(ALEXANDRIA, VA—APRIL 4, 2014) Coverings 2014, the tile + stone industry’s largest international exposition in North America, offers an exceptionally wide-ranging conference program comprising more than 80 free sessions, many of which advise on sustainable practices. Coverings returns to Las Vegas for its 25th Anniversary, April 29–May 2, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with the education program beginning April 28 — adding a fifth day of conference programming.
In addition to the more than 900 exhibitors, attendees often cite the free CEU credits and conference sessions, which are categorized by professional experience ranging from novice to corporate leader, as a primary reason for attending the tile + stone super show. Coverings is an AIA/CES Provider, an NKBA CEU Provider Partner and is IDCEC approved. For the complete list of IDCEC and AIA approved sessions, please visit coverings.com/education.
In addition to the Keynote and Featured Sessions previously announced, other conference topics of particular interest in the green category include today’s certification programs; recycling and reusing water in stone manufacturing; and how advancement in technology and production is resulting in green tile, stone and glass.
Here are the details to some of these not-to-be-missed sessions:
Addressing Water Scarcity Through Recycling and Reuse in Stone Manufacturing. Jim Callaghan and Joe Meyer, both of GranQuartz; Steve Debarardino, Old Castle Surfaces; and Jon Lancto, Surface Products; will advise all the acceptable methods of recycling used water in a fabrication setting. Review the current acceptable methods to both reuse and recycle the water, the current regulatory issues affecting the stone industry, and general compliances the local municipalities are requiring.
Monday, April 28, 1–2 p.m.
Breaking News: Announcing an Environmental Product Declaration for Tile. Bill Griese of the Tile Council of North America, notes that demands for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are on the rise, and requirements are beginning to show up in nearly every green building standard and rating system. The session provides an in-depth review of a just-released EPD for generic ceramic tile, explaining how it can be applied to green building initiatives today.
Tuesday, April 29, 1:45–2:45 p.m.
Turn Your Trash Into Cash. Stone Cycler’s Josh Tesh explains how one can recycle scrap into new granite—and actually make money by doing so. Granite pavers and floor tiles made from the recycling process have been used in residential, commercial, state and federal LEED projects.
Tuesday, April 29, 3–4 p.m.
LEED v4 and its Relevance to Tile. Bill Griese, Tile Council of North America, and Dan Marvin, MAPEI, present on LEED v4, which was released late last year and is among the hottest topics being discussed today by green building architects and designers. LEED v4 is substantially revised from v3 and takes on a whole new approach to green product specification. From LCAs, EPDs, to HPDs, LEED v4 presents a lot of industry changes, and its important to understand new requirements for products to contribute toward points.
Wednesday, April 30, 9:15–10:15 a.m.
Health Product Declarations: How to Address the Demand for Radical Transparency with Respect to Tile and Tile Installation Products. Rob Shimp, SCS Global Services, notes one of the latest trends in product transparency in the green building sector is the Health Product Declaration (HPD). Government agencies, customers and NGOs are pressing for safer, more sustainable products, and substitutes for chemicals of concern. This product content and health hazard disclosure is intended to create greater transparency about potential health hazards associated with products and materials, and drive more informed decisions.
Wednesday, April 30, 2:45–3:45 p.m.
Sustainable Natural Stone – An Introduction to NSC 373. Artistic Tile’s Josh Levinson and Coldspring’s Dan Rae offer insight to the objectives and principles of the NSC 373 standard for the Sustainable use of Natural Dimension Stone, which was finalized in 2013, and is the process of being introduced to the marketplace.
Wednesday, April 30, 4–5 p.m.
Fifty Shades of Green. Patricia Gaylor, of Eco Interiors by Patricia Gaylor, presents ways to capture the attention of buyers, which has been an increasingly complicated exercise with the driving force focused on value. Educated consumers are now making increased demands on the building and remodeling trade. This presentation surveys several questions—including how healthy, sustainable design will keep you ahead of the curve and grab the attention of your prospective buyers and keep it.
Thursday, May 1, 8–9 a.m.
Certifying a Tile and Stone Installation Product with Green Squared® Program. Don Miller shares what exactly goes into green tile and stone installation systems for TCNA’s Green Squared® certification. The presentation provides education on how the development of these types of certifications for installation products can benefit manufacturers, distributors, contractors, architects and end users moving forward.
Thursday, May 1, 9:15–10:15 a.m.
Designing for the Post-Carbon Economy: It’s Zero or Nothing. Eric Corey Freed shares a better way to sell your clients on greening their buildings by examining the emotional, psychological and financial reasons why we design the way we do. Uncover specific, bold ideas for how to retrofit new and existing buildings. Freed, architect and author of Green Building for Dummies, uses rich graphics and video to expand your imagination and provides attendees a list of actions to take into their own community.
Thursday, May 1, 4–5 p.m.
Learn about all of the green-focused conference sessions by clicking here. Register to attend Coverings for free at coverings.com/register.
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About Coverings
In 2014, Coverings celebrates its 25th Anniversary as the largest and most important ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and expo in the United States. It features exhibitors from more than 35 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world.
The exposition serves as a valuable resource for continuing education for all segments of the industry, with more than 80 informative, accredited seminars and live demonstration sessions throughout the show, all free of charge.
Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders and real estate developers, as well as journalists and bloggers who cover this vital and dynamic industry.
Sponsors of the show are The Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), Tile of Spain/Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER), Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and Tile Council of North America (TCNA). The show is managed by National Trade Productions.
Coverings 2014 will be held April 29—May 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information, visit www.coverings.com or contact National Trade Productions, Coverings Show Management, 703-683-8500.
