The largest international tile and stone exhibition in North America returned to Atlanta, GA, this year. For its 29th edition, the show was hosted at the Georgia World Congress Center from May 8 to 11, 2018, where it welcomed more than 1,100 exhibitors. Each year, the show is sponsored by the Ceramic Tile Distributor Association (CTDA), Tile of Spain/Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers’ Association (ASCER), Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and Tile Council of America (TCNA).

Almost 25,000 industry professionals visited the four-day event, which saw a 20% increase in attendance since the show’s last appearance in Atlanta in 2013. “The energy at the show this year was truly palpable,” said Alena Capra, Coverings’ Industry Ambassador. “The increase in attendance from the last time the show was in Atlanta demonstrates Coverings critical role in the tile and stone industry as well as the market’s overall strength.”

Show management, Taffy Event Strategies, LLC, was equally as satisfied with the event’s turnout. “We were delighted to return to Atlanta this year and to see the growth in show attendance since 2013,” said company president, Jennifer Hoff. “The A&D, builder, remodeler and installer communities took full advantage of thousands of Coverings’ exhibitors and more than 45 educational sessions, as well as many new features at this year’s show, including the quickfire sessions, orientation theatre and the happy hour on Tuesday with extended show hours.”

Exhibitors from all over agreed that it was one of the best shows to-date. “The buzz at the show was electric this year,” said Tressa Samdal, director of marketing for Florida Tile. “It was great to get immediate feedback from designers, architects and dealers from around the world. Coverings offers one of the greatest opportunities to showcase new products to both our existing partners and potential customers.”

“We had a lot of good traffic from quality customers,” added Adam Ramirez, U.S. brand and sales manager at Tau Ceramica. “Coverings is truly a mecca for tile and stone, and there’s no better show to attend if you’re new to the industry.”

A range of other exhibitors showcased live demonstrations of some of their newest innovations on the Installation Demonstration Stage, including Laticrete, Mapei and Nuheat.

Some companies, such as Custom Building Products, also held hands-on demonstrations at their booths to give customers an up-close look. With these interactive demonstrations, representatives displayed the correct ways to utilize different products and were onhand to answer any questions attendees had.

The next edition of Coverings is scheduled to be held from April 9 to 12, 2019, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. For more information, visit coverings.com.