Stone Featured Session: Internet Marketing Way Beyond Your Web Site

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16ednesday, March 16

8:00 am–9:30 am

Stone Featured Session: Internet Marketing Way Beyond Your Web Site

Speaker: Marty Gould, Focalize Now

Internet marketing is changing — rapidly. Five years ago, Facebook and YouTube were just being born. Now, technology and techniques that were state-of-the-art just a few years ago are totally obsolete. The days of putting up a Web site and expecting traffic and leads are long gone. Today’s online marketing is all

about creating meaningful, worthwhile content relevant to your target customers and getting it distributed through multiple channels: social media, online PR, video, e-mail and, yes, even your Web site. If you’re dissatisfied, confused or frustrated with your current online marketing efforts, this is the one seminar at

Coverings that you absolutely must attend. It will change the way you think about, and utilize, the Internet forever. How are consumers finding you? During this fast-paced session, you’ll pick up tips to help you maximize your marketing presence.

This course will include demonstrations of proper keyword and tag usage, provide critical insight on how to target your audience to increase Web site traffic and obtain customers via search engine rankings. Gain new insight into the tricks of online search capabilities and what you should be discussing with your Webmaster. You’ll be better prepared to make sure you are in the right place when customers are looking for a stone contractor in your market.

8:00 am–9:00 am

Confessions of a Tile Industry Consultant

Speaker: David Gobis, Tile Consultant

Dave Gobis is one of the most recognized experts in the tile and stone industry related to the proper installation of ceramic tile and natural stone. A former contractor and the past Executive Director of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, Gobis now is called upon on numerous projects as a recognized tile industry consultant. He will share with the audience common problems he encounters in the field and his ideas on how to prevent them from occurring.

From Chaos to Calm: Transforming Tile Stores in to Serene Showrooms

Speaker: Kim Bernard, Walker Zanger

Have you thought about how potential clients feel when they enter your store? Have you thought about the fact that you can influence how your clients feel to drive more sales? Join us and learn some simple things you can do to improve your store (and your bottom line). In this session, you will learn the importance of practical issues such as product organization and the value of a good space

plan. We’ll explore the importance of creating a lasting good impression. You will learn how to appeal to the five senses to establish an emotional connection with your clients. We will also review many of the practical issues of store planning,

including lighting, education and interaction. Throughout, we will review some simple actions you can take to change your store environment, which will make buying and selling easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

Coverings

Sustainability — Buzzword or the Next Big Thing?

Speaker: Dan Marvin, Florida Tile

Everyone hears the word “sustainability” thrown around in environmental discussions, but what does sustainability really mean? Is it just a buzzword which will quickly fade, or an important trend in better defining “green” product attributes? This seminar will look into the sustainability movement and attempt to better define what sustainability means. The tile industry in particular has a great story to tell about sustainability, so it is important to be able to talk knowledgably about it, especially when selling to clients. We will also examine the next likely developments for sustainability in green building standards, such as LEED and NAHB.

9:15 am–10:15 am

Tile Underlayment Systems: A Revolution in Industry Standards and Practices

Speakers: Tom Duve, National Applied Construction Products, Inc.; Richard Goldberg, Procon Professional Consultants International LLC; Al Grazzini, Grazzini Brothers

The evolution of thin-bed tile underlayment systems has created a revolution in the floor tile industry. From crack isolation to waterproofing and sound control; tile underlayment systems have truly revolutionized the way tile and stone are installed. We will take an in-depth look at the history of these standards and how

these systems are continuing to be the prominent choice for tile and stone installers. You will hear case studies from industry leaders and they will share their experiences on how thin-bed underlayment systems helped reshape the way tile and stone are used today. In the current TCA handbook, these styles of membranes have evolved into over 25 standards and practices for waterproofing,

crack isolation, sound control, shower receptors, tubs, decks, balconies and more. These low profile underlayment systems became so popular that in 2005, vigorous tests were required through the American National Standard Specification for the Installation of Ceramic Tile (ANSI) for thin-bed crack isolation, waterproofing and sound control membranes. Learn from industry leaders and professionals in tile underlayment systems on the past, present and future of these standards and practices.

Ceramic Tile Specification: Facts, Myths & Tools

Speaker: Ryan Fasan, Professional Attention to Tile Installations

Specification of ceramic tile doesn’t need to be a confusing process. This session strives to clear the proverbial waters by debunking common myths, detailing useful facts and offering all the tools required to ensure a successful ceramic tile specification under any circumstances. Becoming a ceramic expert is easier than you think! A simple and efficient client interview detailing the scope of the project, intended use, level of traffic and expected maintenance provides all of the information required to provide a quality, performance-based spec. The four distinct types of tile bodies create a no-nonsense rule of thumb that will ensure the right type of tile is chosen for any area. There is, in fact, a tile for every use and a use for every tile. Benefits and drawbacks of both glazed and unglazed formats will be highlighted, including a detailed look at glazing methods and abrasion resistance ratings. The final piece of every successful specification is an ISO datasheet. Attendees will learn how to read pertinent details from these technical evaluations and understand their importance in providing lifelong performance. A good specifier knows that installation is a crucial step in the process of a quality ceramic tile project. Simple installation guidelines, including tips on expansion joints, large formats, material inspection and more, will ensure the project’s long-term success. With the simple facts and tools gained in this session, anyone can select ceramic tile with confidence and exceed their client’s expectations.

The Nine Essentials to Effectively Selling to the Affluent

Speaker: Christopher P. Ramey, Affluent Insights

The wealthiest 10% of Americans are responsible for 50% of the total retail sales. This special niche has a fundamentally different perspective than the mass market. So, it’s no surprise that the messaging and marketing that resonates with the affluent is fundamentally different than the middle market. Most hard surface flooring is a luxury marketed like a mass product. No wonder that hard surface is losing its share of the flooring market! In the future, the most successful companies will be those that are customer-centric. This presentation is important

because knowing luxury and affluent consumers is imperative to selling high-end products. We’ll discuss and make sense of the latest research, as well as use other luxury brands as case studies. Attendees will take away an understanding of who the affluent are, their beliefs and attitudes, and the messages and merchandising necessary to effectively resonate with them.

Practical Marketing for Small Businesses: Improving Your Digital Visibility

Speaker: Christine Whittemore, Chief Simplifier, Simple Marketing Now LLC

Marketing and promoting your business matters now, more than ever, in a world where customers educate themselves online first. You must be digitally visible. The challenge, though, for many small businesses is finding the resources (including people) to market effectively while also running day-to-day operations. How then to prioritize what you do so you don’t neglect activities that connect with customers online and offline, while also delivering business results? The solution has to do with thinking about how you deliver value to customers, creating content that addresses your customers’ needs, and consistently making use of that content across all of your customer touch points. In other words, developing a plan that integrates all of your marketing activities.

Using specific flooring and tile examples, this session will demonstrate the value of improving your digital visibility and developing a consistent content strategy to effectively manage the marketing tools available and engage with potential customers to deliver business results.

The New Normal

Speaker: Sara Gutterman, Green Builder Media

Though we find ourselves on the road to recovery, the route is unfamiliar. It’s clear that there is no predictable new normal. Because the recession has been so severe and prolonged, consumers have begun to reset their values, expectations and lifestyles. This session will explore changing valuation metrics, the emerging green economy and products for our future.

9:30 am–10:30 am

New Opportunities in Glass and Jadestone Surfacing Materials

Speakers: Evan Kruger, Nisa Surfaces, LLC; Nao Takahashi, Alpha Professional Tools; Jonathan Mitnick, CCS Stone, Inc.

Crystallized glass, recycled glass panels, Jadestone (winner of Coverings Select 2010 Engineered Stone) and other high-density slab materials are new to the market. These materials have unique properties that specifiers, designers and fabricators must be aware of to successfully offer these products. Learn how handling and fabricating these products are different, yet can complement natural stone. Join this panel discussion and explore the unique characteristics, techniques and benefits of this category long in need of something new to offer the consumer!

10:30 am–11:30 am

Right-Sizing Their Homes and Your Business

Speaker: Gale Steves, Author, Right-Sizing Your Home

Right-sizing is really space management...the key to learning to live fully throughout the home. In this economy, this concept can help consumers improve when they cannot move or manage their expectations when they do move. In this session, Gale Steves, author of Right-Sizing Your Home, will help designers and

architects understand how to apply the idea of right-sizing to their clients’ homes and businesses. Recognize how to benefit when you help your client live within their space.

Environmental Ceramic Tile: Gray Area or Green?

Speaker: Patti Fasan, Professional Attention to Tile Installations

Ceramic tile is one of the most sustainable building materials. However, the embodied energy associated with overseas transportation and a lack of post-consumer recycled content keeps ceramic tile from making most “green” materials list. Facts are seldom black and white, but the common sense sustainable benefits of tile are not a gray area; they are decidedly green.

According to Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and Founding Chairman of USGBC, “People productivity is perhaps the smoking gun that will propel the green movement.” Never before has there been a more opportune time to uncover the truths about ceramic tile. The indoor air quality benefits create a positive impact on people,

and this one feature only begins to scratch the surface of ceramic tiles’ sustainable benefits. While energy and water conservation have been prime directives of the LEED program, the next generation of initiatives will focus on user health and productivity. Environmental issues regarding indoor air quality, occupant health and safety, product durability and replacement frequency,

affordability, maintenance/cleaning products and the ecosystem, as well as the burden on landfill sites, will have participants questioning whether they have addressed all aspects of building green.

1:30 pm–2:30 pm

Balconies, Decks and Exterior Installations

Speaker: Representative from Schluter Systems

One of the fastest growing segments in the tile and stone industry is installing natural stone and ceramic tile on exterior decks and balconies. These installations can be highly profitable, but if installed incorrectly, can carry significant liability. The speaker will share with the audience their experience related to the proper design, specification and installation for these types of projects.

Architecture and Design Featured Session: Color Directions: Twists, Turns and Trends

Speaker: Leatrice Eiseman, Eiseman and Associates, Inc.

The road map to color for 2012 is filled with interesting new directions. Some paths lead to exhilarating tones that encourage the prospective buyer or client to forge ahead into adventures with novel color combinations, while others invite them to stop for a moment, take a deep breath, relax and consider the more classic hues in a different kind of “mix.” The continuing challenge and goal will be in keeping the consumer visually engaged by blending the playful with the practical. To reach that destination, color is the compass. This session will guide you through future color and style directions.

2:45 pm–3:45 pm

Maintenance & Problem Solving 101 — What to Use, What to Know & Why

Speaker: Rod Sigman, Custom Building Products

Understand what products to use for maintenance of tile and stone installations and why. Learn the difference between alkalines, acids and solvents and where each should be used. Learn why common grocery store and many janitorial cleaners are not good for maintaining tile and stone installations. Attendees

will learn how to prolong the life of sealers, remove stains, prevent damage to grout, tile and stone by understanding the role of proper maintenance

Understanding Your Financial Rights with Customers

Speaker: William Maud, BBA, MACE, CHRD, ABD, Cer-Tile Designs

This presentation will expose subcontractors and other industry professionals to their financial rights regarding a customer’s obligation of payment. The law concept of “Quantum Meruit” will be explained in depth with industry examples and workable solutions.

Preparing the Substrate for Swimming Pools: TCNA P602-11 New Method

Speakers: David Fatula and Brian Fitzpatrick, Oceanside Glass

This session will provide an in depth discussion of the origin and development of this new addition to the 2011 TCA Handbook for Ceramic Tile Installation. Each aspect of the method will be discussed to include recommended uses, tank requirements and preparation, installation materials, membrane options and

movement joints.

Mosaics: Updating a Timeless and Inspired Art Form

Moderator: Edie Cohen, Interior Design

Speakers: David Palmer, Palmer Marble and Tile; Blake Goodwin, Artaic — Innovative Mosaic; Others TBD

A timeless art form, mosaics require not only an aesthetic eye, but also technical prowess to make the design and installation a success. The collaboration of the designer and installer as artists are key to a final product that has the look and feel of the original concept. With current technological advances, this medium is

becoming more accessible and affordable in both residential and commercial projects. Join this panel, moderated by Edie Cohen of Interior Design, to learn how designers and installers approach mosaics from development to installation and how technology is now playing a role in these projects.

Power Persuasion: Unleash Your Hidden Influence Skills

Speaker: Maura Schreier-Fleming, Best@Selling

If you’re looking for an edge in business today and want to be prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow, persuasion strategies can be just what you need. Successful business professionals know which persuasion strategies to use and how to use them. There are simple and effective ways to incorporate more persuasion in your business with exhibitors, participants, subordinates and sponsors. You can use these strategies, but only if you know what they are and how to use them.

Customer Retention Strategies

Speaker: Lisbeth Calandrino, Fabulous Floors Magazine

When the economy is tough, businesses spend more time recruiting new customers rather than taking care of existing ones. In addition, the average business annually loses 10% of its customers. Retention strategies must be defined and measured if companies are to survive such a significant loss.

Living Ecologically — Sustainable Style with Tile and Stone

Speaker: Patricia Gaylor, Eco Interiors by Patricia Gaylor