NTCA UNIVERSITY UPDATE ––––––––––––– By Becky Serbin, Training and Education Coordinator Why Coverings is my favorite trade show While my job description focus- es on different educational oppor- tunities such as NTCA University for our contractors, I have always enjoyed being educated. I can easily admit that I am not an expert even though at times, I think that I am. And since I am always asked about educational opportunities, I’m going to share why Coverings is my favorite trade show. You not only get to see your friends, to visit with manufactur- ers to see new products, but it is an opportunity to learn. If you take a look at the Coverings website, there are educational ses- sions going every day of the show. Many of these sessions are in class- rooms; some are live demos on the show floor. New this year is the Installation & Design Experience, and often there are presentations in the NTCA Contractor’s Lounge. The great thing about the educa- tional opportunities is that they start before the show begins each morning and continue all day. The classroom sessions typically are 60-minute sessions that cover a range of topics from health and safety, issues with running a business, installation methods and standards, or even a panel discus- sion with general contractors. The live demos could be new-prod- uct demos or presentations on proper substrate prep, grouting, or any other installation method with standards. The Installation & Design Experience is on the show floor where you can walk through at your own pace to view several vignettes showing installa- tions done correctly and improp- erly, health and safety, and archi- tecturally designed rooms. Each vignette will have videos with it to help explain what you are look- ing at. The Contractor’s Lounge is a closed-off area that is open to contractors to come in, relax, and recharge. There are times when you could find contractors talk- ing amongst themselves on issues in the field or you could find a moderated contractor’s round table discussion or a speaker on a specific topic. 90 TileLetter | March 2019