Coverings 2005 On Pace for Sell-Out

Alexandria, Virginia – October 5 – Nearly eight months before the show, space reservations and sales for Coverings 2005 are on pace for a sold out show in Orlando next May. To date, 91 percent of the floor has been committed totaling more than 435,000 net square feet of space. Coverings 2005 will take place from May 3 to May 6 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. "The high volume of sales and upgrades tells us that the industry understands that Coverings, unlike any other show out there, is the most comprehensive tile and stone marketplace in the Americas and that it is truly the preferred forum for all things hard surfaces," says Tamara Christian, president, National Trade Productions and Coverings’ show director. "The 2004 show proved without a doubt that Coverings is the place where the flooring industry comes to do business." "Coverings offers its exhibitors a tremendous opportunity to network not only with current customers but also existing and potential suppliers," says Jim Dougherty, vice president of marketing and business development for Crossville, Inc. "We exhibit at Coverings each year because we get excellent exposure to an audience that is there to do business on the floor." According to independent research coming out of Coverings 2004, attendees spent an average of 30 percent of their yearly product-related budgets at Coverings. In addition, of those attendees polled, 92 percent indicated they planned to make purchases as a result of attending Coverings. Adds Christian, "We are witnessing a major change in the flooring industry, as interest in, and sales of, hard surfaces such as tile and stone are challenging sales of other flooring materials. Ceramic tile has doubled its share of the flooring market over the past decade and has had double-digit sales gains for four of the past five years. At the same time, demand for marble and natural stone increased 57 percent between 1995 and 2000, with granite up 76 percent. Hard surface flooring is a major player in the industry."