Coverings 2006 closed
The Ceramic Tiles of Italy events
4 - 7 April, 2006
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The XX edition of Coverings, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, is the most important American expo of ceramic tiles and natural stone, boasting over 1,000 exhibitors and 10,000 mē of floor space. This is an international event, with 90 Italian tile manufacturers leading the field in terms of both product innovation and elegant style.
The Ceramic Tiles of Italy institutional stand, designed by the Bernard Tschumi Studio of New York, appears this year with a floor in tones of white, black and grey, in a paragon of the class and quality that have made Italian tiles so desirable the world over. The key event for the Italian participants was the opening day, with an International Press Conference in the afternoon. During this conference, President Alfonso Panzani, General Manager Franco Vantaggi and the newly appointed Director of the ICE bureau in New York, Aniello Musella, addressed issues such as the presence of Italian companies in the US, the importance of promotion and the support provided by the national system to exporting businesses. During the conference, the Ceramic Tiles of Italy Design Award 2006 was presented to three North American architects for the best commercial, residential and institutional projects created using Italian ceramics. The Assopiastrelle American Distributor Award, which is now in its fifteenth edition, was presented on the evening of April 5th, during a cocktail party hold at the Italian Pavilion, to the commercial operator that has best distinguished itself in its dealings with the Italian industry.
The expo calendar also included numerous conventions and seminars with the participation of eminent professionals and experts from the industry. These additional events, which during the inauguration were sponsored by Ceramic Tiles of Italy, included speeches by the architects Ron Jones and Sara Gutterman who illustrated the concept of green building, an address by Arturo Mastelli on the increasing use of ceramic tiles for cladding vertical walls, and an address by Donato Grosser, the Association’s advisor on the US market, during a meeting titled “The future of U.S. ceramic tile distribution: what can we predict”.
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The opening ceremony
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