Organizers of Coverings, the largest international ceramic tile and natural stone event in North America, have announced that Coverings 2023 exceeded expectations with a vigorous 50 percent year-over-year increase in attendance, totaling nearly 27,000 eventgoers who gathered April 18-21, at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Fla.
The four-day event spanned 450,000 net square feet of show floor space in addition to the main North and South Concourses in the convention center. The show floor featured expansive global pavilions hosted by leading ceramic tile associations and product manufacturers from the United States, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Turkey, Portugal, India, China and other countries.
Showgoers had the chance to explore more than 1,000 exhibit displays providing attendees with a wide array of this year’s top tile trends. The trends were further highlighted by Alena Capra, owner of Alena Capra Designs, Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer and Coverings’ ambassador, through several onsite presentations and tours during this year’s show.
Exhibitors represented 40 countries, showcasing their newest and most innovative ceramic tile, natural stone, tools, equipment, machinery and technology. International exhibitors made up the majority at 74 percent, with domestic exhibitors following at 26 percent.
Attendees of Coverings 2023 included industry professionals from all business sectors within the tile and stone industry. While 77 percent of attendees were from the United States, 23 percent hailed from other countries.
This year’s Coverings Lounge provided showgoers with a designated and comfortable show floor space to network with peers, hear from industry leaders, gain professional knowledge and attend happy hours with valuable prize giveaways. The four key tenets of Coverings 2023–“Health & Wellness,” “Sustainability,” “Outdoor Spaces,” and “Timeless Luxury”–converged at this centrally located area through live demonstrations, displays, relevant market trends and many hands-on activities.
The show floor at Coverings 2023 also featured the Art Tile Village, an area of creative displays that were of particular interest to architect and designer attendees. The Art Tile Village, which was dedicated to artisans who keep old-world traditions alive by crafting handmade art and specialty tiles, included a range of imaginative tile art designed by local and regional tile experts.
New to Coverings 2023 was the Distributor Lounge, sponsored by the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA) and North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD). This space provided attending distributors with a relaxing space to meet, unwind, and network with peers and customers over light refreshments and snacks.
Show favorites for learning included the return of Coverings’ extensive offering of educational sessions focused upon three tracks: “Installation & Fabrication,” “Materials & Trends” and “Workforce & Profits.” Insights were shared with the latest information about ceramic tile and natural stone as the materials of choice, coupled with resourceful ideas for growing sales and business during the coming year.
“With a tremendously busy show floor and standing-room-only learning sessions, we are extremely pleased with the stream of elated feedback we continue to receive from Coverings 2023 attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and press members alike,” stated Jenn Heinold, president of Taffy Event Strategies, the show management company for Coverings.
Those interested in attending Coverings 2024, set for April 22-25, 2024, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, can sign up to be notified when event registration opens at www.coverings.com.
