Full Schedule for Monday, March 14, 2011

Schedule At-A-Glance

Monday, March 14, 2011

9:00-10:00 a.m.

Survive and Thrive in a Highly Competitive Market
Speaker: Aaron J Crowley, Crowley's Granite Concepts

Providing CEUs to Architects & Interior Designers About Natural Stone
Speaker: James Hieb, Marble Institute of America

Opening Keynote/Installation Featured Session: The 2011 TCNA Handbook
Presented by the Tile Council of North America

1:30–2:30 p.m.

Ceramic and Porcelain Tile vs. Stone Tile Installations: Similarities and Differences
Speaker: Gerald Sloan, National Tile Contractors Association

Architecture and Interior Design Featured Session: Lifestyle + Tile 2011
Speaker: Robin Avni, lifestyle topics, insights & trends

2:45–3:15 p.m.

Fabricator Economic Headaches – Lessons and Techniques Learned from Young Innovative Fabricators/Installers
Moderator: Duane Naquin, Stone Interiors

Confused about Impregnators & Penetrating Sealers - Here is Some Straight Talk
Speaker: Joe Salvo and Albert Salvo, Miracle Sealants

Sustainable Retrofits with Tile, Marble and Terrazzo
Speaker: Maria Viteri, AIA, LEED AP, International Masonry Institute

Practical Application of Tile Installation Standards
Speakers: Bob Daniels and Michael Byrne, Team of Flooring Inspectors, LLC

Designer, Sell Thyself: Editors Offer Advice on How to Get Into Ink
Speakers: Amy Elbert, Traditional Home; Others TBD

Ventilated Wall Systems: The Ultimate Green Surface Application
Speaker: Michael Johnson, Michael P. Johnson Design Studio; Others TBD

Economic Strategies to Boost Ceramic Tile and Stone Sales and Profits
Speakers: Donato Pompo, Ceramic Tile And Stone Consultants; James C. Gould, Floor Covering Institute, LLC; Stuart Hirschhorn, Catalina Research; Mitch Dancik, Dancik International

Sustainability: What It Is and How to Put It in to Practice
Speaker: Dr. Ephraim Senbetta, MAPEI Corporation; Shamil Baldeosingh, Florida International University

Tuesday, March 15, 2010

8:00–10:00 am

Stone Trends 2011
Speaker: Vince Marazita, Marazita & Associates

Fabricators Forum
Moderator: GK Naquin, Stone Interiors
Panelist: Tony Malisani, Malisani Inc;

8:00–9:00 am

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Membranes but Were Afraid to Ask
Speakers: Representatives from MMSA and NTCA

NTCA Contractors Forum: Part One
Speakers: Bart Bettiga, National Tile Contractors Association; Nyle Wadford, Neuse Tile Service; James Woelfel, Artcraft Granite, Marble & Tile Co.

Distributor and Retailer Featured Session: I Can See Clearly Now
Speaker: Jonathan Trivers, Marketing Wit and Wisdom

Maximizing Sustainable Tile, Marble, and Terrazzo Solutions with Masonry
Speaker: Maria Viteri, AIA, LEED AP, International Masonry Institute

9:15–10:15 am

Wholesale/Slab Distributors Forum
Moderator: Jonathan Zanger, Walker Zanger
Panelist: Rupish Shah, MS International; Others TBD

NTCA Contractors Forum: Part Two
Speakers: Bart Bettiga, National Tile Contractors Association; John Cox, Cox Tile, Inc.; and Jim Olson, National Tile Contractors Association

Water Dynamics In Showers
Speakers: Don Halvorson and Greg Mowat, Forensic Tile Consultants

Designing with Tile in the Kitchen and Bath: Trends from Coast to Coast
Speaker: Alena Capra, CKD, CBD, NKBA Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer

Strategies to Improve Market Share Over Competitive Products
Speaker: Patti Fasan, Professional Attention to Tile Installations

International Transportation / Customs Issues -Panel Discussion
Speakers: Mark D. Irwin, Savino Del Bene USA, Inc.; Rick Fantasia, Savino Del Bene USA, Inc.; Pietro Mancuso, Leonardi SpA

Tile's Role in Green Building in North America and Europe
Speakers: TBD

10:30–11:30 am

Specifying Ceramic Tile in Guestrooms: An Eco-Friendly, European Tradition Redefined
Speakers: Stacy Shoemaker, Hospitality Design, Others TBD

LEED for Schools and the Use of Floor Coverings
Speaker: Nick Gigante, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, BRPH architects & engineers

1:30–2:30 pm

Architecture and Design Featured Session: Understanding the Synergy between Designers and Contractors
Speaker: Ali Azhar, Alive Design and Host, HGTV's Design on a Dime

Marketing and Branding Your Installation Business
Speaker: Mike Farrar, Farrar Design

2:45-3:45 pm

Stone Attachments – When to Adhere; and When to Anchor
Speaker: Chuck Muehlbauer, Marble Institute of America

Women in the Stone Business
Speakers/Panel: Chelsie Arnold, Marble & Granite; Rejeana Ellis, Affordable Stone Products Inc.; Nancy Epstein, Artistic Tile; and, Heidi Huber, SMG Stone Company

Avoiding Costly Failures from Moisture and Water Damage
Speaker: Mike Daniels, MAPEI Corporation

Tile over Tile Installations
Speaker: Representative of the National Tile Contractors Association

The Edge: The Latest Innovations in Tile
Speakers: Representatives of TCNA, Confindustria Ceramica; Patti Fasan, ASCER

You Can't Work Here With Your Pants Down to There: Working With Different Generations
Speaker: Linda Talley, Linda Talley & Associates, Inc

He Said - She Said
Speakers: Chip DuPont, FIIDA, FIDG, DuPont-O'Neil & Associates; Linda Corley, LCL Productions

Urban Myths in Green Building Use of Stone and Tile
Speakers: Fred L Jackson, Estudio Group LLC

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

8:00 – 9:30 am

Stone Featured Session: Internet Marketing Way Beyond Your Website
Speaker: Marty Gould, Focalize Now

8:00 – 9:00 am

Confessions of a Tile Industry Consultant
Speaker: David Gobis, Tile Consultant

Avoid Your Worst Nightmare: Protect Your Tile Company from Fraud and Theft
Speaker: Bart Bettiga, National Tile Contractors Association; Andre Hutchison, Dillon Tile and Stone

The Future of the U.S. Economy and of the Ceramic Tile Market
Speaker: Donato Grosser, D. Grosser and Associates, Ltd

From Chaos to Calm: Transforming Tile Stores Into Serene Showrooms
Speaker: Kim Bernard, Walker Zanger

Sustainability - Buzzword or the Next Big Thing?
Speaker: Dan Marvin, Florida Tile

9:15 – 10:15 am

Tile Underlayment Systems: A Revolution in Industry Standards and Practices
Speakers: Tom Duve, National Applied Construction Products, Inc.; Richard Goldberg, Procon

What Every Tile Contractor Needs to Know About Lawsuit Protection, Tax Reduction, and Estate Planning
Speaker: Larry Oxenham, American Society for Asset Protection

Ceramic Tile Specification: Facts, Myths & Tools
Speaker: Ryan Fasan, Professional Attention to Tile Installations

The Nine Essentials to Effectively Sell to the Affluent
Speaker: Christopher P. Ramey, Affluent Insights

Practical Marketing for Small Businesses: Improving Your Digital Visibility
Speaker: Christine Whittemore, Simple Marketing Now LLC

The New Normal
Speaker: Sara Gutterman, Green Builder Media

9:30–10:30 am

Digital Integration – A Fabricator's Perspective
Speaker: Duane Burke, Eco Breeze Inc.; Miles Crowe, Crowe Custom Countertops, Inc.

New Opportunities in Glass and Jadestone Surfacing Materials
Speakers: Evan Kruger, Nisa Surfaces, LLC; Nao Takahashi, Alpha Professional Tools; Jonathan Mitnick, CCS Stone, Inc.

10:30 – 11:30 am

Right-Sizing Their Homes and Your Business
Speaker: Gale Steves, Author, Right-Sizing Your Home

Environmental Ceramic Tile: Gray Area or Green?
Speaker: Patti Fasan, Professional Attention to Tile Installations

1:30–2:30 pm

Balconies, Decks and Exterior Installations
Speaker: Representative from Schluter Systems

Architecture and Design Featured Session: Color Directions: Twists. Turns and Trends
Speaker: Leatrice Eiseman, Eiseman and Associates, Inc.

2:45 – 3:45 pm

Introducing Social Media into Your Stone Company's Marketing Plan
Speaker: Sarah Johnson, Mktng Dept

Maintenance & Problem Solving 101 - What To Use, What To Know & Why
Speaker: Rod Sigman, Custom Building Products

Shareholder Disputes and their Impact on Family Businesses/Partnerships
Speaker: Duane Burke, Eco Breeze Inc.

Understanding Your Financial Rights with Customers
Speaker: William Maud, BBA, MACE, CHRD, ABD, Cer-Tile Designs

Preparing the Substrate for Swimming Pools: TCNA P602-11 New Method
Speakers: David Fatula and Brian Fitzpatrick, Oceanside Glass

Mosaics: Updating a Timeless and Inspired Art Form
Moderator: Edie Cohen, Interior Design
Speakers: David Palmer, Palmer Marble and Tile; Blake Goodwin, Artaic – Innovative Mosaic; Others TBD

Power Persuasion: Unleash Your Hidden Influence Skills
Speaker: Maura Schreier-Fleming, Best@Selling

Customer Retention Strategies
Speaker: Lisbeth Calandrino, Fabulous Floors Magazine

Living Ecologically – Sustainable Style with Stone and Tile
Speaker: Patricia Gaylor, Eco Interiors by Patricia Gaylor

Thursday, March 17, 2011

8:30–10:30 am

Journey from the Center of the Earth
Speaker: Joshua Levinson, Artistic Tile

NTCA Workshop Program: Live Demonstration of Tile Installation Techniques
Speaker: Gerald Sloan, National Tile Contractors Association

Connecting with Customers Online & Offline: Business Survival Guide
Speakers: Christine Whittemore, Simple Marketing Now LLC; Paul Friederichsen, BrandBiz

Will We Ever "Party Like It's 1999" Again?
Speaker: James E. Dion, Dionco Inc.

8:30–11:30 am

Stone and Tile Restoration - An Extension of Your Business
Speaker: John E Freitag, The Stone and Tile School

8:30–9:30 am

Selecting Flooring to Facilitate Aging in Place
Speaker: Glenda Gilmore Andes, PhD, CKD, CAPS, Designing for Independence, Inc.

10:30–11:30 am

Genuine Stone: A Natural Choice for Sustainable Design
Speaker: Joshua Levinson, Artistic Tile

New Business Opportunities for Tile Contractors: Tile Cleaning and Maintenance, Anti-Microbial Applications and Stone Cleaning and Restoration
Speakers: TBD

Full Schedule for Monday, March 14, 2011

March 4, 2011

ARTICLE TOOLS

Reprints

9:00 am – 10:00 am

Survive and Thrive in a Highly Competitive Market
Speaker: Aaron J Crowley, Crowley's Granite Concepts
Learn the four Core principles of not only surviving, but even thriving in a highly competitve marketplace, no matter the competition. This session covers understanding market dynamics and specializing in meeting specific market needs; forecasting and developing revenue targets and cost controls; PROcess Development - using documented procedures to ensure critical work is done right and on time; and finding and relying on successful advisors and mentors.

Providing CEUs to Architects & Interior Designers About Natural Stone
Speaker: James Hieb, Marble Institute of America
Want to expand your outreach to architects and interior designers? Have you ever had a difficult getting an appointment at a large firm in your area? Consider providing CEUs (continuing education units) to the design community. This session will showcase how the CEU program works and how to position your company as the leading expert on natural stone in your marketplace, how the various CEU programs work (AIA, ASID, IDC, IDEC, IIDA, NKBA and others), and how to get started giving presentations. This “how-to” explanation will help you get started down the CEU provider path!

Opening Keynote/Installation Featured Session: The 2011 TCNA Handbook
Presented by the Tile Council of North America
One of the most important documents in the tile industry is the TCA Handbook, published annually in book and electronic format. This book is used by architects and design professionals in the specification process. It is also used by distributors and contractors and manufacturers so that they can assist the specifier to ensure a quality sale and installation takes place. The 2011 TCA Handbook promises to be one of the most significant revisions to ever take place. In addition to many new methods and revisions, a new supplement to the Handbook on natural stone tile installations will also be unveiled.

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Ceramic and Porcelain Tile vs. Stone Tile Installations: Similarities and Differences
Speaker: Gerald Sloan, National Tile Contractors Association
In this session, Sloan will discuss the new natural stone tile supplement to the TCA Handbook, developed in coordination with the NTCA, Tile Council of North America, and Marble Institute of America. He will discuss the differences and similarities between natural stone tile installations vs ceramic and porcelain tile, and will offer some hands on demonstrations highlighting this. Both commercial and residential projects will be discussed, as well as walls and floors.

Architecture and Interior Design Featured Session: Lifestyle + Tile 2011
Speaker: Robin Avni, lifestyle topics, insights & trends
An exploration of current and emerging home and lifestyle trends and how they impact today's consumer and, ultimately influence tile trends and choices. This image-rich session will include insights, trend assessments and analysis including product examples and other trend data points that are influencing today's marketplace. Walk away with key concepts and an understanding of market trends and what they really mean.

2:45 pm – 3:45 pm

Fabricator Economic Headaches – Lessons and Techniques Learned from Young Innovative Fabricators/Installers
Moderator: Duane Naquin, Stone Interiors
Speakers: Adam Bauer, Planet Granite; Tony Malisani, Malisani Inc.; Buddy Ontra, Ontra Stone Concepts
The last two years have seen many fabricators & installers go by the wayside. Others have had to right size, re-tool, and re-examine how they do business. Through all the economic headaches of the past two years there are lessons to be learned. Join three fabricators as they share their list of lesson’s learned. No powerpoints – just great conversation. Be prepared to share what you have learned about being successful so bring your questions and challenges and find out how others are dealing with them.

Confused about Impregnators & Penetrating Sealers - Here is Some Straight Talk
Speaker: Joe Salvo and Albert Salvo, Miracle Sealants
This session will take a look back through the history of impregnators/penetrating sealers and their importance in the market place. Due to the increased popularity and the appearance of overnight experts, large and small, better information needs to be passed on. Water versus Solvent? VOC's? Silicone? Fluro-Polymers? Discussion will try to address questions pertinent to the industry.

Sustainable Retrofits with Tile, Marble and Terrazzo
Speaker: Maria Viteri, AIA, LEED AP, International Masonry Institute
Over 90% of the buildings in the U.S. are either over five years old or so inefficient that they could not be built under current energy requirements. Interestingly, the most effective way to reduce the CO2 emissions associated with the built environment is to retrofit existing building to make them more energy efficient. As a result, it is critical that maximum opportunities be taken to improve the efficiency and performance of our existing building stock. This seminar will concentrate on interior and exterior opportunities and challenges that exist for tile, marble and terrazzo installations in retrofit projects. Specific focus will be given to the measures that equate to improved performance related to energy efficiency, occupant thermal comfort and indoor air environment. Guidelines to help with decision analysis of existing conditions will be reviewed. This seminar will also examine and cross reference LEED concepts related to LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance.

Practical Application of Tile Installation Standards
Speakers: Bob Daniels and Michael Byrne, Team of Flooring Inspectors, LLC
Bob Daniels, former President and Executive Director of TCNA, and Michael Byrne, first President and Executive Director of CTEF, discuss the importance of tile installation standards and how to incorporate them into residential and light commercial tile installations. Some of the topics to be covered include: why tile installation standards are important for quality assurance, why upgrading from minimum standards is recommended, why installation standards are important for both tile sellers and installers, and best installation practices for installers.

Designer, Sell Thyself: Editors Offer Advice on How to Get Into Ink
Speakers: Amy Elbert, Traditional Home; Others TBD
A panel of some of the country’s leading design and lifestyle publications—plus a top design blogger or two—will share ideas and wisdom on how to get your projects and name out there in their pages and on their postings. You’ll gain new insights on how to publicize your work and maybe even be inspired to startup your own online forum.

Ventilated Wall Systems: The Ultimate Green Surface Application
Speaker: Michael Johnson, Michael P. Johnson Design Studio; Others TBD
The session will open with a worldwide tour of contemporary installations showing the unlimited potential of the ventilated cladding system. Several projects will be presented to explain the ease of working with various cladding systems. The session will then address the technical information attendees need to engage in articulate discussions as to why the use of this method of building surfaces is the most sustainable option available today.

How To Reach Specifiers: An Architect Tells All
Speaker: Eric Corey Freed, organicARCHITECT
When it comes to dealing with the A & D community, what you don't know can definitely hurt you. This is a rare opportunity to view the architect/specifier relationship from the other side of the table and pick up a few pointers that just might save your bacon. We'll cover how the architect and designer chooses a manufacturer, how products are specified, and the top 20 things you should avoid if you want to be selected.

Economic Strategies to Boost Ceramic Tile and Stone Sales and Profits
Speakers: Donato Pompo, Ceramic Tile And Stone Consultants; James C. Gould, Floor Covering Institute, LLC; Stuart Hirschhorn, Catalina Research; Mitch Dancik, Dancik International
In these tough economic times, which have affected the whole floor covering industry, now is the critical time for businesses to fully understand their position within their markets and to develop a marketing strategy to take advantage of the current recovery in the residential remodeling market and the future rebound in new residential and non-residential construction markets. It’s vital for all of us to know what’s going on in the market and understand how the current state of the economy will affect our business and our future opportunities. The panelists will discuss how the ceramic tile and stone industries fit within the overall floor covering industry and how fully utilizing computer technology will help businesses manage and control their profits through these current economic times. The panel will open up the discussion with the audience allowing them to ask questions.

Sustainability: What It Is and How to Put It in to Practice
Speaker: Dr. Ephraim Senbetta, MAPEI Corporation; Shamil Baldeosingh, Florida International University
Although it is a much talked about subject at this time, the word “sustainability” means different things to different people. The presentation will begin with the accurate meaning of the term and explanation of why the topic of sustainability is critically important to the future of our industry. It will then go in to a step by step description of how to develop and implement a sustainability program consistent with the three-legged stool model of sustainability that takes in to account the environmental, social and economic aspects. A measurement system that can be used to monitor and evaluate progress will also be presented. The overall goal of the presentation is to enable attendees to understand the scope of a sustainability program, appreciate its value and develop an understanding of how to go about implementing such a program.

3:15–4:15 p.m.

EDS & MEDS: Challenges and Opportunities for Ceramic Tile
Speakers: Jocelyn Stroupe, IIDA, AAHID, EDAC, Cannon Design; Russell Fason, Jr., Witsell & Evans & Rasco Architects/Planners
Room S330AB

Mosaic Art As An Architectural Enhancement
Speaker: Stephen Miotto, Miotto Mosaics
Room S330CD

Using Tile in Your Next Green Building Project
Speaker: Bill Griese, Tile Council of North America
Room S230EF

Safety and Profitability: How Safety Can Raise Your Bottom Line
Speaker: Juan F. Garcia, Redrock Tile & Stone
Room S330EF

Providing CEUs to Architects & Interior Designers About Natural Stone
Speaker: James Hieb, Marble Institute of America
Room S230GH

Digital Templating & Much More
Speaker: Dan Louis, Laser Products
Room S230D

Inventory Management and Pricing Strategies
Speaker: Robert Langdon, CPA
Room S230ABC

Less Chaos, More Cash — Reducing Confusion and Improving Profits in Your Business
Speaker: Aaron Crowley, Crowley’s Granite Concepts, Inc.
Room S330Gh

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