NWFA at DOMOTEX 2011

Here's the latest news concerning NWFA at DOMOTEX 2011!

We are thrilled to announce that The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) will have the largest presence at DOMOTEX to date. Twelve companies will be representing their association in Hall 8 in January 2011.

[Here is a link to a pdf showing the floorplan for DOMOTEX 2011.]

Why DOMOTEX for NWFA?

Ed Korczak, CEO/Executive Director at NWFA simply said, “The wood flooring industry has gone global with unique designs, species and accessories from around the world. Being part of DOMOTEX has the NWFA contributing to the advancement of wood flooring internationally.”

Ed also went on to explain that even though DOMOTEX is a huge show encompassing more than eleven halls, their members as a part of the NWFA pavilion will have the advantage of high visibility, steady traffic and an attractive display at affordable costs.

New NWFA Participants at DOMOTEX 2011

We are also happy to see new participants in the NWFA pavilion who obviously find value in exhibiting in Hannover.  Ed wants to remind his members as well as other manufacturers that, “relationships aren’t built overnight” and participating at DOMOTEX should be at least a 2 or 3 year commitment. I have spoken to several long time exhibitors at DOMOTEX and industry experts like Richard Burkemper and Jim Gould who share the same sentiments as the Ed.

Below you will find a list of the participating companies at the NWFA pavilion, located in Hall 8, Booth C18, at DOMOTEX 2011.

W-D Flooring

Powernail Company

Basic Coating

Advantage Trim & Lumber

Wagner Electronics

Tresca Exotic Hardwood

Shamrock Plank Flooring

Great Lakes Veneer

Diversified Industries/The Floor Muffler

Graf Brothers Lumber

Mullican Flooring

Robinson Lumber Co.

We welcome the NWFA and its members - new and returning - to DOMOTEX 2011. I look forward to meeting each of you in person in Hannover.

~ Katherine

Katherine León
Director of Sales - DOMOTEX and LIGNA Worldwide Events

Hannover Fairs USA
1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: 404.214.0432

AFA Brings Together Dalton and Savannah College of Art & Design

The American Floorcovering Alliance (AFA) Brings Together the City of Dalton and Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)

Perhaps you've heard about SCAD - a.k.a. the Savannah College of Art & Design? It's been in the Dalton, GA news lately and for good reason. Did you know, though, that there's a further connection between SCAD and DOMOTEX supporter and exhibiting organization AFA?

Back in October of 2009, American Floorcovering Alliance Executive Director, Wanda Ellis, and AFA Board Chairman, Elichai Hoenig, discussed the possibility of offering some type of internship program to AFA members that would benefit them in the areas of creative design and sustainability.

After all, carpet and flooring companies are always on the lookout for new ideas to incorporate into new product offerings.

What better way to do that than to involve fresh, young perspectives from schools that focus on art and design and have an interest in applying that focus to manufacturers involved in home related markets!

Savannah College of Art and Design came to mind because SCAD is a premiere school for innovation, sustainability, & design.  These compoments are fit perfectly in with what a key focus for the floor covering industry.

AFA approached the school and soon after the concept became a reality.

In July of 2010, Dalton, Georgia hosted the first ever Savannah College of Art and Design internship program. Interns from SCAD lived in Dalton and worked in several different companies in the Carpet Industry in the design and sustainability areas for 8 to 10 weeks.

At the end of the summer, the companies were very impressed with the insight & workable ideas the students brought to the company. [See TalkFloor.TV where Elichai Hoenig summarizes the program's successes.]

The program is going to be a long lasting relationship between SCAD and Dalton’s carpet industry and potentially even evolve into something greater in the future, such as a creative design/ fibers satellite campus in Dalton if the program becomes something of that magnitude. That would certainly have huge benefits for the City of Dalton, the Carpet Industry, and even SCAD.

Getting back to why SCAD has been in the Dalton news... Check out What's Next For Dalton: SCAD Students Weigh In. SCAD students are generating conversation with Dalton residents about what makes Dalton unique. As the "Carpet Capital of the World" it certainly carries a lot of history. Won't it be fascinating to see what SCAD students recommend for Dalton's future?

Thanks, Wanda and AFA, for putting together such a program!

~ Katherine

Katherine León
Director of Sales - DOMOTEX and LIGNA Worldwide Events

Hannover Fairs USA
1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: 404.214.0432

DOMOTEX 2011: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Travel Tips

DOMOTEX 2011 Only 3 Months Away!

I can hardly believe that DOMOTEX 2011 is only about 3 months away! I'm happy to tell you that the Domotex team has been busy preparing for what is going to be another exciting global flooring event!

Become a fan of DOMOTEX on Facebook for new and relevant information regarding the event. We are up to 89 Fans and growing!

If you're not on Facebook, you can also follow us on Twitter or even join us on LinkedIn via the DOMOTEX Group.

So you say you’re not a social media fan? We have you folks covered too!

Sign up for the DOMOTEX Newsletter that will be delivered right to your inbox. Find out about all the special events that will be happening at next year’s Domotex.

Time to Make Flight & Hotel Arrangements for DOMOTEX 2011!

I also want to remind you to make your flight and hotel arrangements if you have not already done so for Germany. Hannover is a small city so hotel accommodations need to be done in advance.

Hannover Marketing & Tourismus GmbH and Deutsche Messe have joined forces to help with hotel rooms as well as B&B accommodations in and around the city. You can find a listing of these properties by clicking on this link.

You may also contact them directly:

Hannover Marketing & Tourismus GmbH
Phone +49 (0)511 12345-555
Fax + 49 (0)511 12345-556.

I look forward to seeing you at Domotex 2011!

~ Katherine

Katherine León
Director of Sales - DOMOTEX and LIGNA Worldwide Events

Hannover Fairs USA
1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: 404.214.0432

NWFA Wood Flooring Installers Site

The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has been a long time supporter of DOMOTEX and has been instrumental in promoting and advancing the hardwood floor industry in the US, Canada and globally, so it’s no surprise to hear that they have put together a fantastic site for consumers to find professional wood flooring installers.

Anita Howard, Communications Director at NWFA, provides the following description of the Wood Flooring Installers website and its use.

The National Wood Flooring Association has developed a new web site to help consumers find professional wood flooring installers in their area.

The new NWFA site, http://www.woodflooringinstallers.com/, allows consumers to search for professional installers using a variety of options. Searches can be conducted by city, state or province, zip or postal code, mileage, area code, country, or even by individual name or company name.

The benefit of using this site is that consumers can be assured that the individuals and companies listed are members of a professional trade association dedicated to educating installers about proper installation techniques. NWFA installers have access to the latest industry information to provide consumers with the high-quality job they expect and deserve. Individuals or companies that are NWFA certified installers and/or sand and finishers are identified as well. These certifications are acquired after taking and passing a written exam, as well as a hands-on test administered by industry experts.

The National Wood Flooring Association is a non-profit trade organization, with more than 3,400 members world-wide, dedicated to educating consumers, architects, designers, specifiers and builders in the uses and benefits of wood flooring. NWFA members receive the best in educational training, benefits, technical resources and networking, to advance their professionalism and success.

The NWFA is located at 111 Chesterfield Industrial Boulevard, Chesterfield, MO 63005, and can be contacted at 800-422-4556 (USA & Canada), 636-519-9663 (local and international), or on-line at http://www.nwfa.org/.

Thank you, Anita!

As NWFA's Wood Flooring Installers site states: "A Solid Investment Deserves a Professional Installation...The wood floors you choose today will last for generations, so you want to make sure that the wood flooring professional you choose has access to the latest industry information to provide you with the high-quality job you expect. By choosing a member of the NWFA, you can be certain that he or she has the knowledge and skills to deliver a beautiful wood floor that will last for the lifetime of your home."

I encourage you to check out NWFA's new site for finding certified wood flooring installers.

~ Katherine

Katherine León
Director of Sales - DOMOTEX and LIGNA Worldwide Events

Hannover Fairs USA
1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: 404.214.0432