Coverings 2009: Chicago School

The annual stone and tile event, from April 21-24 at the McCormick Place Convention Center, features more than 15 presentations pertaining to the stone industry. The presentations, on a wide variety of topics, also offer continuing-education credits (CEUs) from several organizations.
And, it’s all free.
“This year’s seminar program serves as ongoing testament to Coverings’ efforts to constantly raise the bar on the show’s educational sessions,” said Glenn Feder, president of client events for National Trade Productions (NTP), the Alexandria, Va.-based producer and manager of Coverings. “Beyond the wealth of products from around the world to be found on the show floor, the wide array of conference sessions offers attendees countless opportunities for professional development.”
The educational program, with additional sessions for designers, contractors and distributors, also keeps in tune with today’s time via its new seminar track, “Surviving 2009,” offering advice and solutions for weathering the current economic storm affecting all sectors of the stone and tile industry.
The stone-specific sessions – all one-hour long, unless noted – begin on April 21 at 3:15 p.m. with Stone Business Competitiveness – Why “Going Green” Is a Must!, with Fred Jackson and Christine Jenkins of Estudio Group LLC. They’ll explore the process of earning LEED® credits, how to gain “green” exposure with clients, and discuss what the Natural Stone Council’s Sustainability Committee is doing to advance the use of natural stone in the green movement.
Shower Forensics and Moisture Management, at 12:30 p.m., provides an overview of the shower environment; causes of moisture leak and resultant damages; and mold issues. Don Halvorson of Tile and Stone Authority offers a look at the characteristics and physics of water as it relates to moisture migration issues, along with a brief guide to proper shower construction concepts.
At 4:30 p.m., Maintenance & Problem Solving 101 – What to Use, What to Know & Why tackles what to recommend and use for proper maintenance; Rod Sigman of Aqua Mix Inc. also explains how to avoid common pitfalls. Also at 4:30 p.m., Smart Growth Strategies: Becoming a Fully Digital Fabrication Shop defines digital technology in the countertop industry and provides methodology for analyzing the full digital leap in fabrication, with information from Rob Bromley of Park Industries, Stuart Young of The Granite Shop and Dan Louis of Laser Products Industries.
The sessions on April 22 start at 8 a.m with Business Success for Wholesale/Slab Distributors, moderated by Scott Lardner of Rocky Mountain Stone. He’ll join a panel that includes Jonathan Zanger of Walker Zanger, Karen Pearse of Innovative Stone and Saket Hans of OHM International to discuss a number of trade-related issues, including an update on how distributors are supporting the granite industry on the radon/radiation front.
Also at 8.a.m., Aqua Mix’s Sigman returns with Sealers 101 – What to Use, What to Know & Why, a two-session covering a wide range of topics, including whether stone needs to be sealed, what sealers can and don’t do, sealer types, water-based vs. solvent-based, VOC and regulatory concerns and the future impact on the industry.
Another two-hour session at 8 a.m. is Stone Trends 2009, the latest edition of the always-popular overview of the industry by Vince Marazita of Marazita & Associates. He’ll cover sourcing, marketing and application trends in the stone industry over the last year, including examples of award-winning projects.
At 9:15 a.m., Mark Fernandes of Luck Stone presents Stone Showroom of the Future, offering a case study of his company’s new world-class stone center in the Washington area. Stone professionals from all corners of the industry will be inspired by this extraordinary new showplace.
Super-Charge Your Web Site: Being in the Right Place When Customers Look for a Stone Contractor at 4:30 p.m. offers tips to help a company maximize its Web presence. Marty Gould of Focalize Consulting will include demonstrations of proper keyword and tag usage, as well as critical insight on how to target audiences to increase Web site traffic and obtain customers via search-engine rankings.
Also at 4:30 p.m., From the Quarry to the Kitchen discusses the complete natural-stone installation process, including fabrication, how to select the right material, templating, cutting, finishing and installing, as well as maintenance – all with Joseph Tramuta, Esq., of New England Stone Inc.
Know Before You Import: U.S. Customs’ Classification of Building Stone, wrapping up the 4:30 p.m. slot, features Jacob Bunin of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to detail how his agency classifies building stone, as well as the different tariff provisions for monumental/building stone. He’ll also detail the distinctions in classification, under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, are based on the identity of the stone (marble, granite, etc.) and the degree to which the stone is worked.
April 23 begins with the stone and fabricators keynote, Radon & Radiation in Granite – Reality and Perspective. The 90-minute seminar will highlight initiatives undertaken by the stone industry, along with the efforts to combat misinformation concerning the safety of granite – including the newest scientific information on the issue – and how the data can be used to quell customer concerns.
Leading the session will be Guido Gliori of Grazzini Brothers & Co. and Jim Hogan of Carrara Marble – the current and immediate past presidents of the Marble Institute of America, respectively – and Dr. John F. McCarthy, of Environmental Health & Engineering Inc., which undertook the comphensive MIA-commissioned study on safety.
At 9:15 a.m., How to Reduce Your Liability While Saving Insurance Premiums provides practical solutions for lowering insurance costs and further insulating business owners from catastrophic loss. Marc Rosenkrantz of Schechner Lifson Corp. will cover basics of business insurance and workman’s compensation, and also offer safety and risk transfer forms on CD.
Emerging Technologies And Trends In Stone Fabrication at 4:30 p.m. takes a look at emerging technologies in stone fabrication, focusing on saw jets, new trends in CNC machinery and integrated production lines. Duane Burke of Antillean Marble & Granite, Inc. and John Bergman will also cover fabricating niches such as slab surface treatments (including leathering, bush-hammering and flame-treating) and multi-axis wire-sawing.
Also at 4:30 p.m., Tony Malisani of Malisani Inc. and Michael Twiss of Columbia Stone Inc. will present Estimating 101 – Do You Know Your Cost? It’s a way to get a handle on costs to boost profitability, including cost analysis by each component of a job, and how new equipment can affect the bottom line.
The stone segment finishes up on April 24 with Fabricators Forum, a two-hour open session for answers to question or problems in fabrication and installation issues. The forum will be split into two components to equally address residential and commercial topics; Rocky Mountain Stone’s Lardner will moderate, with other panelists including Duane Naquin of Stone Interiors, Brent Rugo of Rugo Stone LLC, Rejeana Ellis of Rocky Tops, Columbia Stone’s Twiss and Gliori from Grazzini Brothers & Co.
Other Coverings sessions of interest to the stone industry include:
• Construction Forecast: What Impact Can You Expect?, April 21, 8:30 a.m.;
• Trends in Kitchen Surface Coverings, April 21, 3:15 p.m.;
• Mosaics: From Ancient Art to Contemporary Installations, April 21, 4:30 p.m.;
• Managing Your Receivables in Today’s Economy: How to Be Proactive Instead of Reactive, April 22, 9:15 a.m.;
• Color and Design Trends: De-Mystifying Future Forecasts, April 22, 10:30 a.m.;
• Large Format Tile Installations, April 22, 12:30 p.m.
• The Luxury Market Isn’t Dead, It’s Green, April 22, 3:15 p.m.;
• Slip Resistance and the Future Direction of the Tile Industry, April 22, 4:30 p.m.;
• Environmentally Preferable Coverings, April 22, 4:30 p.m;
• Creating a “Sell” Room, Not a Show Room, April 23, 8 a.m.;
• Profit Myths in Distribution, April 23, 8 a.m.;
• Greening Your Bottom Line, April 23, 9:15 a.m.;
• Young Concrete Installations, April 23, 9:15 a.m.;
• Concrete/Subsurface Tolerances, April 23, 4:30 p.m.;
• Radiant Heat Installations, April 23, 4:30 p.m.;
• Understanding the National Green Building Landscape, April 23, 4:30 p.m.;
Organizations sponsoring Coverings this year include ASCER (Spain’s Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association), Confindustria Ceramica (Italian Association of Ceramics), (Association of Italian Ceramic Tile and Refractories Manufacturers), TCNA (Tile Council of North America), and CTDA (Ceramic Tile Distributors Association). Co-sponsors to date include the American Institute of Architects (Chicago Chapter), American Society of Interior Designers (Illinois Chapter), and the International Interior Design Association (Illinois Chapter).
For more information on attending Coverings, visit www.coverings.com or contact NTP at 703-683-8500.