Plumbing products manufacturer Oatey recently hosted its inaugural Tile Installer Summit for social media influencers in the tile industry. The invitation-only event, which took place August 16-17, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio, brought together 11 tile contractors from across the U.S. for an immersive training and networking experience led by Oatey product and technical experts. 

The event’s exclusive attendee list included eleven top-tier tile contractors with exceptional social media content-creation skills, representing all regions of the country: Mario Gonzales, Thomas Young, Ryan Krishnan, Omar Carrillo, Matthew Scott, Nathan Merrill, Randal Sabino, Donald Bennett, Neil Levens, Jordan Turbyfill and Barrett Hines. 

Hosted at Oatey’s training facility, Oatey University, the Tile Installer Summit featured hands-on, two days of training. Attendees toured Oatey’s manufacturing facility and Oatey University, gaining knowledge about the production and functionality of Oatey’s products. The contractors also participated in training on ASTM standards for solvent-welding PVC pipe and competed in a burst test competition to identify the solvent-welded joint that withstood the most pressure. 

The pinnacle of the event was training on Oatey’s line of drain and shower system products, including QuickDrain, an innovative shower solution that offers best-in-class accessibility, flexibility, and ease of installation. After receiving thorough training, attendees installed QuickDrain ShowerLine linear drain systems in custom build pods at Oatey University, experiencing first-hand QuickDrain’s differentiating features, including lightweight PET (polyethylene terephthalate) foam shower pans, made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. 

In addition, the tile contractors spoke extensively with Oatey’s product development, marketing, and sales teams, providing input, perspective, and feedback on their experiences in the field and the products and solutions from Oatey that can best support them on the job site.