Article Number : 1632 |
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| Date | 1/5/2007 8:00:01 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=1632 |
| Abstract | Las Vegas—Sometimes bigger is better. That was especially the case for Surfaces 2006, which saw its biggest show since starting out 17 years ago... |
| Article | Las Vegas—Sometimes bigger is better. That was especially the case for Surfaces 2006, which saw its biggest show since starting out 17 years ago. Don Finkell, president of Anderson Hardwood Floors, told FCNews the market exceeded his expectations. “The response to our booth, our products and our general direction has been positive. We’ve had great crowds all day long, from before the show opened to after closing. We’ve been having very meaningful conversations.” Jan Lembregts, president of Tarkett’s resilient and wood divisions, noted, “The booth filled up instantly. We’ve gotten lots of commitments from our distributors.” Keith Campbell, chairman of Mannington Mills, after briefly contemplating the question, said, “It feels like the best show ever. The traffic has been fantastic since the start and people are buying everything.” And it was not just the executives whose companies occupied some of the largest booths at the show, as other officials on the top level of the Sands Expo & Convention Center as well as those exhibiting on the downstairs level echoed the same sentiments. “This is one of the greatest Surfaces I’ve ever experienced,” said industry veteran Celia Blum, Western regional sales manager for carpet maker J-Mish. “There was such a steady flow of people, I did not have a chance to sit down; it was extraordinary. People came from all over the country; I never saw so many come from the Northeast as they did this year.” On the downstairs level, companies such as Bio-Pro Research, maker of Urine-Off odor and stain remover, which doubled its booth from last year, were having a hard time keeping inventory available. Early on the final day, FCNews spotted Eric Stasen, health care division manager, selling the last of some of the items the company brought to Las Vegas. “We sold out,” he simply said. Indeed, preliminarily numbers and simple observation back these executives. While final figures were not available at press time, Hanley-Wood, Surfaces’ owner, said more than 1,070 companies exhibited their products and services to approximately 42,000 people. Both are records for North America’s largest all-encompassing floor covering market. These represent a slight increase in exhibitors as last year’s show had 1,054, and nearly a 10% increase in total attendance based on the 38,209 people who participated in 2005. Some factors why the event has become so strong include the Education Conference, which featured more than 40 new seminars broken into six tracks—business, design, installation, marketing, sales and window coverings. These include three days of 90-minute sessions and one day of three-hour, hands-on workshops. FCNews columnists Lew Migliorie, Kelly Kramer and Scott Perron once again were featured presenters and reported big crowds. In addition, there is the Installation Showcase which features some of the industry’s best mechanics giving demonstrations and tips so attendees can improve their craft as well as help better connect the dealer and installer. |