“Our aggressive outreach to all segments of the industry, strong conference programming and the irrepressible commitment of our exhibitors all worked to create a tremendous success,” said Glenn Feder, president of client events for National Trade Productions (NTP), which manages and produces Coverings. “We knew it was a challenge to try and repeat or top the numbers we achieved last year in Chicago, where attendance hit close to 37,000. But, this year’s number has to be interpreted as a bellwether for the building industry; though there’s a slowdown, there’s no standstill. Yes, the housing market is skittish and oil prices continue to climb, but there’s still plenty of construction, remodeling, opportunities and needs for tile and stone.”
In fact, the remodeling/contractor and the commercial builder segments showed the sharpest increases in attendance since the 2006 Orlando edition of Coverings, rising 56.6% and 41%, respectively. And Coverings continues to be a draw for architects and designers in their search for new resources and inspiration. Attendance in that segment increased this year by 40%, and last year, it swelled by 87%.