According to Jennifer Hoff, President of Events for National Trade Productions, which manages and produces Coverings, seminars consistently score high marks as a key Coverings attraction, with more than half of all visitors attending at least one session each year. For instance, color guru Leatrice Eiseman consistently packs the house when she presents her annual color trends program, which she has been offering at Coverings for more than a decade. Flooring industry expert Jonathan Trivers is another show regular who serves up valuable sessions for distributors, while James Dion, a highly respected authority on flooring retail, typically speaks to an SRO crowd. Presentations are not limited to solo speakers; numerous interactive forums that bring together the best and brightest of experts and diverse perspectives also are a draw. The National Tile Contractors Association helps put together many of these, and Coverings welcomes proposals for such group-led discussions, as well, said Hoff.

Applications are available at www.coverings.com or www.facebook.com/CoveringsShow. The deadline for proposals is Monday, August 15, 2011.