Registered attendance jumped to nearly 37,000 for the four-day Coverings 2007 tile and stone exposition and conference, which was held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL, from April 17 to 20, representing an increase of 8% over last year. The sharpest spike in attendance numbers was among architects and designers, which was up a dramatic 87%, according to show management. With almost half (49%) of all guests acknowledging they were first-time Coverings attendees, plus a shift in regional patterns that pulled in more show goers than ever before from the East North Central, Mountain and Pacific West states, Coverings exceeded its goals to expand to new audiences whose interests are in tile and stone, according to show management.
"Coverings attendance has been steadily on the rise over the past four years, growing 30.3% in this period," reported Tamara Christian, CEO of National Trade Productions (NTP), which manages the show. "Tile and stone are emerging as fashion statements in design. And, though housing has slowed, home improvement hasn't, and consumers are clamoring for the types of style and individuality that these materials can create. The demand is there."