coverings’ extensive educational offering, which has a track of classes dedicated to environmentally friendly concepts. “Coverings features the most dynamic lineup of green track sessions yet, with more than a half dozen classes geared to sustainability. Our initiatives are intended to help bring greater clarity on how sustainability can be incorporated into everyday business practices and add value when it comes to the bottom line.”
Classes scheduled for the green track include, “Ceramic Tile: An Eco-Logical Solution,” “Green Squared—The New Def-inition of ‘Green’ Tile,” “Going Green. Going Global,” “Project Green—Sustainable Tile and Stone,” “Successfully Selling Green in a Crowded, Competitive Marketplace,” “Sustainability for Dimensional Stone: Quarry Operations and Processing,” “From ‘Super-Size’ to ‘Right-Size’—The Road to a ‘Smart-Sized’ Home,” “Ventilated Wall Systems: The Ultimate Green Surface Application,” and “What ‘Points’ Really Make a Difference? – Perspectives from a Green Builder/Remodeler.”
For people who heavily invest in learning the latest in sustainable design, the Coverings Green Certificate Program provides a worthwhile professional payoff, Fendrich said. Those who complete at least four of the designated green sessions will qualify for the certificate.
Like all of the market’s educational classes, those in the green track are free to attend.
For information on the green classes as well as the entire Coverings educational line-up, the Installation Design Showcase and everything else about this year’s show, or to register, visit coverings.com or call 703.683.8500.