ALEXANDRIA, VA -- With Coverings 2012 weeks away, organizers of the show are preparing to receive thousands of attendees and more than 800 exhibitors within 300,000 square feet of exhibition space in what is touted as "The Ultimate Tile + Stone Experience." For its 2012 edition, Coverings will be hosted in Orlando's Orange County Convention Center from April 17 to 20 in Florida.

Lea Ceramiche’s “Gouache” series, launched at Coverings 2011, is designed by Diego Grandi.


ALEXANDRIA, VA -- With Coverings 2012 weeks away, organizers of the show are preparing to receive thousands of attendees and more than 800 exhibitors within 300,000 square feet of exhibition space in what is touted as “The Ultimate Tile + Stone Experience.” For its 2012 edition, Coverings will be hosted in Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center from April 17 to 20 in Florida.

The four-day event features more than 70 free-of-charge CEU-earning educational sessions tailored to the specific needs of architects/designers, distributors, retailers, installers, fabricators, and builders/remodelers.

To meet the needs of the show’s attendees, Coverings’ organizers have ramped up the educational program by offering two featured sessions daily. The eight featured sessions are designed to “empower and educate, and maybe even change the way you view your industry,” according to show organizers. They include
  • Marketing an Installation Company: The Web is Your Best Marketing Tool, a discussion moderated by Christine Whittemore of Simple Marketing Now LLC, with panelists: Amber Fox, Wirtz Quality Installations; Martin Howard, David Allen Company; Paige Smith, Neuse Tile Service; Dan Welch, Welch Tile and Marble; Chris Woelfel, Artcraft Granite Marble & Tile
  • Future Color Trends: Fantasies and Realities led by Leatrice Eiseman, Eiseman and Associates
  • How to Prosper in the “New Normal” - Strategies for Navigating the Terrain During Turbulent Times with Sandy Smith, Sandy Smith Seminars
  • A special session with New York-based designer speaker Jamie Drake, Drake Design Associates
  • Triple Your Profit: Stop Being a Profit Soldier and Start Being a Profit Winner with Dr. Albert Bates, Profit Planning Group
  • Reinventing Your Organization...Tools for Leaders/Managers to Develop and Retain Talent in Uncertain Times led by Sandy Smith, Sandy Smith Seminars
  • Open for Business: Why Transparency is Mandatory in the Online Marketing Age with Marty Gould, Focalize Now
  • The State of the Union: Architectural Trends & Influences, an interactive session moderated by Marc Kushner, Architizer.com.


In addition to the exhibits and educational sessions, attendees can look forward to:

Installation Design Showcase – For a third year in a row, the Installation Design Showcase has become a must-see attraction. Watch three spaces being created from inception to completion right on the show floor and meet with participants to discuss the project and why the particular design and materials were chosen. Each of the spaces will highlight a different design aesthetic and feature tile and stone in a live installation. Participants include:
  • Joan DesCombes, a nationally known kitchen designer who has her own practice in Winter Park, FL, is among the highly touted talent in the Showcase. DesCombes is dreaming-up an outdoor living area that she describes as “a personal pamper patio -- a tranquil retreat where one can escape, reflect and relax.” Cox Tile and Marble of San Antonio, TX, which has participated in the Installation Design Showcase since its inception, once again is assigning a team that will tackle this scenario.
  • Orlando native and president of Gribble Interior Group, Grant Gribble, ASID, IIDA, is also stepping into the Showcase spotlight. He is planning the “Mod Squad of master baths,” drawing inspiration from 1960s and 1970s fashion. Helping his retro vision evolve into an energetic yet elegant vignette is Collins Tile and Stone of Arlington, VA.
  • TVS Design of Atlanta, GA, is sending senior associate Foreman Rogers, ASID, who has envisioned a “sophisticated and luxe” look for his hotel guestroom. It’s a space that aims to highlight tile as “much more than just a practical material but as a true art form.” David Allen Company, headquartered in Raleigh, NC, will lead the installation on this project.
Tile and stone products and essential installation elements from Coverings 2012 exhibitors will be utilized during this event, including those from Crossville, Ceramics of Italy, Florida Tile and Metropolitan Ceramics. What’s more, QEP, Rubi Tools USA and European Tile Masters Inc. will provide the necessary tools to construct the exhibit, while H.B. Fuller Construction Products, Mapei and USG Corp will supply the basic building needs.

One of several floral mosaic murals displayed by Sicis.

PROJECT: Green – PROJECT: Green highlights sustainable projects featuring tile and stone from the past two years.

Live installation demonstrations – One of the most popular features at Coverings, the live installation demonstrations offer attendees an up-close and hands-on look at how top contracting pros handle a variety of challenging tile installations. Sponsored by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) and the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), demonstrations will be given by TCNA members and NTCA staff. The NTCA Workshop Program will be broken into four parts to cover each day of Coverings 2012.

Coverings is sponsored by ASCER (Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association of Spain), Confindustria Ceramica (The Italian Association of Ceramics), Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and Tile Council of North America (TCNA).

For more information or to register, visit:www.coverings.com. Also visit www.tilemagonline.com for continuously updated information, as well as following us on Twitter at @TileMagazine for live coverage from the show floor.