Atlanta—Coverings, the largest global tile and stone exhibition in North America, made its highly anticipated return to the Georgia World Congress Center yesterday. Representatives from the Ceramics of Italy, Tile of Spain, Tile Council of North America, Ceramic Tile Distributor Association and National Tile Contractor Association gathered May 8 for the official 2018 ribbon cutting ceremony. The show, which runs through May 11, showcases hundreds of new products with more than nine miles of tile from 1,100 exhibitors, and offers more than 45 accredited and free seminars and live demonstration sessions.
“Coverings has truly enhanced the show experience this year with the addition of several very exciting opportunities for attendees,” said Alena Capra, Coverings industry ambassador. “Some of this year’s highlights include the new interactive installation experience, an incredible array of community give-back programs and the show’s new after-hours networking event, not to mention the most spectacular display of tile and stone in North America.”
Returning to Atlanta after five years, Coverings 2018 opened with enthusiasm that mirrored the nation’s booming construction industry. Tuesday unveiled an array of new show features designed to enhance the overall experience, including first-day extended hours with an “Around the World of Tile and Stone” happy hour networking event, and the Coverings Orientation Theatre, which allowed first-time show goers looking for advice and strategies on the best way to tackle such a massive exposition. Also receiving commanding attention was The Installation Experience, a new event where attendees can observe in-progress installations depicting common residential design challenges.
Attendees were also encouraged to become part of Coverings’ history at the Tile Heritage Foundation’s Global Monumental Hand-Print Mural. With a $25 tax-deductible donation, attendees at Coverings can press their names, hands, thoughts or logos into a wet clay tile to become part of the mural, which will be installed at TCNA Headquarters in Anderson, S.C. This is one of several community give-back programs at Coverings 2018. Other initiatives taking place this year will benefit Habitat for Humanity, Clean the World and The Homeless Pets Foundation.
Rounding out the exciting line up of activities was the return of the Installation Design Showcase, tiny home edition. For the second year, the homes were outfitted to showcase three unique themes using beautiful tile installations. Jeffery Bruce Baker Designs (JBB) took a Smart Modern Living approach, while The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry designed a Luxe Cottage and designers Carson Guest created a contemporary villa, utilizing materials from generous sponsors Ceramics of Italy, Crossville USA, Estima Ceramica, Ardex, Laticrete, Mapei, Schluter Systems, Wedi, QEP and Rubi Tools.