New venue, new location, new dates and whole new vibe. That describes the lead-up to the 2025 Floors & More annual convention, set to take place March 24–26 in St. Petersberg, Fla.
Typically held in Las Vegas two days prior to the kick-off of Surfaces—followed by a summer event eight months later—Floors & More opted to hold one longer, dedicated event moving forward. “This is the result of feedback from our advisory council as well as our vendors,” said Vinnie Virga, Jr., the newly elevated president/integrator of the company. “We’re very excited about the format, which will take place over multiple days. We have some incredible things planned.”
Indeed, Floors & More—which includes Floor to Ceiling and Big Bob’s Flooring Outlet dealers—has organized a value-packed, interactive yet fun-filled convention for members. In keeping with this year’s theme, “Outshine,” Floors & More management is focusing on ways to not only engage members but also provide the tools for them to succeed in today’s market.
“For this year’s conference we’re really going to focus on how to outperform the industry and how to outperform the competition,” Virga Jr. stated. “The goal is not to perform at average, you need to be above average—and the only way to be above average is to run your business above average. That’s above average service, above average ethics and work ethic, really dedicating yourself to the process and trusting in the process. That also means you can’t pull back on marketing. You’ve got to put resources into marketing if you’re going to be successful in a tough economy. You can’t wait for the business to come to you. You have to go find the business.”
Floors & More also plans to unveil extensions to private-label programs and new vendors at convention. These include partnerships on the technology side of the business as well as vendors specializing in cabinets, paint, countertops, etc. Additionally, the group is launching new digital initiatives and is in the process of updating its member portal. According to Virga Jr., this will provide a much more efficient, user-friendly interactive experience to help members get the information they need quickly.
“We are best in class in digital marketing, and we’ve invested in upgrading all of our member sites,” Virga Jr. said. “We’re nearly through the transition right now of moving them over, and we are upgrading them to our new provider, which specializes in AI technology. Moreover, with our new provider we can enjoy industry exclusivity.”
But it’s not all work and no play. For its fun-night-out event, Floors & More has reserved portions of Busch Gardens in Tampa. Here, it will have its own private section with exclusive ride times on three of their most popular attractions. The festivities will also include a fully catered dinner, an open bar and DJ, caricature artists, arcade games and an animal petting experience.
For the finale, Floors & More plans to shuttle attendees to Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Members will get a tour of the Pirates Cove, where they will have the opportunity for photos. “They’re going to be giving stadium tours to all of our attendees, so they’ll get a chance to learn about the history of the stadium and the team,” Virga Jr. said. “We think it’s going to be an incredibly strong event.”