COVERINGS 2019

Orlando, Florida, April 9–12, 2019

If it’s new in tile & stone, it’s at Coverings.

For thirty years, Coverings has been the preeminent event for the ceramic tile & natural stone industry in North America.
Visitors from every facet of the tile & stone industry find that Coverings is the one event that drives their success, year after year.
All in one venue, see thousands of dazzling products, connect with suppliers from around the globe and discover ground-breaking techniques, tips and tricks.
Coverings features 1,100 exhibitors, 26,000 attendees, 9 miles of tile and stone and countless networking and education opportunities.
Coverings is gearing up to celebrate 30 years of innovations at the 2019 event.

VENUE

Orange County Convention Center
P.O. Box 691509, Orlando, FL 32869-1509, Florida, USA
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center is the second largest convention facility in the United States. Each year the OCCC attracts more than 230 events to the Central Florida area. As a result, roughly 1.4 million attendees contribute approximately $2.4 billion to the area’s economy each year.

WHO COMES TO COVERINGS?

Coverings attracts more than 26,000 attendees every year to The Global Tile & Stone Experience.
• Distributors
• Contractors
• Architects & Designers
• Retailers
• Fabricators
• Builders & Remodelers
• Manufacturers and Suppliers
• Media

COVERINGS 2018, POST SHOW REPORT

• 26,000 Attendees
• 1,110 Exhibitors
• 455,000 Square Feet of Exhibit Space
• 90 + Countries Represented
• 50 + Conference Sessions
• Top 10 Attendee Countries: USA, China, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Canada, Turkey, India, Mexico, Nigeria.
• Top 10 Attendee States: Georgia, Florida, California, Texas, New York, Tennessee, North Carolina, Illinois, New Jersey, South Carolina

ATTENDEE PRIMARY BUSINESS ACTIVITY

COVERINGS ATTENDEE BUSINESS

SPECIAL FEATURES

* CID AWARDS
The Coverings Installation & Design (CID) Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in the design and installation of tile and stone in both residential and commercial projects.
An esteemed panel of notable editors and leading designers will evaluate submissions based on execution, original usage, and overall design and purpose, and will give special recognition to those projects exemplifying spectacular tile and stone applications.

* COVERING ROCK STARS: AN EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM
The Coverings Rock Stars – an Emerging Leaders Program – honors the best and brightest young talent in the tile & stone industry. Since its conception, the program has recognized dozens of young leaders who have connected at Coverings through mentorship and networking opportunities. The program underscores Coverings mission to support the growth and success of the industry by recognizing top-notch talent and fostering networking and educational opportunities.
Rock Stars are nominated by industry leaders and must be under 35 and eligible nominees must be 35 or below and employed within one of the following professions: architect, designer, distributor, retailer, contractor/installer, fabricator, specifier, trade association, or manufacturer in order to qualify.

* NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE
A new feature of Coverings online offerings.
Visit the online New Product Showcase to discover hundreds of innovations and new products exhibitors are debuting at Coverings 2019. Onsite, mark favorites in your app and visit those booths on the show floor.
Showcase coming online in mid-February.

EDUCATION

The education sector includes:
• Education Sessions
• The Coverings Blog
• Video Library
• Why Tile
• Ceramic Tile Education Foundation

EDUCATION SESSIONS FEATURED AT COVERINGS 2019

In today’s highly competitive marketplace, having strong knowledge of successful business tactics and best practices from industry leaders is key to professional success.

Through its robust program of notable and respected speakers, Coverings 2019 provides this competitive edge – free of charge. Coverings 2019 will feature an outstanding lineup of complimentary education sessions available to both attendees and exhibitors.

Attendees could earn free CEUs at Coverings 2019 conference sessions. Coverings is an AIA/CES Approved Provider and a NKBA CEU Provider Partner.
For the complete schedule: https://www.eventscribe.com/2019/Coverings/agenda.asp

THE COVERINGS BLOG

VIDEO LIBRARY

The Video Library includes short, single-focus sessions from Coverings 2018, each one is centered on an aspect of product selection critical to today’s consumers, uncovering common misconceptions and misinformation being promoted in the marketplace.
The material is divided in two basic collections:
– Coverings 2018 Quickfire Sessions
– Coverings 2018 Demo Stage

WHY TILE ?

whytile.com is the tile trade’s first-ever industry-wide initiative designed to provide what we hope will be the information you need to make the choice for tile a clear and easy one.

Tile dates to ancient times, as archaeologists continue to excavate bits and pieces of both pottery and tiles – shards that date back thousands of years – from sites around the world. In fact, early stylistic influences, including designs dating back to the Moorish conquest of Spain in the 8th century, as well as ever-popular Italian maiolica), which dates to the 15th century, continue to be carried out in today’s modern finishes.

What you may not know about tile is that it’s as rugged as it is beautiful; delivers as many health benefits for the occupants of any space as it does timeless design touches; and, thanks to the fact that each piece is hand-laid, provides customization opportunities simply unattainable through any other surface option. It’s these lesser-known facts that we’ve set out to communicate through this campaign.

CERAMIC TILE EDUCATION FOUNDATION (CTEF)

The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) is an educational institution that offers local, regional, and national training programs for consumers, installers, construction professionals, architects, designers, building inspectors and sales associates interested in the sale and installation of ceramic tile.

The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) provides education and installer certification for professionals working in the ceramic tile & stone industry. The CTEF Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program is the only third-party assessment of installer skill and knowledge which is recognized by the tile industry. It also offers Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT) testing.

The Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program is a comprehensive testing of the skills and knowledge of experienced tile installers which includes a multiple-choice exam and a hands-on test. Both are based on current industry standards and best practices for producing a sound installation that exhibits good workmanship. The tests, therefore, require that both the observable and non-observable characteristics of a finished installation are executed properly.

The multiple-choice exam is taken online at the installer’s convenience. The hands-on test takes place in locations across the country.