The Floor Installation Association of North America (FIANA) hosted its 8th Annual Convention & Trade Show Sept. 19-22 in San Antonio, drawing almost 500 attendees -- the most in the history of the association. Held in the Adams Mark Riverwalk Hotel, the show featured more than 100 exhibitors, as well as a variety of educational seminars and product demonstrations.

"We had 499 registered attendees at our convention and trade show," noted Jim Lee, FIANA president. "It was by far the most successful event we have had in our eight years -- not just from an attendance standpoint, but in every category by which you measure such events." Lee explained that the featured speakers were rated higher by attendees than those of any previous year, and there were a number of new manufacturers in the trade show.

Attendees also got a chance to sharpen their business skills in a variety of educational seminars, including "Using Your Human Resources," presented by Doug Jones; "The Seven Keys to Financial Success," presented by Robert Langdon; "Using Today's Technology," presented by Bill Metcalf Ph.D.; and "Learning to Use the FIANA Interactive Web page," presented by Tom Jeffrey. There were also a variety of presentations at the luncheons, including "In The Company of Entrepreneurs," with Mark Mayberry; "Turning Setbacks Into Comebacks," with Roger Crawford; and "Selling Against Today's Competition," with Bob Davies.

During the business session, the organization elected four new members to its board of directors: David Greenbaum of David L. Greenbaum Co. in San Bernardino, Calif.; Pete Rincione of Professional Trade Supply in Denver, Colo.; John Close of Fostoria, Ohio-bassed Roppe Corp.; and Bob Zajdel of Orcon Corp. in Union City, Calif.

The closing-session dinner featured a presentation by Chris Davis, World Floor Covering Association CEO. "The State of the Flooring Industry, Where Do We Go From Here?" explored shifts in U.S. demographics and how they will affect the floor covering industry, as well as factors that influence buying decisions in this industry. Davis was introduced by NFT Senior Editor Howard Olansky, who set the tone for the evening with his humorous anecdotes.

The next FIANA convention is scheduled for Sept. 10-14, 2003, at the Hyatt Regency Dallas Hotel at Reunion Tower in Dallas.