Las Vegas Convention Center was the venue for Coverings 2022, North America’s premier ceramic tile event. It was staged simultaneously this year with the National Hardware Show and IDAExpo from 5th to 8th April. TSJ offers selected highlights.
This year’s switch of venue for Coverings to the Las Vegas Convention Center was one of many significant changes to North America’s premier ceramic tile event.
Following cancellation of the planned 2020 exhibition in New Orleans due to the impact of Coronavirus, Coverings was delighted to be back in its normal April diary slot, but this year, rather than being a stand-alone show, it was held simultaneously with the National Hardware Show (NHS) and IDAExpo.
Coverings was held – from 5th to 8th April – in the North and Central Halls; with NHS occupying the new West Hall, and IDAExpo taking place in the South Hall Level 2.
Registered attendees for all three events had access to each show’s exhibit show floors including access to any show floor content.
Speaking ahead of the show, Jennifer Hoff, President of Taffy Event Strategies – which manages Coverings – stated: “We are very happy to be collaborating with the National Hardware Show and IDAExpo+ to bring additional value to attendees and exhibitors of Coverings.”
“Having three unique but aligned events provides our attendees with opportunities to see more relevant products and exhibitors access to more attendees,” concluded Hoff.
“We strive to bring the newest innovation and trends in home and hardware to our attendees, and this partnership simply makes sense as it expands the breadth of what they are able to see. People come to our show to discover new products, make new connections and now, with Coverings and IDAExpo there as well, this expands on that, all under one roof,” noted Beth Casson, Executive Vice President National Hardware Show.
The IDA Expo+ is presented by International Door Association and is the largest event of its kind in the world. IDAExpo+ will include a comprehensive schedule of educational events, plenary speakers, and social activities, as well as a world-class show floor experience. “With IDA’s reimagined IDAExpo+, we couldn’t pass on the opportunity to enhance the experience for our attendees”, explained IDA President, Brenton Cheney.
“By collaborating with Coverings and the National Hardware Show on access to all three shows, IDA has increased the value to our exhibitors and attendees alike,” said IDA Events Chair Tim Castello.
Coverings is the largest international tile and stone exhibition and conference in North America. It features exhibitors from more than 20 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world.
The exposition and conference serve as a valuable and complimentary continuing education resource for all segments of the industry, with dozens of educational opportunities throughout the show.
Tracking the trends
Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders, real estate developers; as well as journalists, reporters and bloggers who cover the vital tile and stone industry.
At Las Vegas, Coverings’ three primary pavilions – Ceramics of Italy, Tile Council of North America, and Tile of Spain – featured expansive, diverse, and innovative product showcases. These, and numerous additional pavilions and displays, provided product resources for every market segment in the tile and stone industry.
Visitors to Coverings 2022 were able to see, touch, and experience a wide range of new and trend-setting product introductions from more than 750 global manufacturers from over 30 countries.
“Coverings has been the preeminent event for the tile and stone industry for more than 30 years,” said Hoff. “As the number one marketplace for tile and stone, as well as installation materials, equipment and tools, Coverings draws thousands of qualified buyers looking to source products from hundreds of international companies.”
The following is a small selection of the newest tile and stone products that ere on display at Coverings 2022. TSJ will feature more innovative tile designs from the show in future issues.
Adagio Porcelain, by Wonder Porcelain, features graceful movement and visual flow with its striking, rich black, and shades-of-grey veining. Impressively bold, Adagio is a strongly contemporary concept.
African Gold, by Azuvi Ceramics, is an elegant base that mixes leaden and smoky tones full of nuances. It is interspersed with thin arborescent lines in ochre tones that give greater depth and trajectory to each of its pieces.
Alpi, by Undefasa, stands out for its personality, making it an ideal range to deliver feature floors and walls. This sophisticated tile in grey and beige can easily be integrated with neutral furnishings.
Anima Futura is the latest addition to Ceramiche Caesar’s Anima line, inspired by the most sought-after varieties of onyx and marble from around the world.
Art Walls, a new collection from Flaviker, reinterprets wallpaper decoration in ultra-thin, large-format, porcelain stoneware slabs. Thin and light, the slabs are strong, resistant to humidity, safe, and guaranteed over time.
Black and White Hisbalit – the latest collection by Hisbalit – includes over twenty geometric designs created with eco-friendly mosaic tiles in black and white.
Ease is a new range from Ricchetti that blends the beautiful appearance of limestone with three-dimensional artistic patterns.
Elisir Royal is a new collection from Marca Corona inspired by the beauty and charm of time-worn wood, with its diverse natural veins and decorative knots.
Flauti, by Ceramica Vogue, is the latest porcelain stoneware collection from the brand designed specifically for cladding. Boasting a natural resistance to frost and harsh UV rays, these tiles are a great interior and exterior cladding solution.
Invisible Grey, by Lamosa, is beautiful and enchanting, a clear statement for contemporary interiors. Not too strong and yet not too subtle, its new carving effect brings life and rawness to an elegant look, making it one of a kind.
Made.In, from Landmark Ceramics, is an elegant collection inspired by cement. It is designed to provide a warm, contemporary feel with strong materiality; offering creative freedom, and in-and-out continuity.
Moon, introduced by Monopole, is a series with design that recalls the moonstone. It presents a play of contrasts that makes it unrepeatable, with a smooth texture reminiscent of traditional ceramics.
The Nash collection, by Cifre Ceramica, features ceramic porcelain tiles with wood-effect design. The Nash range allows one to update ceramic floors through its aged wood design.
Owen Stone, by Crossville, brings the solace and sophistication of nature to any design project. Owen Stone offers beautiful, earthen styling crafted in durable, lasting porcelain tile.
Oyama, from Geotiles, features an exotic and refined aesthetic. This range stands out for its predominantly white background, and the veining in black and powerful colours.
Plaster 2.0 is Milestone’s first entirely carbon neutral product. Its beautiful concrete design paired with six bold hues replicates the artistic layering of venetian plaster.
Serenade, from Naxos, is inspired by the rich colours of the world’s finest marble. At just 7mm thick, the large-format slabs are ideal for creating statement walls, particularly with the mirror-polished finish.
Serendipity HDP, introduced by Florida Tile, is a collection of colour-body, porcelain tile, featuring minimalist solid colours. With a smooth, matte finish and captivating balance of shade, tone and texture, this line infuses sophistication into any space.
Serie Nilo, by Porcelanite Dos, introduces a greenstone design inspired by the Nilo River. The company offers a wide selection of colours in polish finish, 1,000 by 1,000mm and 600 by 1,500mm, and the matching wall tile in 300 by 900mm.
Terralma, by Portobello America, brings the origin of the material that has the power to transform but preserves its essence. A colour analysis resulted in a vibrant palette of earthy tones, complemented by cool, nature-inspired nuances.
Your Match, from Ceramiche Supergres, is inspired by the minimalist look of cement; the collection is available in six sizes and a variety of colourful porcelain floor tiles and white body ceramic wall tiles.
Tools and accessories
A sampling of new installation materials, tools and technology products on display at Coverings 2022 included the following:
Arttros Levelling Systems are experts in the manufacturing of solutions for fitting ceramic flooring and tiling. Arttros produces only from virgin raw materials. The products provide high performance and perfect finishing.
Balance Pro is a new “all in one” raised flooring support system from Impertek’s Pedestal Line. With the new TopKey tool, raised flooring installations can be adjusted from above, even after the tiles have been laid.
Infinity Drain Center Drain Pro-Series, by Infinity Drain, delivers a competitive price point without skimping on reliability or distinctive design to cover a wide variety of finish, style and install possibilities.
Inlay Spacer, from Inlay Spacer, is a patented and adjustable tile spacer. Inlay Spacer is easy to use and allows the installation of a tile accent inlay with no additional time added to the job.
Mapeguard Board, by Mapei, is a premium-performance, lightweight, high-density, waterproof panel that is made with an extruded polystyrene core.
Pedestal Prime is the new raised flooring support system from Eterno Ivica. The easy-to-adjust, ready-to-install, system is available in three sizes, to cover heights from 25mm up to 430mm.
Roomvo is a leading visualization solution for the tile industry. Roomvo’s proprietary technology allows consumers to preview tiles in their own rooms in just seconds.
Sigmatech, by Sigmadiamant, offers a new range of protective liquids for the polishing of surfaces. Sigmatech offers new solutions to ceramic manufacturers and increases the quality and security on the tiles.
Spectralock 1 Pre-Mixed Grout, by Laticrete International, is a professional-grade grout that offers all the benefits of Spectralock epoxy grout without the hassle of mixing.
Stain-Proof Clear Traction, introduced by Stain-Proof by Dry-Treat, is specially formulated with particles that rise to the top of the surface.
This long-lasting, easy-to-apply clear coating adds traction without sacrificing beauty or appearance.
Best booth awards
Coverings Best Booth Awards recognises exceptional exhibitor stands based on design, creativity, display of product, use of space, and overall presentation.
For 2022, an esteemed panel judges selected four booths to receive the coveted awards.
“The Coverings 2022 best booth award winners are a collective group of highly creative tile and stone industry companies,” said Hoff. “While every exhibit booth at this year’s show is worthy of recognition, Coverings is honoured to present the four most distinguished displays as 2022 Best Booth Award winners.”
The Overall Best in Show honour was presented to Landmark Ceramics for the best use of tile. The booth display showcased various vignettes featuring different uses of tile, including residential and hospitality applications, such as a luxury spa, retail shop, relaxed bedroom, an ensuite bathroom, and two outdoor settings.
Landmark’s wide range of inspired displays included stunning limestone-look, wood-look and terrazzo-look porcelain tile collections. Two outdoor settings gave show attendees opportunities to see and feel an expansive array of porcelain tile outdoor pavers.
Florim was awarded Best Immersive Experience, for the space’s new display concept with an open and spacious area that was inspired by the company’s showrooms in Italy. The exhibit’s experience for attendees involved seeing and touching many colourful porcelain tile options and large-format porcelain slabs that were installed along curving walls encircling the space.
A large digital screen centered in the booth provided the continuation of the experience with virtual tile design application simulation. Florim also highlighted its ventilated façade on the exterior of the booth.
The Best Fusion of Artistry and Craftsmanship booth award went to Peronda Group. The exhibit space was laid out to include alcoves displaying three different brands.
The Peronda Group’s Peronda brand display showed classic porcelain styles with the looks of stone, concrete and wood. The Harmony brand area of the booth offered a design-forward selection of tile shapes and colour palettes in collaboration with prominent designers and a trend-focused approach to tile applications. The Museum brand stood out for superior and timeless appeal with large-format, marble-look porcelain.
ABK won the Best Fashion Meets Function award for its fashion-forward large-scale, gauged porcelain slabs as well as floor and wall tiles for indoor and outdoor spaces. The exhibit’s products and displays were inspired by the latest trends in the worlds of interior and graphic design.
ABK’s highly fashionable Versace Ceramics collection was a dramatic and eye-catching area on one end of the exhibit. The other side of the space included ABK’s Cooking Surface Prime technology with induction cooktops of large ceramic slabs in different thicknesses, colours and styles for both indoor and outdoor applications.
More at: https://www.coverings.com
