| TRADESHOW
Anticipation
Surfaces 2006 is expected to be a record-breaking event.
The number of exhibiting companies at Surfaces 2006 later this month
is expected to top last year’s record event at more than 1,054
exhibits. Surfaces 2006 is scheduled for January 31 to February
3 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV.
Among the exhibitors, new company participation is on the rise,
say the show’s organizers. Almost 25 percent of the companies
currently contracted to exhibit this year are new exhibitors.
“The floor covering industry is experiencing a robust period
at this time and there is a high level of optimism about what the
new year will bring,” says Chris Davis, president and CEO,
World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), official sponsor of Surfaces.
“This upbeat feeling throughout the distribution channels,
coupled with some stylish and innovative new products to be showcased,
promises to make Surfaces 2006 the ‘must attend’ event
for anyone who sells floor covering.”
“With the pace we are seeing, we expect to set new records
with attendance and the number of exhibiting companies,” says
Michelle Troop, Surfaces’ senior show director. Close to 40,000
floor covering professionals are expected to attend this year’s
show.
LATEST INTERIOR PRODUCTS
Retailers, builders, architects, designers, distributors and installers
attended Surfaces, covering more than 500,000-square-feet of exhibit
space. Manufacturers use the show to launch their latest floor covering
fashions, tools, supplies and technology to the industry. Thousands
of new products—including carpet, ceramic tile, hardwood,
laminate, resilient, rugs, specialty flooring, underlayment, accessories
and much more—are introduced at the show every year.
Floor covering retailers are sure not to miss the return of the
Window/Wall Coverings Pavilion, once again sponsored by Draperies
& Window Coverings magazine. This area on the show floor will
showcase the latest window and wall coverings trends consumers are
looking for to complement their homes. It’s a lucrative new
profit center retailers can add to their existing stores.
SIX SEMINAR TRACKS
In addition to the record number of exhibiting companies and thousands
of new product introductions, attendees can get the best education
in the industry at Surfaces 2006. The Surfaces 2006 Conference Program,
sponsored by Mannington Mills, has 42 workshops and seminars in
six targeted tracks: Business, Sales, Marketing, Design, Installation
and Window Coverings.
Two of the window coverings industry’s top names—Margie
Nance, Custom Home Furnishings School; and Jamie Gibbs, Jamie Gibbs
and Associates—will present seminars opening the world of
window coverings to Surfaces attendees. Nance’s seminar, Expanding
into Window Coverings Sales, will explore the basics of window coverings,
how to identify the appropriate treatment of each customer and cover
pricing, resources and how to communicate with workrooms. Gibbs’
session, Window Coverings: Building Your Profit Center, will cover
specifying, installing, marketing and pricing window treatments
as well as understanding textile and industry terms.
Plus, the Installation Showcase, which is sponsored by Laticrete,
features seven hour-long installation demonstrations—live
on the show floor—led by top industry experts. These sessions
are free to all Surfaces attendees and offer new tips and techniques
on some of the more challenging flooring installations.
The official sponsor of Surfaces is the World Floor Covering Association
(WFCA), the floor covering industry’s largest advocacy organization
representing floor covering retailers, contractors and allied service
providers throughout North America. The WFCA is a recognized leader
in industry education and certification programs, and influences
public policy affecting the floor covering industry and consumers.
Hanley Wood, LLC serves the housing and construction markets. Through
five operating divisions, the company produces magazines and Web
sites, trade shows and events, data and custom marketing solutions.
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