Spurred by two consecutive years of positive sales—something most in the industry hadn’t seen for more than seven years—both exhibitors and attendees at The International Surface Event (TISE) in Las Vegas were filled with an optimistic spirit for the coming year. So much so, this year’s event not only saw retailers placing product and display orders much to the delight of exhibitors, it saw a wave of innovation across all flooring categories as manufacturers showcased technological investments in both performance and design attributes in preparation for a continued economy recovery.
Sam Ruble, vice president of sales for USFloors, said he and his sales team “have been on our feet the entire time, it’s been that busy—even on the morning of the last day we’ve been busy.” And it wasn’t just tire kickers as the old expression goes. “We had goals on all our product lines and displays and we exceeded them before the end of the second day. We expected interest to be high in certain areas for sure, such as with our COREtec line, which has just been going through the roof, but attendees have been placing orders on everything.”