For your convenience, please find below the descriptions of the five On-Floor Education presentations sponsored by Floor Covering Installer (FCI), National Floor Trends (NFT) and TILE Magazine. Please note that seating is limited to 30-40 attendees for these FREE educational seminars. A complete listing of all On-Floor stage events can be found further down this article or on Surfaces’ website: www.surfaces.com.

Installation Stage (Behind Booth #1260)

Sponsored by Floor Covering Installer and TILE Magazine

Moisture Problems Defined and Solved by Ray Thompson, Jr., Ray Thompson Floorcovering Institute

Moisture problems have been plaguing our industry for the last two decades, costing up to $2 million per week. The flooring people blame the concrete people, and the concrete people blame adhesives, materials and the flooring people. So who’s right and who’s wrong? We’ll take a look at some of the issues, including changing adhesive formulations, slab moisture and its effect on adhesives, and resilient backing changes.
Date: Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Time: 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Causes and Preventions of Ceramic Tile and Stone Failures by Donato Pompo, Ceramic Tile And Stone Consultants, Inc.

Ceramic and stone tile failures are preventable. Tile should last and perform well for years and years — it is one of the benefits of using tile. It hurts the whole industry when there is a failure regardless of who is at fault. When there is a failure, everyone pays one way or the other in either dollars, time, or reputation. Add value to your business and minimize your liability by helping your clients make sure their tiles are installed correctly and are suitable for the intended use.

The common causes of ceramic tile and natural stone tile failures will be covered along with the appropriate standards and methods that should be utilized by installers and specified by architects. The importance of training installers and the Quality Assurance and Quality Control sections of the architect's specifications in avoiding failures will be reviewed.
Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Time: 9:30am – 10:30am

Seams Easy to Me by Jim Walker, CFI

CFI installation expert Jim Walker will address carpet seaming mishaps and how to avoid them in the program designed for the flooring dealer and installers. Nearly 40% of all jobs sold are carpet. Needless callbacks can wreak havoc on your business and turn a job that was profitable when sold into a nightmare after seaming mishaps.
Date: Thursday, February 4, 2010
Time: 3:00pm –4:00pm

Business and Technology Stage (Behind Booth #4666)

Sponsored by National Floor Trends

WFCA Consumer Study: Understanding the Female Flooring Customer by Beth Surowiec, Clear Seas Research

More than half (54%) of female shoppers use the Internet prior to visiting a flooring store. This finding is part of the 2009 Female Shopper Ideal Showroom Experience Research Study. The national study, commissioned by the World Floor Covering Association and conducted recently by Clear Seas Research, also identifies five challenges for retailers: achieving her initial consideration; getting her into and keeping her in the store; assisting with product selection; becoming part of her purchase decision; and providing the ultimate shopping experience.
Date: Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Time: 11:00am – Noon

Learn How Retailers Use B2B/EDI for a Competitive Advantage by Aaron Pirner of Cap Carpet and Pam Bowe of FC/B2B

More than 300,000 companies worldwide use the B2B/EDI standards in daily business transactions. Flooring Industry companies, including retailers/contractors, software developers, manufacturers, distributors and trade associations are working together to enable B2B standards, which now allow companies large and small to take advantage of the cost benefits and efficiencies B2B technology offers.

• Enable your computer to quickly and accurately exchange business transactions with your vendor’s computer across the Internet.
• Eliminate costly back office errors and delays caused by doing business with suppliers by phone, fax, or mail.

Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Time: 10:00am – 11:00a.m.

Complete On-Floor Education Schedule

*Note: Speakers and times subject to change without notice.

Tuesday, February 2

11AM to Noon
Installation: Install a Floor Heating System AND Tiles in Only One Day with Stephane Lettre, FLEXTHERM
Business & Technology: WFCA Consumer Study: Understanding the Female Flooring Consumer with Beth Surowiec, Clear Seas Research
Design & Trends: Emerging Design Trends in Support of the Human Animal with Deborah Burnett, Design Service Inc.
Sustainability: HardieBacker Cement Boards: "Protecting You, Your Customers and the Environment" with Ryan Ralph, James Hardie

12:30PM to 1:00PM
Installation: Rapid Setting Solutions for Tile and Stone Installation with Cairo Molina, BASF Construction Chemicals

1 PM to 2:00PM
Business & Technology: Expanding Your Profits Selling Countertops with Dan Louis, Laser Products
Design & Trends: The Convergence of Innovation and Trend with Joe Amato, Mannington
Sustainability: Selling Sustainability to Consumers with David Wilkerson, Shaw Industries

1:30PM to 2:30PM
Installation: Epoxy Installation with Steve Taylor, Russell Brown and Kory Jones of Custom Building Products

2:30PM to 3:30PM
Business & Technology: Using Technology to Expand and Improve Your Business with Terry Wheat, RFMS
Sustainability: Are You Ready for the Lacey Act? with Anne Middleton, Environmental Investigative Agency

3:00PM to 4:00PM
Installation: Moisture Problems Defined and Solved with Ray Thompson, Jr. Ray Thompson Floorcovering Institute

Wednesday, February 3

9:30AM to 10:30AM
Installation: Causes and Preventions of Ceramic Tile and Stone Failures with Donato Pompo

10:00AM to 11:00AM
Business & Technology: Learn How Retailers Use B2B/EDI for a Competitive Advantage with Aaron Pirner, CapCarpet and Pam Bowe, FC/B2B

11:00AM to Noon
Installation: Trends in Oil and Wax Finishes with Dane Hoffman, OSMO North America, and Paul Lockwood-Lee, OSMO Germany
Design & Trends: Retail Trends, Santo Torcivia, Marketing Insights/Torcivia
Business & Technology: CRI Seal of Approval Program: Profitability, Environmental Responsibility and Customer Satisfaction with Werner Braun, CRI
Sustainability: How Retailers Can Incorporate Sustainability into Their Business with Jenny Cross, Mohawk

1:00PM to 1:30PM
Installation: Rapid Setting Solutions for Tile and Stone Installation with Cairo Molina, BASF Construction Chemicals

1:00PM to 2:00PM
Sustainability: How to Support the Carpet America Recovery Effort with Georgina Sikorski, Carpet America Recovery Effort

2:30PM to 3:30PM
Installation: HardieBacker Cement Boards: "Protecting You, Your Customers and the Environment with Ryan Ralph, James Hardie Building Products
Business & Technology: Integrating Social Media at SURFACES: Beyond Vegas with Stacey Price, hanleywoodCONNECT
Sustainability: Navigating Through Lacey and Why it Matters with Don Finkell, Anderson Hardwood Floors

Thursday, February 4
9:30AM to 10:30AM
Installation: Laminate Flooring: Installation Essentials with Bill Renner, NALFA
Sustainability: Seeking Sustainability Through the NWFA Procurement Program with Don Finkell, Anderson Hardwood Floors

11:00AM to Noon
Installation: Trowel and Error with Michael Whistler, NTCA; and Scott Carothers, CTEF
Design & Trends: The Convergence of Innovation and Trend with Joe Amato, Mannington
Sustainability: WWF's Global Forest & Trade Network: Linking Buyers and Suppliers of Responsibly Sourced Forest Products with Linda Kramme, World Wildlife Fund

1:00PM to 2:00PM
Sustainability: HardieBacker Cement Board: "Protecting You, Your Customers and Environment" with Ryan Ralph, James Hardie

3:00PM to 4:00PM
Installation: Seams Easy to Me with Jim Walker, CFI