Coverings ’17 Draws Nearly 28K

ARLINGTON, Va. – Coverings scored a bit hit in Orlando earlier this month, with attendee levels almost reaching the 28,000 level.

Click photo to enlargeThe April 4-7 event at the Orange County Convention Center showed a 9% gain from last year’s show in Chicago, and bested its last Orlando edition in 2015 by 10%.

“The big gains of attendance at Coverings are in line with growth of the tile and stone market overall.” said Alena Capra, Coverings’ industry ambassador. “Attendees are continually taking advantage of the show’s opportunities, doing business, and boosting their bottom lines. We’re thrilled with the expansive growth of the industry.”

The largest increase in audience came from contractors and installers, who showed a 36% increase from last year and a 12% hike from 2015. Fabricators and distributors increased their ranks by 16% from last year (and 13% from the last Orlando show), and retailers increased by 15% from 2016.

“This was my first time at Coverings and the show lived up to its reputation—our space had so much foot traffic,” said Ted Acworth, founder & CEO of Artaic. “We’re pleased with all the connections from the show, and are looking forward to growing these leads into meaningful relationships.”

Spanish exhibitor APE Cerámica S.L.U also gave high marks for Coverings 2017.

“Coverings was extremely busy with non-stop customers visiting the booth,” said Krista Park, expert area manager for APE Cerámica S.L.U. “The show gives us an opportunity to hear real time feedback on our products. For example, this year we saw a surge in the popularity of textile inspired tile. This is useful insight to our team as we develop new products in the upcoming years.”

Coverings 2018 will be held May 8-11 in Atlanta.

The annual Coverings exposition features exhibitors from more than 40 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative stone and tile products in the world. It attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders and real estate developers, as well as journalists and bloggers who cover this vital and dynamic industry.

For more information, visit coverings.com or contact Taffy Events, Coverings Show Management, at 703-539-5504.

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