Coverings 2010 organizers are preparing to receive thousands of attendees and hundreds of exhibitors April 27-30 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., for what is touted as North America’s largest tile and stone show. The four-day event is set to feature more than 70 free-of-charge educational sessions tailored to the needs of distributors, retailers, architects/ designers, installers, fabricators, and builders/remodelers.

Two presentations will kick-off the first day: Architects and Designers Featured Session: “The New Real” - The Future of Design for a Changed Customer, with Maxine Lauer; and Contractors and Installers Featured Session: The Seven Steps to Closing a Profitable Sale, with Robert Langdon. To view the full conference program, visit www.coverings.com.

The 2010 edition will also feature several newly implemented programs: including an Installation Design Showcase, the Coverings Select contest and PROJECT: Green exhibit, as well as a Regional Distributor Pavilion, Green Conference certification and “Happy Hours” networking events.

Several industry groups will be represented with educational courses, including Jim Olson of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and John Cox of Cox Tile, who will present, The NTCA Reference Manual: A Look at the New Business Section of this Important Resource. Additionally, returning to Coverings for its third year is the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) Certification Program, a 4 1/2 day series for professional installers that includes hands-on skills testing. CTEF executive director Scott Carothers will lead this session, together with several program graduates who will discuss their experiences.

The program’s roster will also highlight the environment with course subjects including Green Residential Flooring Trends, Using Tile in Your Next Green Building Project, Field Update: Large Format Tile Façade Systems, Recent Developments in Sound Reduction Membranes, and more.

Coverings is sponsored by the Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association of Spain (ASCER), Confindustria Ceramica (Italian Association of Ceramics), the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), and the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA).

For more information about Coverings 2010, visit www.coverings.com or contact NTP, Coverings Show Management at (703) 683-8500.