JACKSON, MS -- The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) rolled out its July tour across 17 states, delivering an extensive lineup of standards-based educational workshops and regional trainings to industry professionals. With a total of 24 free workshops and six free regional trainings, this initiative marks a significant expansion compared to the offerings provided in 2023.

The goal is to equip industry professionals with essential skills and knowledge while facilitating meaningful connections with peers and industry experts. These workshops and regional trainings serve as invaluable opportunities for professionals to stay updated on industry standards, best practices, and emerging trends and aligns with NTCA's ongoing mission to elevate the standards of tile craftsmanship and promote continuous learning within the industry.

Thanks to the generous support of sponsors dedicated to advancing the industry through education, all workshops and regional trainings are offered free of charge. Each workshop and regional training will be presented by NTCA Technical Trainers, individuals with extensive experience in tile installation.

Workshops will be held in Georgia, California, New Mexico, North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Utah, New Jersey, Montana, South Carolina, New York, Colorado and Virginia.

The workshops, spanning three hours in the afternoon or evening, are open to tile installers, contractors, sales personnel, and members of the architecture and design community. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in an interactive learning environment to connect with peers and industry experts during the workshops, providing time for networking and knowledge exchange. Meals will be provided and there will be chances to win valuable prizes.

The workshops will focus on one of the following topics:

• Ins and Outs of Layout for Contractors
• Tile Matters – Best Practices for the Pros
• Failures – Could It Be Me?
• Tile Technology – Membranes

The following is the July workshop schedule:

Date    Host                            Location

7/9       Daltile                         Kennesaw, GA

7/9       Daltile                         Anaheim, CA

7/10     Daltile                         City of Industry, CA

7/11     Floor & Decor             Oxnard, CA

7/16     Floor & Decor             Albuquerque, NM

7/16     Floor & Decor             Concord, NC

7/16     Architessa                   Rockville, MD

7/17     The Tile Shop             Cary, NC

7/17     The Tile Shop             Wilmington, DE

7/18     Daltile                         Allentown, PA

7/18     Floor & Decor             Tucson, AZ

7/19     Daltile                         Avondale, AZ

7/22     Floor & Decor             Salt Lake City, UT

7/23     Daltile                         Asheville, NC

7/23     Floor & Decor             Devon, PA

7/24     Daltile                         Billings, MT

7/24     Daltile                         Charlotte, NC

7/24     The Tile Shop             Edison, NJ

7/25     Daltile                         West Columbia, SC

7/25     Floor & Decor             Port Chester, NY

7/26     Daltile                         Colorado Springs, CO

7/30     Floor & Decor             San Diego, CA

7/30     Daltile                         Virginia Beach, VA

7/31     Floor & Decor             Norco, CA 

Regional Trainings will be held in Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi and Pennsylvania. These training sessions offer tile installers an immersive, all-day experience to hone their skills using both traditional and cutting-edge tools, materials and techniques. These hands-on sessions are designed to empower participants with practical knowledge rooted in ANSI standards and methods outlined in the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation. The NTCA Reference Manual serves as a guiding resource throughout the training.

The sessions are carefully crafted to provide solutions-based training, addressing real-world challenges faced by tile installers. The content is aligned with industry standards and methods, ensuring relevance and applicability. To maximize the learning experience, each session is limited to 20 participants. Attendees will receive a document of course completion upon successfully concluding the training session.

Topics for the July Regional Trainings include:

• The GPTP/Slabs Training equips you to install porcelain panels with confidence and accuracy. Learn new tile industry standards and methods for installing GPTP, how GPTP is made, where it can be used, and special tools, setting materials and techniques required to install it.
• The Substrate Preparation and Large-Format Tile Training will show you how to use the ANSI A 108 standards and TCNA Handbook to address real world challenges in hands-on installations focusing on substrate examination and preparation for setting large-format tile.

The following is the schedule for the NTCA Regional Trainings in July:

7/10-11                        Floor & Decor                         Houston, TX

7/17-18            Floor & Decor                         Mesquite, TX

7/19                 Daltile                                     Knightdale, NC

7/24                 Mosaic Home Interiors           Virginia Beach, VA

7/26                 BPI                                          Jackson, MS

7/31-8/1          Floor & Decor                         Springfield, PA

Don't miss these opportunities to elevate your skills, expand your network and stay at the forefront of industry standards. All workshops and regional trainings are open to anyone interested in enhancing their skills. NTCA membership is not required. Dates and time listed above are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information on each event and to register, visit NTCAtraining.com, or click https://bit.ly/3TsR8Tk to visit the NTCA Event Calendar.