Arlington, Va.—Coverings, the largest international tile and stone exhibition and conference in North America, will offer more than 50 educational opportunities to show attendees. Through this robust lineup, leaders in the tile and stone industry will provide daily education and trend insights during the April 9-12 show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
Coverings’ educational offering is designed to keep tile and stone professionals current and provide a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced market. Free to all attendees and exhibitors, the 2019 educational program includes 60- and 90-minute CEU-accredited sessions, 20-minute quick-fire and “byte-size” presentations as well as live demonstrations dedicated to a wide range of professionals including architects and designers, fabricators, builders, installers and more.
Coverings 2019 featured programming will include the following topics:
April 9, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.“Color in the New Era: Trends, Twists and Tweaks”will forecast color and design trends for 2020. Presented by Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training, programming will highlight the notion that muted and vibrant tones can co-exist and that a traditional style tweaked with futuristic touches can provide a sense of familiarity with a unique or contemporary perspective.
“Trump, Tariffs and Taxes: What’s Next for Your Business” will take a look at trade policies and explore how businesses will be affected over the next few years. Gene Marks, columnist for The Washington Post and owner of Marks Group, will take a deep dive into the issues attendees know and those they don’t, including on update on USMCA/NAFTA 2.0, EU negotiations and China tariff negotiations. The session will also highlight potential global trouble spots that may impact the tile & stone industry.
April 9, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. and April 10, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.Bart Bettiga, executive director of the National Tile Contractors Association, and Jim Hieb, CEO of The Natural Stone Institute will moderate “Town Hall Meeting – Residential: What Homebuilders & Specifiers Are Saying About the Tile & Stone Industry” and “Town Hall Meeting – Commercial: What General Contractors & Specifiers are Saying About the Tile & Stone Industry.” Both meetings will explore industry insights, with the first session examining from a residential perspective and the second from a commercial perspective. On April 9, tile installers and stone fabricators will gain perspective on what home builders and design professionals expect from their partners on residential projects. On April 10, general contractors and design professionals will share their insights for tile installers and stone fabricators for commercial project success. A roundtable discussion will follow both Town Hall sessions. April 10, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
James Dion, president and owner of Dionco Inc., will provide insights on how retail is evolving and how companies can continue to thrive amidst consumers’ changing shopping patterns. Dion will discuss new innovations and technology, as well as those that have the potential to become a part of the marketplace in a session titled, “E-Commerce, M-Commerce, Conversation Commerce, Brick & Mortar: Customers’ Many Ways to Get What They Want – How to Deliver On All.” April 10, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
“Transparency Trilogy Part I: Transparency in Materials” will be a panel discussion between Bill Griese, director of standards development & sustainability initiatives at The Tile Council of North America; and Luciano Galassini, deputy director of Confindustria Ceramica; moderated by Kadie Yale, founder of Designology Co*Operative. The trio will discuss the ingredients from which tiles and related installation materials are most commonly made and their health attributes compared to other flooring materials, as well as why today’s consumers and specifiers are so passionate about material components and how they’re reported. April 10, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Alena Capra, Coverings industry ambassador and owner of Alena Capra Designs, and Ryan Fasan, design and technical consultant for Tile of Spain, join Scott Conwell, FAIA LEED-AP CSI CDT, director of industry development at the International Masonry Institute for “Right Product, Right Usage, Any Place.” This hands-on session will feature discussion to bring attendees up to speed with the latest product offerings and how to utilize them to create the best effect in specifications. The session will explore the myriad of options available today through the lens of health, safety, ROI and ease of ownership for clients. April 11, 2:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
“Global Tile Trends,” presented by Ryan Fasan; Cristina Faedi, manager of promotional activities at Ceramics of Italy & Cersaie; and Lindsey Waldrep, vice president of marketing at Crossville Inc., facilitates a discussion of the latest trends. Taking a look at innovative designs, techniques and materials, the session will analyze how to transform installations. A new Global Tile Trends Tour, led by Capra, will commence following the presentation.
For more information, visit: coverings.com.