The World Floor Covering Association said its recent, annual media tours of New York City and Des Moines have been a success. The two cites are homes to key national shelter publications and magazines targeted to women. For the 2010 tours, WFCA scouts selected products that launched at Surfaces, from more than 30 manufacturers.

The New York City media tour, which took place in May, included stops atGood Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, Real Simple, Country Living, Family Circle, This Old House Magazine, Popular Mechanics, Woman’s Day, Windows, Walls & Floors, House Beautiful, Country Accents, Distinctive Kitchens & BathsandParents. The Des Moines tour, held in July, included meetings withBetter Homes & Gardens, Traditional Home Magazine, Renovation Style, Kitchen and Bath Ideas Magazine, Beautiful Homes Magazine, BH&G Creative Collection, Remodeling Ideas, BHG.com, Home Decorating & Design Books, Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Media, Home Design Magazine, Midwest Living, Before & After Magazine, Meredith Corporation Books, Decorating Magazinethe WFCA’s ownBeautiful Flooring.

Already, storiesin Good Housekeeping, Distinctive Kitchen & Bath Ideas, Country Accents, This Old House, Better Homes & Gardens Renovation StyleandWoman’s Day Windows Walls & Floorshave been secured, the WFCA noted, with many more magazines planning on using flooring-related information in upcoming issues.

“These media tours are a critical component of our consumer program and they serve a very important objective for the industry,” said D. Christopher Davis, WFCA's president and ceo. “They allow us to enhance our existing relationships with key consumer press; position ourselves as the unbiased, credible resource for any and all information on flooring; and offer multiple and ongoing consumer press opportunities to our manufacturer and distributor members. All of this translates into increased awareness and sales.”

Davis, along with Cammie Weitzel, WFCA general manager and Leah Gross-Harmon, principal of Story Dept., LLC - the WFCA’s public agency of record, conducted the media tours.