Coverings: Featured Educational Sessions
ORLANDO – Coverings will offer more than 50 educational opportunities during its April 9-12 run here at the Orange County Convention Center.
Among the offerings for 2019:
• Two “town-hall” sessions on client insights for tile installers and stone fabricators. One will illustrate what home builders and design professionals expect from their partners on residential projects, while the other will feature general contractors and design professionals sharing their insights for commercial project success. A roundtable discussion will follow both sessions.
Moderators for both sessions will be Jim Hieb, CEO of the Natural Stone Institute, and Bart Bettiga, executive director of the National Tile Contractors Association.
“Town Hall Meeting – Residential: What Homebuilders & Specifiers Are Saying About the Tile & Stone Industry” will be April 9 at 8:30 a.m., and “Town Hall Meeting – Commercial: What General Contractors & Specifiers are Saying About the Tile & Stone Industry” is set for April 10 at 9:30 a.m.
• “Trump, Tariffs and Taxes: What’s Next for Your Business” at 8:30 a.m. on April 9 will take a look at trade policies and explore how businesses will be affected over the next few years. Gene Marks, columnist for the Washington Post and owner of Marks Group in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., will take a deep dive into the issues attendees know and those they don’t, including on update on USMCA/NAFTA 2.0, EU negotiations and China tariff negotiations.
The session will also highlight potential global trouble spots that may impact the tile & stone industry.
• “Right Product, Right Usage, Any Place,” on April 10 at 8:30 a.m., is a hands-on session featuring discussion on the latest product offerings and how to utilize them to create the best effect in specifications. The session will explore the myriad of options available today through the lens of health, safety, ROI and ease of ownership for clients.
Alena Capra, Coverings Industry Ambassador and owner of Alena Capra Designs in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will join Ryan Fasan, design and technical consultant for Tile of Spain, and Scott Conwell, FAIA LEED-AP CSI CDT, director of industry development at the International Masonry Institute.
• “Color in the New Era: Trends, Twists and Tweaks” on April 9 at 8:30 a.m. will forecast color and design trends for 2020. Presented by Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training, the session will highlight the notion that muted and vibrant tones can co-exist and that a traditional style tweaked with futuristic touches can provide a sense of familiarity with a unique or contemporary perspective.
Coverings’ in-depth educational program is designed to keep tile and stone professionals current and provide a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced market. Open to all attendees and exhibitors and free of charge, the 2019 educational program includes 60- and 90- minute CEU-accredited sessions, 20-minute quickfire and “byte-size” presentations as well as live demonstrations dedicated to a wide range of professionals including architects and designers, fabricators, builders, installers, fabricators and more.
To learn more about educational offerings and create a personalized schedule, visit coverings.com.
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