Coverings and Contract magazine partner again to "select" and honor new innovations in tile and stone

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Scheduled for March 14 to 17, 2011 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, Coverings 2011 will be a platform for hundreds of new and exciting discoveries in tile and stone to be showcased. And some of the most innovative new products will be honored at the next edition of the international stone and tile exhibition by Coverings Spectrum Select and a panel of judges. Now in its second year, Coverings Spectrum Select is a partnership between Coverings and Contract magazine, and it was created to honor those tile and stone products that reflect outstanding design, engineering and technological innovation, and that set new standards in aesthetics and performance.

The Call for Entries has been issued and is open only to Coverings exhibitors, who may submit up to four candidates in any of the following categories: Artisan Tile/Stone; Porcelain/Ceramic Tile Wall; Porcelain/Ceramic Tile Floor;brown quartz countertop Tile; Glass Tile; Natural Stone; Installation Material Systems; and Equipment and Machinery.

"The prestige of being a Coverings Spectrum Select choice resonates long after the show ends and is an added value that exhibitors can effectively leverage in marketing their brands," said Jennifer Hoff, president of National Trade Productions (NTP), which manages and produces Coverings. "The program is patterned on Contract magazine's 'Best of NeoCon' concept, which is revered in the contract furnishings industry, and we're fortunate to be able to apply their level of experience and vision to the tile and stone industry, as well. Coverings Spectrum Select is a badge of distinction that helps bring to light the extraordinary caliber of these materials and tools of the trade diamond white quartz."

According to Hoff, it is on the show floor of Coverings in March where the judges' final scrutiny takes place, as they personally visit the exhibit space of each entrant, see the products first-hand, and probe for additional details that may factor in their decisions. This visitation takes place on opening day, Monday, March 14, and the Coverings Spectrum Select honorees are announced the following day -- featured in a flyer that is distributed to attendees. Additionally, all "selectees" will receive added exposure in an upcoming issue of Contract, as well as on the Coverings Web site.