Arlington, Va.—Coverings had another year of strong growth at the 2019 show, with nearly 1,100 exhibitors showcasing 479,788 square-feet of tile and stone. Almost 27,000 professionals from over 90 countries—an 8.6% increase—attended the 30thannual trade show, which took place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando from April 9-12.
“The significant uptick in attendance at Coverings is certainly a strong indication of the health and vitality of the tile and stone industry,” said Jennifer Hoff, president of Taffy Event Strategies, the management company for Coverings. “It was particularly meaningful to see such strong attendee numbers as we celebrated three decades of Coverings.”
Coverings 2019 participants enjoyed new product previews, live demonstrations, networking opportunities and over 50 educational opportunities. Among the thousands of professionals who attended, distributor attendance was up 9% while architects & designers, builders & remodelers, contractors & installers, fabricators and retailersgrew by more than 10% as compared to 2018.
The show’s 30thanniversary milestone provided an opportunity to celebrate the brands that move the industry forward, as well as the designers, architects, specifiers, distributors and more who promote tile and stone within their businesses. In honor of these long-standing partners, anniversary badges and booth ribbons were awarded to attendees and exhibitors who’ve participated in every year of Coverings.
“The show allows us to meet with both current and potential customers, architects, designers and others involved in the industry, acting as a great networking opportunity,” said Salva Liñan, Ceramica Gomez area manager. “As a veteran company in the industry, we attend Coverings every year full of enthusiasm because it is the best place to showcase our newest product developments.”
The show concluded with a second-line-style parade, complete with beads and a marching band, in celebration of Coverings 2020 which will take place in New Orleans from April 20-23.