The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) and North American Building Material Distribution Association (NBMDA) teamed up November 1-3 to host the 2022 Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois.

With more than 1,100 distributors and suppliers at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, both associations reached their highest mark in event attendance since the pre-pandemic days. Thanks to the large number of industry pros onsite, attendees were able to make personal connections through tabletop meetings and face-to-face networking functions.

"The NAFCD Annual Convention is the best place to network and learn from your peers. It is so great to have a place where we can talk with other companies who understand and do what we do everyday," said attendee Sara Zacharias of Tri-State Wholesale Flooring.

In addition to the entertainment and social forums offered, this year's program featured a long list of educational sessions centered around the latest trends in leadership, distribution management, economics, sales/marketing and technology.

"The Annual Convention is the most efficient use of our travel and scheduling budget as we not only network with our vendors, both new and established, but we benefit from world-class training all in one location," said attendee Raymond Prozzillo of A&M Supply Corporation.

The NAFCD and NBMDA plan to keep the momentum going as they push year-round opportunities for professional development and plan for the 2023 Annual Convention, which is scheduled to take place November 14-16, 2023, in Colorado Springs.

"As first-time attendees, we had no idea what to expect and were pleasantly surprised. We felt so welcomed by existing members and were impressed by the speakers and the opportunities to receive valuable industry updates. We look forward to next year's event already," said attendee Leslie Morales of U.S. Rubber Recycling, Inc.