The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) is touring California for the first time as part of its annual media tours that also include New York City and Des Moines. The tours visit key consumer shelter publications and magazines targeted to women.

To prepare for the tours, WFCA trend scouts selected innovative products that launched at the Surfaces tradeshow in February to share with magazine editors. In total, the WFCA contacted over 30 Surfaces exhibitors from around the world to participate in the tours. Making the list were products ranging from 14-Karat gold tiles to a flooring hybrid product.

The New York City media tour, which took place on May 4th and 5th, included stops atWoman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, Interior Design, Ladies Home Journal, Country Living, Traditional Home, Family Circle, This Old House Magazine, Popular Mechanics, Woman’s Day, Windows, Walls & Floors, House Beautiful, Distinctive Kitchens & BathsandParents.

Following the New York tour, the team will travel to Des Moines on July 7 to meet with Meredith Publications including:Better 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 BooksandDecorating Magazine.

The California-based press meetings will begin in July and will be ongoing throughout the summer.

So far, the reception from media sources has been very positive, with nearly all reporting that they plan on using the information provided in feature articles in upcoming issues, according to the WFCA.“We are continually looking for new opportunities to help educate consumers and raise awareness about flooring,” said D. Christopher Davis, president & ceo, WFCA. “Our national media tours are a central component to our efforts on this front. The opportunity to sit face to face with the very people that write the articles that our customers read and care about is a priceless one. The fruits of our labors are seen throughout the year and beyond in the form of articles and stories about flooring in the country’s most popular consumer magazines and newspapers.”

The media tours that have taken place to date have been staffed by Davis and Leah Gross-Harmon, principal of Story Dept., LLC - the WFCA’s public relations agency of record.