SURFACES 2012 Re-energizes the Floor Covering
Industry and Records Double Digit Growth

(Dallas, Texas) If there is any foreshadowing of how 2012 is going to perform for the floor covering industry, then SURFACES 2012 was a clear indication that it is definitely on the upswing. Exhibitors and attendees are still energized by the success of the show and the business they closed and are already making their plans for SURFACES 2013, January 29-31 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

SURFACES saw a 10% increase in attendance from 2011, which is the largest attendance number since 2008. Thousands of serious floor covering professionals packed both floors of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas January 24-26 prepared to see the largest and best selection in floor covering products and design trends to hit the market. They got what they were looking for as every square foot of the show floor was overflowing with the products, tools and technologies attendees need for their business success.

“2012 is going to be defined as a turning point for SURFACES and hopefully for the industry as a whole,” commented Amie Gilmore, Show Manager, SURFACES. “Leading up to the show the news headlines were becoming more and more positive and you could definitely see and feel that optimism and energy on the show floor.  Everywhere we went we would hear conversations about how great the show was going.”

Exhibit Hall
SURFACES continues to offer the widest range of products and services of any other industry event.  With 546 exhibiting companies at this year’s show in over 295,000 net square feet of exhibit space, attendees had the perfect opportunity to see thousands of product lines under one roof.

"You have to come to SURFACES to see what’s going on,” said Josh Penny, Synergy Holdings.  “If you look in the rear-view mirror you’re only going to see what’s behind you, not in front of you. I come to see the future trends and I think it takes that looking forward to do well in this business. All you have to do is look and those trends are here at SURFACES, all around, in little formats. And then the throughout the year, you’ll see them get bigger and bigger."

Once again, SURFACES attracted an impressive list of new manufacturers—more than 130 had not exhibited at SURFACES before—bringing even more styles and trends to THE one-stop-shopping event of the year.

SURFACES is also becoming a world renown event drawing more than 100 international exhibitors from countries such as Italy, Germany, Spain and Taiwan as well as attendees from Australia, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom. This international presence represents approximately 18% of the overall participation.

“We were selling booth space on Monday, the day before the show started,” said Gilmore. “Companies understand the significance of being in the show and how it can impact the future of their business. They have to be here to stay competitive.”

“I signed up to exhibit at the show on Monday night,” said Aaron Hyden, Raceway Tiles. “This was my first SURFACES and I had a good show.  The response to our tiles was great.  I am looking forward to being here next year.” 

“The mood and spirit of attendees and exhibitors at SURFACES 2012 was remarkably upbeat and optimistic,” stated D. Christopher Davis, President & CEO, World Floor Covering Association. “While the number of attendees appeared to be comparable to the previous year, exhibitors told me quality clearly trumped quantity and serious business was conducted. There were plenty of new product offerings to see and get excited about. All in all, everyone I spoke with said SURFACES 2012 was an exceedingly positive and worthwhile experience.”

"We're really happy with the traffic we've seen in our booth so far,” commented Judy Hyde, Christoval Carpet. “We like to see our current customers so that we can show them all of our new lines and of course we like finding new business here, too. The people we see are the ones we need to see—the right buyers are here."

Education Program
This year’s Education Program was stocked full of in-depth information and proven strategies to benefit floor covering professionals.  Many of the classes were filled to capacity with attendees serious about learning the latest information in business, sales, marketing, flooring installation, building design trends, care/maintenance/restoration, and sustainability.

SURFACES introduced the S² Masters Certification program at the show this year allowing education program participants to qualify for a “Master” status in any of the eight tracks offered in the program. Attendees had to take a minimum of eight hours to receive a certificate plus mention on the SURFACES website and a ribbon to attach to their badge at next year’s show.

In addition, new featured sessions were added to the program this year focused on business improvement, the latest trends and how to stay competitive in an ever-changing environment. Christine Whittemore, Chief Simplifier, Simple Marketing Now and Sarah Johnson, Managing Director, MKG Department led “Social Media: How-To for Business” providing the basics of how to incorporate social media into business owner’s overall marketing and business plan, assessing online presence and best practices on how to engage with customers online.

James Dion, Founder and President, Dionco Inc. taught independent retailers on understanding how big box retailers go to market and the messaging they use with their customers and how to teach customers why it is smarter to buy from them rather than the big box retailers in “Big Box Retailers: Use Their Strategies to Beat Them at Their Own Game”.

“7 Trends That Are Going to Change Your Life and the Floor Covering Industry”, led by Chris Ramey, President, Affluent Insights, explained how to recognize the nature of trends, current major industry and consumer trends and understanding the shifting market and how to adjust to make sure you stay on top of the latest trends.

"The educational sessions are what bring me to the show,” said Jay Zurn, CFI Coverings Precision Hardwood Surfaces. “I can take everything I learn back with me to use and share on the job. I take part in as many sessions as I can because they’re completely worth it."

Show Floor Highlights and Special Events
SURFACES added new show floor features to enhance attendee’s overall show experience and hit the mark with Tool Alley, S² Main Stage, Trends Hub, New Product Marketplace and Connections Pavilion and Demonstration Stage.

The S² Main Stage featured action-packed live product and installation demonstrations which instructed attendees on how to use, sell and install the latest in floor covering products, tools and technologies. 

Tool Alley, featured exhibitors showcasing the latest tools and technologies in floor covering installation. In addition, the Tool Alley stage held daily live product demonstrations so attendees could see the tools in action. Chris Grundy, host of DIY Network’s “Cool Tools” was on-hand to assist with the demonstrations on Tuesday and signed autographs for participants in the Stone Fabricators Alliance booth.

The Trends Hub was a high-traffic area on the show floor featuring the best “on trend” products for the upcoming year. Several exhibiting companies participated in this area by displaying their newest products in framed sample boards on the walls of the Trends Hub along with fashion boards featuring the hottest colors and textures.

Attendees relaxed in the masculine, cigar lounge-themed atmosphere while they browsed through the product and color trends. Victoria Redshaw of Scarlet Opus, a leading trends forecaster in the UK, came up with the concept and design of the Trends Hub and awarded Bristol Design Studios with the Best “On Trend” product featured in the Trends Hub.

SURFACES brought back the on-floor New Product Marketplace which featured a sampling of the newest products for attendees to browse through before making their way to the manufacturer’s booth for additional information. National Floor Trends, Floor Covering Installer and TILE Magazine sponsored the New Product Marketplace and awarded the Best New Product 2012 to Beaulieu for their Created product line.

The Connections Pavilion and Demonstration Stage was another hot spot on the floor as they hosted several daily demonstrations on the cleaning and restoration of both hard and soft-surface flooring. In addition, Connections held their Floor Covering Inspectors Symposium in conjunction with SURFACES on Monday and Tuesday during the show. The symposium was presented by Textile Consultants and LGM and Associates.
 
SURFACES’ Designer Day offered several workshop and seminar options, helping designers become more familiar with the latest styles, colors, trends and inner-workings of the floor covering industry.

Some of the other highlights of the day were the designer luncheon where Antonio Ballatore, host of HGTV’s “The Antonio Treatment” served as keynote speaker and shared his thoughts on where the future of surfaces was headed. Attendees were led on an exclusive tour of The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas led by the Friedmutter Group, one of the interior design groups of the property. Attendees listened as they shared the artistic vision, material selection and creative process leading to completion of one of the world’s finest properties.  Victoria Redshaw of Scarlet Opus took participants on a speed trending tour of the show floor introducing them to some of the hottest product trends for 2012.

SURFACES 2012 debuted its Mobile App this year to positive response from exhibitors and attendees. The free app allowed attendees to quickly find exhibitors, seminars, speaker information, and more from iPhones, iPads, Androids and Blackberry devices. Users were also able to connect to SURFACES Facebook and Twitter feeds, hotel/transportation options, local restaurants and more.

“We believe it was our best show in the last 4-5 years,” said Ed Duncan, Mannington. “We had a blast!  Our sales force and customer base are as optimistic as they have been in quite a while.”

"You shouldn’t be content with just seeing what the distributors bring to you in your location,” said Bill Gardner, Walker’s Carpet One. “At SURFACES, you see everything! Also, when people see me here, I feel like they know I’m serious about what I’m doing. I’m still in business! I’m a player in the industry!"

Save the Date
The industry is already gearing up for SURFACES 2013, which will take place January 29-January 31 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada USA and will co-locate with StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas, the leading North American natural stone industry event.

For information on exhibiting at or attending SURFACES 2012, visit www.Surfaces.com , call 800.547.3477 or 972.536.6400, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

About WFCA
The official sponsor of SURFACES is the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), the floor covering industry's largest advocacy organization representing floor covering retailers, contractors and allied service providers throughout North America.

The WFCA is a recognized leader in marketing research, industry certification programs, and operates the premier consumer flooring web site, www.wfca.org, providing unbiased information about every type of floor covering and connecting customers to members’ retail stores. The WFCA also influences public policy affecting the floor covering industry and consumers. For more information about the WFCA, visit www.wfca-pro.org.

About Hanley Wood
Hanley Wood is comprised of four platforms: Business Media, which publishes more than 30 magazines, featuring Builder, Remodeling and Architect magazine, along with related Web sites, e-newsletters, and conferences; Exhibitions, which produces marquee events such as World of Concrete, bringing residential and commercial construction professionals face-to-face with manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and service providers, and also manages events in other industries; Market Intelligence, which collects and aggregates proprietary data sets that capture hundreds of pieces of profile and material information about housing developments in more than 75 housing markets; and Marketing, which plans, creates, and executes strategic and integrated marketing solutions for its clients. Visit www.hanleywood.com.

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