Flooring Show 2014 features seminars, live demos and celebrity designers

Aimed at flooring retailers, wholesalers, designers, architects and facilities managers, the show will feature a series of seminars, demonstrations and live installations for visitors to attend across the four halls.

The range of events being held at The Flooring Show will include;

• The Wool Trends Centre – Situated by the front entrance on the Sunday and Monday, an enclosure of Dalesbred and Roughfell sheep will welcome visitors to highlight how the wool for carpet grows as part of the promotion by The Campaign for Wool and British Wool Marketing Board. Wool brands, Adam Carpets, Axminster Carpets, Brintons, Brockway Carpets, Bronte Carpets, Cavalier Carpets and Ulster Carpets will be situated around a Homes & Gardens ‘Wool Inspirations’ room set.

• The Trends Hub – the future of flooring design – Visitors will have the opportunity to relax or network in a lounge incorporating cutting-edge flooring materials and designs. A live flooring design project will be carried out by design undergraduates, whilst Italian design company Arpolitalia will give away samples of its new moss trend product.

• ‘Wool – the Wonder of Ewe’ – This section will include a special wool installation created by Angela Wright, whose recent installation at Southwark Cathedral created a lot of media interest. Interior designers, architects and retailers will have the opportunity to ask experts their wool questions.

• Business Enrichment Theatre seminar programme – Celebrity designer Oliver Heath, C4 Secret Millionaire Carl Hopkins, and Giles Kime, Executive Editor of Homes & Gardens magazine will deliver free-to-attend seminars surrounding retail business online, using social media as a tool and how to achieve high levels of staff engagement. Other topics include interior and residential design trends, big data and independent retail.

• The Demo Zones – Two demo zones will be running throughout the course of the three days of the show, with Zone 1 in Hall B focusing on subfloor and tools, and Zone 2 in Hall M concentrating on floor finishes.

• The Floor Covering Apprentice of the Year 2014 Skills Competition – Two students will undertake a three day challenge in a dedicated bay, with the winner receiving a cheque and a manufacturer’s training course.

All visitors to the show are invited to attend a networking event at the end of the first day on Sunday 21st September from 6pm, taking place in the Trends Hub in Hall C.