Coverings 2019 Marks Attendance Gain

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ARLINGTON, Va. Coverings scored a big boost in attendance in 2019.

Almost 27,000 professionals from more than 90 countries — an 8.6 increase — attended the 30th-annual edition at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando from April 9-12.

“The significant uptick in attendance at Coverings is certainly a strong indication of the health and vitality of the tile and stone industry,” said Jennifer Hoff, president of Taffy Event Strategies, the Arlington-based management company for Coverings. “It was particularly meaningful to see such strong attendee numbers as we celebrated three decades of Coverings.”

Nearly 1,100 exhibitors showcased 479,788 ft2 of stone and tile during the event. Participants enjoyed new product previews, live demonstrations, networking opportunities, and more than 50 educational opportunities.

Among the thousands of professionals who attended, distributor attendance was up 9, while architects & designers, builders & remodelers, contractors & installers, fabricators, and retailers grew by more than 10 from the May 2018 edition in Atlanta.

“We come to Coverings each year because it's the best opportunity to meet with key business players,” said Giampaolo Acerbi, Cooperativa Ceramica D'Imola North America national chief sales officer. “The show provides us with a moment in time to launch new collections, which we continue to see great success with.”

Perry Yancovich, Vitromex Vice President of Sales & Marketing also reflected on the show.

“Coverings doesn't mean simply bringing new products and awaiting feedback,” Yancovich said. “We continue to see opportunities for new growth and distribution. This year, we took advantage of our time at the show to launch a new, user-friendly website on the first day of Coverings, which reinforces our brand identity while providing added tools and catalogues for customers.'

The show's 30th anniversary milestone provided an opportunity to celebrate the brands that move the industry forward, as well as the designers, architects, specifiers, distributors and more who promote tile and stone within their businesses. In honor of these long-standing partners, anniversary badges and booth ribbons were awarded to attendees and exhibitors who've participated in every year of Coverings.

“The show allows us to meet with both current and potential customers, architects, designers and others involved in the industry, acting as a great networking opportunity,” said Ceramica Gomez Area Manager, Salva Linan. As a veteran company in the industry, we attend Coverings every year full of enthusiasm because it is the best place to showcase our newest product developments.”

The show concluded with a parade, complete with beads and a marching band, in celebration of the fact that Coverings 2020 will take place in New Orleans on April 20-23.