Lounge will prepare you for a full Installation Experience. As you wend your way through your week in Atlanta, be sure to stop by and take part in the Installation Experience, as well as a reprise of the Installation Design Showcase Tiny House feature from last year, in which NTCA Five Star Contractors pair with top designers to bring a Tiny House to life. It’s right around the corner in Hall C, Booth #8804. As you page through this issue, take note of the “tour of Atlanta” in our cover story. Perhaps as you are out and about in the city, you’ll get a chance to view the stellar tilework in these projects. Also in keeping with the theme about qualified labor in the Installation Experience, Becky Serbin’s Qualified Labor story details the SkillsUSA compe- tition that takes place in Georgia each year and the opportunities that exist to bring this to other states to promote tile setting as a viable career path to high school students. Speaking of young peo- ple getting into the act, check out the Member Spotlight about Darin Shocker, owner of Dutchess County Tile and his son’s decision at 18 to pursue a career in tile setting over an academic college path. I’d love to hear from you about what you found to be the most valu- able about Coverings this year, so please drop me a line at lesley@tile- assn.com and share your impres- sions! Pack your comfy shoes, your notebook to record your impres- sions, your plans to share what you’ve learned with the folks back home, and have fun! Looking for- ward to meeting you there! God bless, Lesley lesley@tile-assn.com EDITOR'S LETTER ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 8 TileLetter | 2018