Coverings 2004: Education

   The lineup includes many of the standards of stone sessions from previous events, plus some new presentations – with speakers including publisher Steve Forbes, noted stone educator Fred Hueston, and Stone Business columnist Kevin Padden.
   The board of directors of the annual stone-and-tile exhibition hired National Trade Productions (NTP) of Alexandria, Va., last year to produce the 2004 version of Coverings – in part to bring a fresh perspective.
   "When we took over the management of Coverings, we knew the show was widely respected for displaying some of the most exquisite tile and stone the world has to offer," says Tamara Christian, Coverings’ show director and NTP president. "We now want to take Coverings to the next level and provide a series of forums to promote the business of ceramic tile and natural stone."
   One of the most-popular sessions for the stone industry returns on March 23 at 4:30 p.m with Choosing the Right Equipment and Fabrication Techniques. Panelists Keith Graves of Marva Marble & Granite Inc, Fred Hueston of The National Center For Stone & Masonry Trades (NTC), and Kevin Padden of KM Padden Consulting (and Stone Business) hold a guided open discussion on a variety of in-the-shop issues. Graves, Hueston, and Padden offer priceless information from their years of collective experience.
   Padden returns to shop issues on March 24 at 8 a.m. with Be Ready When OSHA Comes Knocking At Your Door. He expands on one of his favorite topics – being prepared for EPA and OSHA inspections by complying with regulations.
   Fabrication issues get a special focus on March 25 at 3:30 p.m. with Advanced Countertop Fabrication, a special two-hour session. Scott Lardner of Rocky Mountain Stone and Rich Booms of Booms Stone Co. cover aspects of high-production stone-fabrication systems, including templating, machinery, CNC, installation, scheduling and employee issues.
   NTC’s Hueston offers two sessions on stone fixes; on March 24  at 4:30 p.m., Stone Counter Top Repairs and Polishing covers the basic techniques, as well as providing useful tips for removing scratches and making repairs. Advanced Historic Stone Restoration on March 24 at 8 a.m., meanwhile, focuses on the different techniques of working wth older stone, including diagnosis of common problems and cleaning methods for interior and exterior surfaces.
   Post-fabrication issues come to the fore with Know Your Stone and Its Maintenance Needs on March 26 at 8 a.m. with Fred Jackson and Rod Sigman of Aqua Mix. The session details the various elements leading to a successful installation, including stone characteristics, material strengths and limitations, proper care specifications, and the right kind of maintenance.
   The installation issue gets a different angle in Embracing Change in the Building Industry on March 25 at 8 a.m. with Tom Vaughn of Construction Technology Inc. The discussion will cover some of the newer trends in home building – more open space, larger kitchens and bathrooms, changes in building materials – and how installers need to evaluate methods and materials to ensure successful jobs.
   The overall direction of the stone market will be shown in Stone Trends 2004 on March 24 at 4:30 p.m. For the sixth consecutive year, Vince Marazita of Marazita & Associates provides a state-of-the-industry report, including sourcing, marketing and application trends.
   Marazita also offers welcome advice in Marketing to Design Professionals on March 23 at 4:30 p.m., concentrating on the importance of research, marketing and relationship management that can lead to a successful sales strategy.  The session will cover the how-tos of becoming a CES Provider of educational seminars for a variety of professional associations.
   The service angle gets a different perspective with Selling Stone Products to Architects – An Industry Opportunity on March 26 at 8 a.m. Mark Fernandes of Luck Stone Corp. details how to get in front of a client base that may not buy products directly, but can influence large purchases of stone.
   And, from the other side of the table, a panel on March 25 at 4:30 p.m. considers What Are Architects Looking for When Considering Tile and Stone? Jim Luckey of the SmithGroup will join others in showing how architects consider products and select a brand to specify, and how dealers and distributors can work effectively in the process.
   The design market gets full coverage at Coverings 2004, including Introduction to Stone Design on March 25 at 8 a.m. Scott Lardner and Rich Booms lead a general survey session for architects and members of the design community, with an overall view of the production and supply in the dimensional stone industry – and useful tips and techniques in stone sourcing and design.
   Stone and design are among the topics for several sessions, including Tile and Stone for Retail Design and Construction on March 25 at 10 a.m. The focus on retailer designs, particularly with chain-store multiple applications, will come from David Doucette of Retail Construction; Steve DeLisle of Moe's Southwestern Grill; Don Johnson of Scott Partnership; Peter Mileo of Precision H²0; and David Leal of SpecCeramics.
   Future Trends in Hospitality & Contract Design on March 24 at 10 a.m. features two editors-in-chief – Michael Adams of Hospitality Design and Jennifer Busch of Contract – in a discussion of recent trends, with a special look at surfaces. The work of successful professionals in the area will be also be featured.
   The home market makes its appearance with Residential Design – Country and City Look Ahead at 4:30 p.m. on March 24. Elana Frankel, senior architectural editor at Metropolitan Home, and Charlotte Barnard, Country Homes deputy editor, will cover what's in, what's passé, and what will be next, including kitchen and bath trends as well as trends in color and materials.
   One of the leading stone markets gets a closer look on March 25 at 4:30 p.m. with Understanding China and What It Means to the Natural Stone Industry by Jack Seiders and Jack Lieberknech of Architectural Granite & Marble Inc. The presenters have traveled extensively to China and will offer guidance and advice with important business metrics such as quality, negotiations, transportation, as well as surprises that come up from time to time working within the China market. 
   Stone also gets a overview in Understanding the Charisma of Stone: Why Natural Stone is the Intelligent Choice on March 24 at 8 a.m Dr. Claude Rust, a professional geologist, offers insights on how stone looks – and why – in this stone appreciation seminar. 
   Coverings 2004 will also have a variety of special interest groups (SIGs) that include a moderator speaking to small, specialized audiences for 90 minutes at 2:30 p.m. on March 24-25.
   The SIGs scheduled include forums for fabricators, dealers, distributors, residential contractors, commercial contractors, design/build professionals and remodelers, plus focus meetings on Central American and South America, Brazil, and Mexico/border states.
   Coverings 2004 will also feature a series of contractors workshops from the National Tile Contractors Association. The sessions, held on the exhibition floor’s Main State areas, cover a variety of installation issues; the workshops are daily on March 23-25 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with a solo March 26 session at 11 a.m.
   The series of daily featured speakers will continue at Coverings, starting on March 23 with world-renowned architect William McDonough speaking on Redesigning Real Estate: Building for Sustainable Prosperity at 12:30 p.m. McDonough is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development, the nation’s highest environmental honor.
   On March 24 at 12:30 p.m., Michael Payne will discuss Designing for the Sexes. Host of the HGTV show of the same name and founder of Michael Payne Design, he has offered high-end design services to national and international clients since 1980.
   Color specialist Leatrice Eiseman returns to Coverings on March 24 at 12:30 p.m. with Color Trends: How Will They Change? Eiseman, the principal of the Eiseman Center for Color Training and Education and the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, is the author of four books on color and is widely quoted in fashion, interior design and graphics publications.
   Coverings will kick off on March 23 at 8:30 a.m. with a keynote speech by Steve Forbes, president and CEO of Forbes Inc., editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine and two-time Republican presidential contender. A widely esteemed economic prognosticator, Mr. Forbes has won the prestigious Crystal Owl award four times as the financial journalist whose economic forecasts for the coming year have proven to be the most-accurate.
   More information on the speakers and sessions, plus advance registration for the event, are available at the Coverings Website of www.coverings.com.
   Sponsoring organizations of Coverings are ASCER (Spain's Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association), Assopiastrelle (Association of Italian Ceramic Tile and Refractories Manufacturers), CTDA (Ceramic Tile Distributors Association), NTCA (National Tile Contractors Association) and TCA (Tile Council of America).
   The co-sponsors of Coverings include: the Marble Institute of America Inc. (MIA), American Institute of Architects (AIA) (Orlando Chapter), the Associazione Italiana Marmomacchine, the American Society of Interior Designers (Florida North, Florida South and Florida West Coast), the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) (Greater Orlando Chapter), International Interior Design Association (Florida Chapter), the Terrazzo Tile and Marble Association of Canada, the Tile Contractors’ Association of America, and the Tile Heritage Foundation.

This article first appeared in the February 2004 print edition of Stone Business. ©2004 Western Business Media Inc.