Total Solutions Plus (TSP) virtual conference, day 2, brought another wave of education and information to virtual attendees from coast to coast.
Erdem Cenesiz, Turkishceramics Chairman detailed business for Turkish tile makers in 2019, in a morning session. Turkey is one of the world’s top five exporters of ceramic tile and sanitary ware. Exports of tile and sanitary ware have been on a general upward climb, with tile exports reaching $665 million in 2019, and the US and the EU making up 70% of Turkey’s ceramic tile export. Turkish tile exports to the US soared 32% from 2018 to 2019 full year values of $93 million, with value and volume numbers expected to surpass 2019 totals.
The talk explored advantages of Turkishceramics, including manufacturing excellence, responsiveness and fast delivery, design capability and excellent business partnerships and communications. Companies employ state of the art technology and offer a range of varied products and sizes. Turkishceramics companies have won more than 250 international design and innovation awards and have partnered with renown designers to develop novel lines.
Next, Gianna Vallefuoco of Vallefuoco Contractors, LLC walked attendees through an Intro to Mindfulness, and explored how to reduce stress in the tile industry. Through a fascinating dive into mindfulness, stress reduction, neuroscience, meditation, awareness, gratitude and how stress functions for and against us, Vallefuoco employed simple meditation, breathing, vision, movement and awareness techniques to guide attendees towards greater mastery over thoughts , cultivation of creativity and resilience, moving towards a more resilient and joyful response towards the changes we encounter in work and life.
Attendees then had the opportunity to select between the business presentation Be Your Best Everyday: 5 Principles to Consistent Sales Success, or a technical panel discussion entitled Trends in Jobsite Installation Failures and Best Practices in Quality Control/ Prevention, followed by three hour-long collaborative discussions: Getting Back to In-Person Events (Tradeshows, Conventions, Workshops, Trainings and Certifications); Growing the Market for Tile though Why Tile and the Porcelain Tile Marketing Campaign; and How Contractors are Operating in the COVID World. After a lunch break, LATICRETE offered product demonstrations on its Spectralock 1 ready to use grout, Strata-Heat electric floor warming system and Hydro Ban shower pan kit. Explore these products at laticrete.com
Day 3 will begin with a 9 a.m. CDT virtual yoga session, followed at 10 a.m. with a choice of a business program on How to Make Successful Presentations/Sales Calls Virtually and a technical program on Showers. A second Exhibit Hour takes place from 11 a.m. CDT to 12 noon.
CTDA, NTCA, TCAA and TCNA are Partners in Progress for this joint VIRTUAL Conference in 2020. Total Solutions Plus provides educational sessions, networking opportunities and an Virtual Exhibit Hall! The Virtual Conference takes place Monday, October 26th through October 30th.
Editorial Director and Senior Writer for TileLetter and TileLetter ARTISAN
Lesley Goddin has been writing and journaling since her first diary at age 11. Her journey has taken her through a career in publishing and publicity, landing her the editor position of TileLetter and its special publications in 2006. Her goal is to educate, inspire, recognize and encourage those in the tile industry -- especially the tile and stone contractor.
 Virtual Conference, Day 2, brought another wave of education and information to virtual attendees from coast to coast.){kind=link}