Surfaces Highlights 2013 - March 2013

By Darius Helm, Anne Harr and Jessica Chevalier

The Surfaces trade show and convention has been at the Mandalay Bay convention center in Las Vegas for three years now, and it looks like things are starting to gel. This year, attendance was up 4.3% at the combined Surfaces-StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas show. Surfaces had 166 new exhibiting companies, while the stone show had 38.

However, the most evident change from last year was the mood. The atmosphere was clearly more relaxed, reflecting the belief among most flooring professionals that the level of positive economic indicators has reached a threshold where growth is inevitable. Also, everyone from retailers to manufacturers—or at least most of them—reported that business was steadily up.

Some of the largest flooring producers, like Armstrong, Congoleum and Tarkett, chose to participate by exhibiting in ballrooms and meeting rooms, and to some extent that dilutes the impact of the show floors. With the exception of tile producers, most of the big players and all of the carpet mills exhibit on the upper level of the convention center. Most of the flooring exhibitors on the lower level are focused in the hard surface business.

Education opportunities were abundant at this year’s event, with about 50 courses offered over the four days specifically for the flooring industry. The show also featured flooring certification by the International Certified Flooring Installers Association on the show floor. And this year, instead of one Designer Day there were two, one for hard surface and one for carpets and rugs.

For the complete Surfaces wrap up, see the March 2013 issue of Floor Focus Magazine.

Copyright 2013 Floor Focus 

Related Topics:Armstrong Flooring, Tarkett