Next week, Jill, Susan, Tom and I will be traveling to Italy to attend Cersaie–the annual ceramic tile show in Bologna, Italy. Cersaie is to the tile industry what Cannes is to the film industry. All of the major manufacturers are there, all of the major distributors are there, and everyone is in a festive mood.

The exposition center sprawls over acres of land, and walking from one end to the other takes half an hour. However, the payoff is worth it. Cersaie gives us a chance to see where the tile industry is headed. What is the latest concept, color, format, or technique in ceramic tiles? At the same time, we have the opportunity to meet up with colleagues from throughout the industry: other distributors, factory agents, designers and others who converge on Bologna for one week a year.

This year I am going to be posting about our trip–mostly anecdotes about our adventures in Northern Italy. So, stay tuned!