Coverings 2003: Education

ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s another big year for stone at Coverings 2003, the international trade show and professional education conference at the Orange County Convention Center on March 24-27.
An abundance of seminars addressing stone issues will highlight the event, along with a healthy serving of stone and stone-related goods among the 1,300+ exhibitors from 45 countries.
“The power of being there and the power of networking with thousands of participants from all over the world under one huge roof is simply tremendous,” said Rick Church, chairman of the board of the international industry trade associations participating in the annual event. “Coverings is definitely the place to be because manufacturers and suppliers typically take advantage of this dynamic gathering of worldwide participants to unveil their most exciting new lines and specialty trends.”
Last year, Coverings 2002 – the 15th such gathering – attracted 30,695 trade and professional attendees, marking a 17-percent increase from the previous year and setting a new record. International attendance, from more than 100 countries, comprised 30 percent of the total.
The combined stone, tile and rug exhibition will be displayed on over 1,000,000 ft² of space, putting Coverings 2003 among the top 40 U.S. trade shows in terms of floor space.
As the event’s educational and career development arm, Vision 2003 includes more than 80 complimentary seminars, workshops and courses in a variety of categories.
“The high quality and abundance of topics and courses is an expression of Coverings’ commitment to support the industry and bring value-added benefits to our attendees and the members of our sponsoring organizations,” according to Anita Bailey, director of Vision 2003.
Among the seminars of specific interest to the stone trade:

March 24
• Stop Leaving Profits Behind! Explore the Importance of Properly Specifying & Selling Tile and Stone Cleaners and Sealers by Bill Tran, Vice President and Fred Jackson, Stone Business Development Manager, Aqua Mix.
• How to Avoid Costly Mistakes When Choosing Your Next Stone Fabrication Machinery by Renato Meighas, Vice President Sales, AGM Machinery.
• Proper Selection & Maintenance of Stone: A Guide for Designers and Architects by Fred Hueston, President, NTC Enterprises Inc.
• Fabricators’ Forum by Michael Reis, Editor and Associate Publisher, Stone World.
• From the Earth to Your Home; Processing Granite Countertop Slabs by Kevin Padden, Vice President, IMC-Arizona.

March 25
• Stone Trends 2003 by Vince Marazita, President, Marazita & Associates.
• Designing a Stone Fabrication Shop by Keith Graves, Stone Division Manager, H.E. Satterwhite Inc.
• Natural Stone Characteristics: Protection, Maintenance and Restoration by Joe Salvo, Miracle Sealants Co.
• Adding Stone Restoration Services by Fred Hueston.
• Granite Vs. All Those Other Tops by Joe Ranzoni.

March 26
• Introduction to Stone Restoration by Mark Calvillo, Stone Care Director; Michelle Wagner, Stone Pro Sales; Dan Devlin, President, and Raul Navarrete, Sales Associate, Hard Rock Tool.
• Stone Flooring Failures by Fred Hueston.
• Restoration and Maintenance for Marble, Granite, Travertine and More by Paul Lundberg, VMC Technical Assistance Corp.
• How the Internet is Changing the Stone Industry by Haydn Cutler, CEO, stonelocator.com.
• How to Grow Your Ceramic Tile and Stone Business by Donato Pompo, President, Ceramic Tile and Stone Consultants. (Simulcast translation into Spanish available.)
• Introduction to Stone Design by Scott Lardner, Marble Institute of America.
• How to “More” Effectively Sell Natural Stone by Kevin Padden.
• The Art of Making a Sink Hole by Alex Bachrach, Publisher, Stone World, and Cornel Alb, Research & Development Technician, Alpha Professional Tools.

March 27
• Water, Air & Power Requirements for Your Fabrication Shop by Keith Graves, Kevin M. Padden and Fred Hueston.

Vision 2003 will serve as an official provider of continuing education units (CEUs) for members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the design groups contained within the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC) – including the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Interior Design Council (IDC), Interior Design Education Council (IDEC), International Interior Design Association (IIDA), National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), and International Facilities Management Association (IFMA).
Vision 2003 also offers a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers at 9 a.m. on each day of the show including:
• John Graham, author of New Magnet Marketing (March 24)
• Gary Brandt, with an entertaining and motivational presentation based on the best-selling business book, Who Moved My Cheese? (March 25)
• “The Afterburners,” a group of elite fighter pilots who show the strategies that contribute to success in aerial combat and everyday business (March 26); and
• Tony Brigmon, the “Ambassador of Fun,” formerly of Southwest Airlines, showing creative ways to energize a business meeting.
Visions 2003 also takes time at lunch to focus on design issues at 12:30 p.m for the first three days of the show with:
• Chris Madden, host of the HGTV program Interiors by Design and the author of numerous books on design;
• Vicente Wolf, the head of his namesake New York design firm and an inductee into Interior Design’s Designer Hall of Fame; and
• Leatrice Eiseman, internationally recognized color specialist and author of several books, including the award-winning Colors for Your Every Mood.
Coverings 2003 will also feature the much-anticipated announcement of this year’s winners of PRISM, the International Natural Stone Design Competition. In its fourth year, PRISM draws entries from around the globe for creative excellence in the use of natural stone in design and architecture. Winners of this prestigious industry award will be announced on March 26; the contest sports a $10,000 top award and awards of $2,500 and $1,500 in separate residential and commercial categories.
Coverings 2003 enjoys broad sponsorship by the leading professional associations of the industry it serves, including the National Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) and chapters of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA); the American Institute of Architects (AIA); the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI); the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID); and the Tile Contractors Association of America (TCAA).
The Italian Marmomacchine Association (AIMM), whose membership includes Italian manufacturers of equipment for natural stone processing, initiated their co-sponsorship this year.

This article first appeared in the February 2003 print edition of Stone Business. ©2003 Western Business Media Inc.