Arlington, Va.— Coverings, the preeminent event for the ceramic tile and natural stone industry in North America, has released a lineup of featured conference sessions for Coverings 2022. All educational sessions are designed to provide show-goers with the informative content they need to excel in today’s highly competitive tile and stone marketplace, according to Coverings.
Coverings 2022 learning opportunities will focus on the key tenets of “Health, Wellness and Environment;” “Timeless Luxury;” and “Outdoor Living Spaces.”
The following educational sessions will include:
- Installation & Fabrication
- Materials & Trends
- Workforce & Profits
Installation & Fabrication
These sessions dive into best practices and cutting-edge techniques for installation and fabrication. Select sessions in this track include:
- Meeting Consumer Demand – Successful Exterior Installation
- A panel discussion where tile contractors share their experiences and successes with outdoor installations and review case studies that include the latest in pedestal systems and 2-centimeter pavers.
- What Lies Beneath: How the Tile Community Saved the Day with Proper Preparation
- An examination of what it means to be qualified labor, why training is important and how/why specifiers and customers need to engage and understand how to select a professional tile contractor
- The Secrets of Pool Design and Installation
- Features case studies of award-winning swimming pool projects and covers the entire scope of the design and installation process as well as special components of swimming pool design, such as water features and specification of proper waterproofing and materials.
- Exterior Tile Veneers
- A closer look at innovations in exterior tile assemblies and the initiative taken by industry organizations to propose revisions and successfully testify to the International Code Council in favor of allowing larger tiles on exteriors. The session will also analyze some of the challenges and critical points in the design and installation of exterior tile veneers.
“Attendees of the ‘Installation at Fabrication’ sessions will gain the tools, training and technical know-how they need to be at the forefront of the tile and stone industry,” said Bart Bettiga, executive director of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA).
Materials & Trends
These sessions will focus on the breathtaking world of tile and stone. Select sessions will include:
- Today’s Era of Ramped-Up Health and Environmental Action and Opportunities for Tile – Industry Leadership Collaboration Panel
- A discussion among green building industry leaders to explore present and future green and healthy building demands, how the North American ceramic tile industry is poised to capitalize on several tools, standards addressing health, environmental transparency and performance.
- Tapping the Luxury Market – Insider Secrets from Luxury Daily’s Women in Luxury
- A conversation between representatives from Luxury Daily, a leading luxury business publication, with many insights about how to tap into the luxury market and sell better products at higher margins to wealthier prospects.
- Safety and Performance Issues with Not So Luxurious Vinyl Tile
- This session addresses questions relating to plastic and resin-based material flooring products using the latest research comparing the benefits of ceramic tile with plastic-based material (PBM) and plastic-resin flooring.
- Designing for Outdoor Living
- Attendees will learn the steps involved in the design-build process for outdoor spaces and how to successfully deliver the final product to the client.
“The ‘Materials & Trends’ sessions offer attendees the opportunity to learn about the health benefits of tile, be inspired by the latest trends and gain real takeaways for their businesses and projects,” said Alena Capra, certified master kitchen & bath designer, Coverings spokesperson and owner of Alena Capra Designs.
Workforce & Profits
These sessions will help attendees discover new and successful business practices and tactics to better grow and manage their business. Select sessions will include:
- Differentiating Your Business Through the Health and Wellness Movement
- A discussion about how design-build professionals can embrace the movement toward health and wellness in the home and effectively promote that alignment to differentiate and revitalize their business.
- Laws of Luxury: How to Increase Your Sales by Leveraging the Luxury Business Model
- A session geared towards tile and stone distributors and design firms, which will discuss the steps needed to become a luxury brand or boost margins and sell to the affluent.
- Growth 2022: COVID, the Economy, Inflation and Mid-Terms – Tactics, Strategies and Actions to Increase Profitability in Uncertain Times
- An examination of what industry professionals can expect in 2022 and how to navigate their businesses toward growth and profitability
- Women’s Work: Emerging Opportunities on The Jobsite and in the Workplace
- An exploration of the advantages women bring to the job, emerging opportunities for women in construction and architecture, challenges women must overcome, successes that have been logged along the way, and more.
“Attendees of the ‘Workforce & Profits’ sessions can benefit from business-building solutions and strategies to help gain and retain clients and employees,” said Rick Church, executive director of the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA).
Educational sessions are complimentary and span all industry segments with comprehensive learning objectives and results. Attendees are advised to review the Coverings 2022 schedule to see full details.