Last month, I attended Coverings in Atlanta, GA, where there was a lot to take in during the event's four days. Being an international tile and stone exhibition, there was a plentiful amount of displays of the latest product lines -- everything from large-format porcelain to artisan tile to exotic stone slabs. But in addition to all of that, it was evident that the show had an underlying message about the importance of a quality installation. Through the Coverings Installation & Design Award Competition (CID), the Installation Design Showcase and an area set up on the show floor to certify the first class of the recently developed Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT) program, Coverings 2013 illustrated the necessity for architects and designers to work hand-in-hand with installers to complete a project with successful results.

Now in its second year, the CID Awards celebrate creativity and technical know-how in the use of tile and stone in residential and commercial projects. The CID Awards honored contractor/designer teams who, respectively, demonstrated the talent and skills to bring to life an exceptional aesthetic vision. The whole idea of the competition is to emphasize the importance of teamwork to achieve a positive design.