Orlando, Fla.— Coverings, the largest and most comprehensive tile and stone marketplace in the Americas, announced that over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 100 countries will be in attendance at the sold-out show taking place from May 3 to 6, at the Orange County Convention Center here. “Coverings is the only tile and stone event to offer a full range of products and machinery that attendees and exhibitors need to evaluate to further develop their businesses,” said Tamara Christian, Coverings’ show director and president, National Trade Productions (NTP). “Many companies return to Coverings year after year, which is a clear indication that the show is working for them. In addition, the event’s cosmopolitan tenor and range of educational forums offer our guests an informative, entertaining environment unlike any other industry show.”

Coverings attendees can expect product launches showcasing ceramic material in countless sizes, colors, textures and shapes. Exhibitors will preview innovative new lines ranging from bold, bright colors, to the retro-revival of lime green, orange and gold colors, connoting a more nostalgic feel. The two largest tile producing countries, Spain and Italy, will be well represented at the show while other locales such as India, the Philippines, Tel-Aviv, Brazil, Columbia and, of course, the U.S. will also show off their wares at Coverings 2005. Spain will have its presence felt in a big way with 77 of its companies scheduled to exhibit products in the 90,100-sq.-ft. Pavilion of Spain. Sponsored by ICEX, Spain’s Institute for Foreign Trade and ASCER, the professional association of ceramic tile manufacturers from Spain, the pavilion will make information and directories available at ICEX booth 1414.

Spanish ceramic wall and floor tile producer Ceramicas Aparici (booth 2322) will introduce its Harmony Collection of comtemporary designs with vibrant orange, red, cobalt and neon yellow color combinations, coupled with black and white. For more information, visit www.aparici.com. Pamesa, Spain’s second biggest tile producer (booth 2606), will showcase its new, retrochic Agatha Collection, featuring brights and pastels with whimsical hearts, stars, stripes, dots and flower power motifs. The Agatha Collection promotes the continued nostalgia for the Fifties and early Sixties, when the fascination with futuristic settings became mainstream. For more information about the company, visit www.pamesa.com. On Tuesday, May 3, at 10 a.m., at the center of the pavilion, an audiovisual presentation called “New Trends in the Spanish Tile Industry” will be shown, followed by another audiovisual presentation, “Ceramics and Architecture,” featuring “Tile of Spain Prize for Architecture” award winners. At 3 p.m., Tile of Spain consultant, Patti Fasan will present “2005 Trends in Ceramic Tile - It’s All About More,” also in the Pavilion of Spain (booth 1414).

On Wednesday, May 4, Fasan will discuss “Specification and Design Expertise with Ceramic and Porcelain Tile,” from 9 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. in room S330E. From 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the Pavilion of Spain, Fasan will present “Showroom Savvy How to give consumers more of what they want!” which will cover winning strategies for ceramic tile showrooms. From 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. she will talk about “Architectural Sales How to achieve more specifications.” This seminar will cover insights into the design process and how to increase your visibility and sales success with project professionals and will also be presented at the Pavilion of Spain. On Thursday and Friday, May 5 and 6, the presentations will be repeated with times posted throughout the showfloor. On all four days lunch will be provided at 1 p.m. Hospitality areas will serve paella and wine for lunch and refreshments throughout the day, for exhibitors in booth 1414, and for all attendees in booth 2106. Ceramic Tiles of Italy has big plans for Coverings 2005.

Always on the cutting- edge of design and technology, the Italians have commissioned award-winning Bernard Tschumi Architects, a prominent architectural firm and last year’s commercial winner of the Ceramic Tiles of Italy Design Competition, to use the latest Italian ceramic tiles to create a stunning new institutional exhibit at the center of the Italian Pavilion. The Italian Pavilion will feature more than 100 of Italy’s finest manufacturers of ceramic tile. The centerpiece will be Tschumi’s new exhibit. “The project begins with the idea that tile can be used in an innovative way,” said Tschumi, “as a light and flexible material. The exhibit, made of 12 translucent orange cylinders and 56 ceramic tile curtains, will make visitors stop and re-think the possible uses of tile.” Tschumi’s innovative design will also be seen at the satellite café/newsstand (booth 4206) where attendees can stop for an Italian coffee and catch up on the latest news from Italy. New signage across the pavilion will reflect the colors and shapes of the exhibit.

On Tuesday, May 3, Tschumi will speak about the design of the space at an international press conference. The conference, located near the press room (S210A), will be held at 4 p.m. in room S210C. Industry leaders including Sergio Sassi, president of Assopiastrelle (Association of Italian Ceramic Tile Manufacturers); Enzo Mularoni, vice president for promotional activities, Assopiastrelle; Rober-to Luongo, executive director, Italian Trade Commission USA; and Franco Vantaggi, managing director, Assopiastrelle, will present information on the state of the industry, current promotional plans as well as an overview of industry design trends and technical achievements. As in past years, Ceramic Tiles of Italy’s institutional exhibit will be located in the heart of the Italian Pavilion and will be the nucleus for information, inspiration and innovation, noted Christine Abbate of Ceramic Tiles of Italy. “One section will serve as a resource center, allowing visitors to pick up the industry’s latest promotional materials including a DVD celebrating Coverings and a new book on sustainable design,” she said. “As always, it will be the hub of acitivity as Italian manufacturers host their clients for traditional Italian refreshments including pastas prepared by an Italian chef.”

Also on the agenda, Assopiastrelle will present the winners of the 2005 Ceramic Tiles of Italy Design Competition, an award originated 12 years ago to recognize outstanding achievement by North American architects or interior designers using Italian ceramic tile in commercial, institutional or residential projects. This year, for the first time, Ceramic Tiles of Italy and the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA) will jointly host a cocktail party for distributors and manufacturers. This event will immediately follow Italy’s press conference beginning at 5:30 p.m. in room S320. At the reception, the Italians will present this year’s Assopiastrelle American Distributor Award.

Celebrating its 15th year, the coveted award honors a distributor for the promotion and use of Italian ceramic tiles in the North American marketplace. CTDA will present the Jerry Fisher Service to the Industry Award to a wholesaler for its contributions to the tile industry.
Italian-based manufacturer Alfa (booth 4628), maker of tile for both residential and commercial use, will introduce its new Medicea through-body porcelain tile line, inspired by ancient Tuscan terracotta. The varied shading reproduces the flame effect obtained by firing in conventional kilns. For more information, visit www.alfaceramiche.com. Cerdomus Ceramiche (booth 5025), an Italian-based producer of a range of tile, primarily in porcelain stoneware, will debut its new Ambystone porcelain tile line, which is complemented by neutral tones and offers both rough and satin textures. The natural surface version projects strong visual impact while the satin edge-ground version offers a softer, delicate feel. For more information, visit www.cerdomus.com. Gardenia Orchidea (booth 5418), Italian manufacturer of glazed porcelain tiles as well as ceramic wall and floor tiles, will highlight various glazed porcelain tile products including its new Palace floor tile line. Palace allows mosaic to be combined to create a wide range of compositional solutions. The collection is complemented by 16 different types of accents, including insets, medallions and strips of various widths and decorative motifs, together with a series of trim pieces. For additional information, visit www.gardeniaorch-idea.com.

Marble and granite paired with mosaic designs are growing in popularity, and Coverings’ attendees will be able to view stone manufacturers’ lines guaranteed to give character and atmosphere to any interior. Italy-based B.M.S. and Co. (booth 3297), producer of marble, granite, slate, travertine and limestone tiles, is the sole manufacturer of the Venezian finish, which ages the surface of granite, giving tiles an authentic aged look. B.M.S. and Co. will showcase its new line of stone products for saddles and window sills. For more information, visit www.bmsco.com. Ceramic Tiles of Italy will sponsor “Breakthrough Ideas in Design and Architecture,” presented by Susan Szenasy, editor-in-chief of Metropolis. Her lecture on Tuesday, May 3, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. will help to kick off the conference schedule. Also on the program is a new panel discussion on exterior cladding including Italian in dustry consultant, Arturo Mastelli, president of A&M Marketing. This ATA accredited session, “Exterior Cladding with Porcelain Ceramic Tiles Green Materials for Green Architecture,” will take place on Wednesday, May 4, from 3 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. and will cover several new developments in ventilated wall systems.

On Thursday, May 5, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:20 p.m., Italian indus try consultant, Donato Grosser, president of D. Grosser and Associates will present an update on ceramic tile distribution channels titled, “The U.S. Economy, the Dollar, and the Ever-Changing Channels of Distribution.” The Italian logo will also be found on new show signage, a convention center tram, the Coverings bags and an Internet café. In addition, Ceramic Tiles of Italy will collaborate with the Tile Heritage Foundation to showcase a display of antique ceramic tiles. This new exhibit, located in the South lobby of the convention center, will feature rare Italian tiles from the 19th and 20th centuries. “The Tile Heritage display will add an historical element to the beautiful, contemporary tiles we traditionally see at Coverings,” said Christian.

“Tile has been used for building and surfacing by the greatest architects for thousands of years. Viewing these relics of the past alongside the new technological innovations will be an enriching experience for our attendees.” The display will showcase tiles from Spain, Italy and the United States. “We are extremely excited to be collaborating with Coverings 2005 for this exhibit,” said Joseph Taylor, president and cofounder of the Tile Heritage Foundation. “Like all artifacts from the past, not only do ancient tiles reflect and preserve our ancestry, they also help deepen our understanding of the tile industry today. I think this display will be an invaluable addition to the show.” For additional information on attending or exhibiting at Coverings, call 703/683-8500.