Coverings Confirmed for Chicago, ‘09

Alexandria, VA, August 1, 2007–Coverings is preparing for the 2008 edition of its tile and stone show, which returns to Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center, April 29 to May 2. Organizers report exhibitor applications in excess of available space. The move back to Orlando will mark the 10th appearance of Coverings in that city.

Coverings 2009 will be held at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, April 21-24.

“The alternating schedule between Orlando and Chicago takes Coverings and the tile and stone industry to the best of all possible worlds,” said Tamara Christian, CEO of National Trade Productions (NTP), which manages the annual event. “Each venue has its own distinct advantage, both for exhibitors and attendees. And, keep in mind, there are only five cities in the U.S. that have the capacity to house the vast size of Coverings.”

With more than 1,300 exhibitors, and registered attendance this year hitting a record of nearly 37,000, Coverings occupies more than 500,000 net square feet of exposition space both in Orlando and Chicago.

“We’ve been witnessing the progressive growth of Coverings over the past several years,” said Christian. “One of our goals in moving the show to Chicago was to expand our reach into the architectural and design communities, and this strategy succeeded spectacularly, with attendance in that category soaring 87 percent above the previous year.”

The challenge next year and following, according to Christian, is to build on the increases. “We know we have committed partners in the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission and in the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, respectively, and are confident they will help us in our continued ascent.”

Coverings is sponsored by ASCER (Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association of Spain), Confindustria Ceramica (Italian Association of Ceramics), Tile Council of North America (TCNA), Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), and National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA).