It’s been a busy first quarter and start to 2017. Showing no signs of a holiday hangover, the flooring industry charged out of the gate in January with a tremendous showing at The International Surfaces Show (TISE) in Las Vegas. New product innovations were on full display, and we all witnessed crowded aisles, and packed schedules morning, noon and night. The excitement and positive vibes were obvious.

Also obvious were the time, investment and effort that went into all the exhibits. It amazes me that the show is transformed overnight from construction chaos to a free-flowing sea of company representation that is easy on the eyes. The final exhibits flawlessly showed off their finest and most innovative flooring technology available to the attendees. Attendees were not disappointed. Quick-Step entertained show goers with aerial silk dancers who sailed high above the show floor; fans lined up at IVC to meet Fetch, the top dog in resilient flooring; and Crossville educated with quick learning sessions that put the spotlight on the creative solutions for flooring retailers and their customers.

Innovation was around every corner. Mohawk demonstrated the ease of installation of its new Airo soft floor covering; Karndean introduced Korlok, a rigid core floor that is quick to install even over imperfect subfloors; Mannington added moisture-wicking technology to its Restoration Collection laminate, and Armstrong introduced Pryzm, a waterproof flooring line with dent and wear resistance. Advances in design were endless as well. Attendees voted QEP’s Harris One Maple Smokey Grey hardwood flooring, Phenix Flooring’s Restored carpet and DuChateau’s Concrete DeLuxe flooring as some of the best of TISE.

As I walked out of the show with a client at the end of the second day, we were caught up in a ground swell of people. My client stated, “Wow. I have not seen it like this in about 10 years.” Thinking about it, the timing mentioned here puts us back in 2007, right before the market downturn in 2008/2009. And since then, it’s been a slow but steady climb. And there is still more climbing to go. With a full complement of colleagues, our Floor Trends content team worked tirelessly all week to embrace this climb and positive vibe with reporting, interviews and product reviews that seemingly could go on forever.

And our tireless work continues long after the show floor closes. We will climb with the flooring market every step of the way. From our daily TalkFloor e-newsletter, mobile app and website to video and monthly print magazine, the Floor Trends team is here to cover it all. We are the number-one trusted resource for flooring retailers, architects, designers and contactors—and we won’t let you down. Thanks for reading and trusting Floor Trends to be your source for information each day.