Newsline: COVERINGS ANNOUNCES NEW EARLY SHOW DATES FOR 2003

New show dates for Coverings 2003, the trade exposition for the ceramic tile, stone and floor covering industry, were recently announced this week by show management. The new dates of March 24 to 27 are considerably earlier than recent years, focusing on the philosophy that both exhibitors and attendees prefer to view new products as early in the year as possible.

The Coverings 2003 show venue will again be the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. Organizers report that the Orlando site has been named one of the most popular convention venues in the nation for both location and functionality.

"We were extremely pleased to be able to secure these early prime dates for Coverings 2003," said Bob Daniels, Chairman of Coverings 2002. "We have been trying for some time to reserve dates in the first quarter of the year, which is traditionally the busiest season for convention venues and is generally booked many years in advance. We feel very fortunate to be able to present these new early dates to our exhibitors and our attendees, and expect a very positive response from all concerned."

With 491,798 net square feet of exhibition space, an increase of almost 10% over 2001's figures, the 2002 edition of Coverings weighed in as the largest exhibition in the show's history, and it represented a global marketplace. The event was attended by 30,673 trade professionals, who were able to view the latest offerings from more than 1,350 Coverings exhibitors.

Geographical analysis showed that 70% of the show's attendees were from the United States, with the remaining 30% representing over 100 different countries around the world. In addition to the appearance of individual exhibitors from several countries never before represented at Coverings, the exposition featured the national pavilions of 14 different nations this year, more than ever in the show's history. (A full review of the event appears in the July 2002 issue of Stone World on pages 34-41).

For more information, contact Coverings at 11940 U.S. Highway One, Suite 200, North Palm Beach, FL 33408; Phone 561-776-0600 or 800-881-9400 (in the U.S.); Fax: 561-776.7466; E-mail: info@coverings.com; Internet: www.coverings.com.