Complimentary educational opportunities will include Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and feature sessions, demonstrations, roundtables, live interviews with industry thought-leaders and industry forums. Coverings’ top-rated education is geared to provide attendees with the knowledge, solutions and business-building resources required to excel in the tile and stone industry in 2021 and beyond. “We are mindfully and actively planning a full tile and stone onsite experience that will supply those who attend Coverings 2021 in-person with the products, knowledge and connections they need to advance their businesses and sales,” said Jennifer Hoff, president of Taffy Event Strategies, the event planning company for Coverings.

The always-popular Coverings 2021 Installation Demonstration Stage will return to offer attendees the opportunity to observe live interactive showcases of cutting-edge tile installation techniques. This experiential programming will engage attendees representing all professional trade segments and deliver a holistic view of the tile industry’s standards and best practices.

“We have received feedback from many of our members that they are extremely excited about attending Coverings 2021 in Orlando this year,” said Rick Church, executive director of the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA). “They are looking forward to seeing the event’s incredible products, connecting with national and international suppliers and discovering ground-breaking trends, techniques and tips they can use to grow their businesses.”

New to Coverings 2021 are the Coverings Lounge, Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) exhibits, co-location with the National Wood Flooring Association, and extended show hours.

Stunning mosaic tile projects will be unveiled by Luna Mosaic Arts and the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) in the Coverings Lounge. Visitors can expect to see Luna Mosaic Arts creating a 10-x-10-foot to 10-x-20-foot tile mosaic onsite during the show, with additional mosaic projects on display. The NTCA will present a live broadcast demonstration of designing, building and installing a mosaic tile project, highlighting the historical importance of tile installation as an artisan craft.

“We are thrilled to share the steps and advanced methods used by our NTCA artisan team to design a custom mosaic creation, specifically for Coverings 2021,” said Bart Bettiga, executive director of the NTCA. “Our members comprise contractors, distributors and manufacturers who are gearing up for Coverings 2021 to gain access to the most innovative tile and stone products, networking opportunities and new business skills and growth.”

Coverings is partnering with the SAMA to showcase another dimension of ceramic tile and inspire attendees during the July event. The SAMA will display two exhibits in the OCCC’s North Hall Lobby. One of the exhibits, “One Hundred Moments in Mosaics,” will showcase a non-juried collection of work representing the SAMA’s diverse membership of seasoned professionals and newcomers to the mosaic-making process, culminating in more than 100 moments of life rendered in mosaic design by artists from around the world.

The SAMA’s “Mosaic Arts International (MAI)” exhibit will reflect the multiplicity of the mosaic medium and its endless applications. The MAI exhibition series is comprised of separate juried exhibits featuring the best in contemporary fine art, architectural, community and site-specific mosaics from SAMA’s international membership.

Coverings will be pivoting to a time-optimized schedule for 2021. Longer daily hours of Coverings 2021 will provide show-goers the ability to maximize their experiences each day. The Coverings 2021 exhibit hall will be open Wednesday, July 7, and Thursday, July 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT. The show floor also will be open Friday, July 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Visitors from every facet of the tile and stone industry are expected to attend Coverings 2021, as evidenced by registration numbers trending similar to Coverings 2019.

Coverings’ organizers, the OCCC and the event’s vendor partners are fastidiously considering and planning health, cleaning and safety measures for Coverings 2021. A webpage on the Coverings website has been dedicated to address the health and safety of exhibitors and attendees, and the page will continue to be updated leading to the event.

For more information and to register for Coverings 2021 at no cost, visit coverings.com.