Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124helped sign up 25 new members at this Chicago venue a new record for membership at a show. The Live Installation Demonstration Stage was buzzing with product demos many from NTCA members and trainers. And contractor activities included Contractor Days where one-hour guided tours introduced contractors to new products and companies on the show floor. Also part of Contractor Days was the lunchtime roundtable discussion about indus- try hot topics conducted while contractors enjoyed a free catered lunch in the Contractor Lounge. 2016 was my first year attending Coverings said Karl Parker NM State Director for NTCA from All American Design and Construction Creative Kitchen and Bath Solutions based in Albuquerque. I was pretty overwhelmed the first day with the amount of people and company representatives in attendance. I quickly found myself networking with people and companies I have not had the opportunity to. I also took time to visit representatives of companies I have been doing busi- ness with for years. I look forward to attending next year. Networking is the most impor- tant part of attending a conference like Coverings said Dirk Sullivan of NTCA member Hawthorne Tile in Portland Ore. Social media has brought us all closer together. Attending coverings solidifies these relationships and helps us to form bonds that strengthen our associa- tion in ways not before possible. This year Coverings was more of a celebration than ever before Sullivan added. A celebration of our trade our bonds and partnerships with manufacturers vendors and each other. The friendships I have formed from my involvement in NTCA are some of the most impor- tant in my lifetime. It has become a family reunion. The importance of COVERINGS 2016 NTCA trainers l. to r. Mark Heinlein and Michael Whistler on the Live Installation Demonstration Stage with an assist with NTCA Tennessee State Director Brad Denny Nichols Tile Terrazzo. NTCA assistant director Jim Olson r. and Five Star Contractor Martin Brookes of Heritage Tile Marble preside during a NTCA lunchtime roundtable. Each day of the show contractors were treated to a catered lunch in the Contractors Lounge and participated in a lively discussion of issues and hot topics in the industry. TEC spon- sored the pictured lunch LATICRETE spon- sored the lunchtime discussion the next day. 72 TileLetter June 2016