The Flooring Contractors Association's (FCICA) educational sessions for the 34th Annual Convention—Back to the Basics, taking place at the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Fla., will be presented on March 7 and March 8.
The four-day Commercial Flooring Tradeshow and 34th Annual Convention will feature five educational sessions, roundtables, industry networking opportunities, the first Successors gathering, as well as optional tours for attendees. According to organizers, the educational sessions will not only give attendees a chance to learn from leaders in their field, but those working on their Certified Installation Manager (CIM) continuing education credits (CEUs), will have an opportunity to earn credits for each educational session.
Keynote speaker David Moeller, CEO of Inside Edge Commercial Interior Services, will open the convention.
Following his address, educational sessions kick off with, If Patton Ran Your Business: How to win the Battle with Your Competition! which will be presented by Tom Shay, of Profits Plus Solutions. Using stories and experiences of General George Patton, Shay will lead participants in this most useful exercise, “General Patton may have been a soldier in the army, but he also had some very unique ideas of how to lead those soldiers under his command which will translate to today’s business.” This session will help participants to determine the strategies and tactics they should utilize as they combat their competitors.
Educational session, Commercial Carpet 101, will be presented by Pat Kelly, president of Synergy Flooring. Kelly will discuss applications, backings, construction types and common misconceptions about both broadloom and carpet tiles as they have evolved and changed.
What’s Under There? is a session that will feature a panel that will define underlayments as that product between the subfloor and flooring material that will help prevent damage to the underside of the floor, act as a cushion, smooth out minor imperfections of the subfloor or have sound absorption properties. The discussion will cover both hard and soft surfaces. The panel will include Don Jewell of Capri cork, Joel Cartee of Sponge Cushion, Mark Johnson of TRAXX, Rich Willett of USG and will be facilitated by Cassie Alverson of Moldings Online.
Following the panel presentation, Claim Resolution: An Inspector’s Perspective, will be presented by Paul Pleshek, president of National Institute of Certified Floorcovering Inspectors (NICFI). This presentation will discuss the responsibilities of manufacturers, retailers, contractors, consumers and inspectors, how the responsible party is determined and how building a relationship with an inspector can help you avoid the claims to begin with.
After lunch and networking, Tarkett’s Diane Martel, vice president of environmental planning and strategy will present Recycling In Your Strategic Business Model. This session will cover the importance of understanding materials production—from sourcing them to finding new life for them after use.
To conclude the day of education, attendees can participate in their choice of two roundtables. The topics will include: Moisture Control, Installers and Working in Healthcare.
For more information, visit fcica.com/events/convention.
