Article Number : 1039 |
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| Date | 5/4/2006 9:45:15 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=1039 |
| Abstract | By Louis Iannaco Orlando, Fla.—Overall total registered attendance at Coverings 2006 surpassed previous years, according to Tamara Christian, show director and president of National Trade Productions (NTP), the company which manages the market. The number was 4... |
| Article | By Louis Iannaco Orlando, Fla.—Overall total registered attendance at Coverings 2006 surpassed previous years, according to Tamara Christian, show director and president of National Trade Productions (NTP), the company which manages the market. The number was 4.4% ahead of last year and fuels an upswing that over three years has grown 24.4%. “Coverings attendance and this steadily progressive growth,” she explained, “signals growing consumption of tile and stone products. There is great cause for optimism in the industry right now.” Attendance figures climbed significantly among several key constituencies: tile and stone distributors, remodeling contractors, commercial builders, stone fabricators, specifiers, architects, interior designers, and dealers. In releasing the final count on this year’s event, Christian noted, “Industry professionals have made Coverings the ‘must attend’ show, and it’s now substantiated by hard cold facts. Repeatedly, we heard from exhibitors and every category of attendee that, when it comes to seeing the newest and best-of-the-best in tile and stone, this is the place to be; nothing compares. “This puts us at a very exciting crossroad,” she continued. “We’re stronger than ever as we approach the 20th anniversary of Coverings and as the show makes its move to Chicago for 2007 (FCNews, Dec. 26/Jan. 2). We’re opening the door on new opportunities and broadening the reach of Coverings even further westward. It promises to be historic.” Chicago-Bound As the event will be staged alternately between Orlando and Chicago beginning with the April 2007 show, the up-coming move was a major topic of conversation at the market, as most looked forward to it while some had tredpidations. “We are very excited about being in Chicago next year,” said Peter Lollias, sales manager for Porcelanosa USA. “I believe it’s going to work for us on a couple of different levels. Sometimes, when a show moves, different people tend to show up because, geographically, it’s easier for them to get to. They are more apt to travel to Chicago than they are to come down to Florida. “We get many Floridians at the show,” he explained, “as Florida is a big ceramic tile state, but I believe moving the venue will bring it some fresh blood, people who might not have normally attended the show. It might create interest whereas some people might get bored going to the same place all the time.” Florida Tile’s Tom Graham said, “we are like everybody else in that we are going into it hoping that it works well. We are hoping it will cater to the Midwest market and bring in some fresh people who maybe haven’t come here [to Florida] for awhile. I believe a change of scenery is always good. “We are little concerned about Chicago, the weather and the expense,” he added, “but we are very optimistic more people will come and that it will be well worth the expense and trouble of going there. I know the people on the Coverings committee from the United States, we all feel pretty positive about the move.” Javier Soriano, foreign trade and export promotion for the Association of Ceramic Tile Manufacturers of Spain (ASCER), said, “the move to Chicago is a move driven by our wish to attract other audiences we aren’t seeing in Orlando. Distributors are very loyal to the show, and we expect to get them [in Chicago] as well as we are getting them [in Orlando]. When the show went to New Orleans a few years ago, we drew, more or less, the same number of distributors. Retailers, however, are an issue with this show. “We have to go for them instead of trying to get them to come from everywhere in the country to Orlando,” he explained. “That’s why we feel going to Chicago, where it’s a bigger market for not only retailers but also architects and designers, will improve our attendee numbers a lot. Keep in mind, Coverings was created to promote ceramic tile and stone, to increase its awareness. So, bringing it to a big city like Chicago will really make an impact in the market.” “I am very excited about the move to Chicago,” said Christine Abbate of Ceramic Tiles of Italy. “I think it’s going to be really good. It brings in all new architects, designers, distributors and retailers that might not always be able to make it here, so I think it’s a very good, vibrant thing for the show.” “This is exciting news,” said Christina Michael, principal of CSM Design Studio, Gurnee, Ill. “Our business is high-end residential and hospitality and because of the sheer variety of exhibitors, no other trade show is as important to us as Coverings. It is essential for us to attend, though not always easy making the trip down to Orlando each year, so this change to Chicago is fantastic.” Also favoring the move, Bohdan Gernaga, of Chicago-based Tyme-design, said, “I know so many of my peers who have had to put traveling to trade shows on the back burner because of the expense. The decision to add Chicago is so smart, I think Coverings in Chicago will attract even more attendance from nearby and further west. I’m all for it.” Highlights this year included keynote speaker and retail anthropologist Paco Underhill, who provided insight into how tile and stone dealers can improve the way they showcase and sell their products. Donato Grosser, a longtime consultant to the ceramic tile industry, delivered on his seminar session, “The Future of U.S. Ceramic Tile Distribution: What Can We Predict.” His forecast estimated that there is potential for growth, especially in the luxury end, and he echoed Underhill’s observations that dealers need to be smarter about how they sell. All told, more than 70 seminar programs were offered, many providing CEU credits for professionals with subjects of interest to every category of attendee. |