Cosentino Group recently hosted stone industry clients and interior designers from across North America at two conference events held in Mexico. The company gathered fabricators and manufacturers in the Riviera Maya, and in Cancun for its first-ever C.Next Global Design Summit.
“C.Next was an incredible success for us this year as we were able to connect with key partners in person for the first time in a long time. With Cosentino being a global company, Canada was well represented with several attendees making the trip south of the border,” said Eduardo Cosentino, CEO of Cosentino North America. “We look forward to continuing to build these integral relationships in an industry we’re all very passionate about.”
Created to inspire attendees from the interior design community, the C.Next Global Design Summit ran from January 30 to February 2. The event provided a blend of curated sensory experiences and educational panels that fostered creativity and learning across various topics, including sustainability, global design trends, entrepreneurship, business growth and more.
Two Canadian designers attended this year’s summit, including Tanya Collins of Tanya Collins Interior Designer from Ottawa, Ontario and Regina Sturrock of Regina Sturrock Design from Burlington, Ontario. In addition to her attendance, Regina participated in a panel discussion titled “Home and Harmony: Harnessing International Design to Bring Clients Wellness and Happiness”.
Additional programming highlights included a keynote speech from David Thurston, Founder of Pulp Riot, the power of strategic partnerships to grow your brand with Nina Magon, product design with Daniel Germani. The “Stewarding Your Clients Toward Greener Decisions” panel also featured insights from Valentin Tijeras, Cosentino’s Global Director of Product and Research & Development, Ratish Namboothiry, Kohler’s Director of Innovation for Good & Sustainability, and Jan Heck, Miele USA’s President & CEO.
“I left C.Next feeling inspired not only by the interactions I had with other fellow designers but by the presenters and speakers,” said Tanya Collins of Tanya Collins Design. “I gained a greater knowledge of product lines and brands, especially Cosentino’s new products launching toward the end of the summer/fall 2022. I will specify these product lines to my clientele now knowing about them.”
Celebrating the 23rd edition of the annual C100 summit, now newly named C.Next Fabricators, the event took place in January from the 23 to the 27. Over 60 individuals from Canada attended the conference. A total of 41 Canadian fabricator firms received rebate cheques during the event, including Granit Design from Quebec who was presented with the regions’ largest rebate. Montreal’s RocArtz represented Canada’s Dekton Fabricator of the Year. Additionally, Latitude from Toronto, Ontario, shared Dekton best practices during the event as part of the stage programming.
“C.Next, C100s and all of the Cosentino past conferences have been absolutely positive and invigorating experiences for my colleagues and me. I found a great deal of inspiration and motivation throughout the week, and I came away with so many ‘golden nuggets’ of knowledge. It is by far a must-attend event,” said Kevin Brooks of Latitude Countertops, who attended this year’s event.
Programming at the Riviera Maya summit included discussions on product innovation and sustainability with key Cosentino executives, insights from keynote speaker David Thurston, Founder of Pulp Riot, on his entrepreneurial journey and road to success, and guidance on growing business with outdoor design by Canadian company Urban Bonfire.
The event also hosted a conversation on evolving the business model in response to a new consumer also took place between leaders from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA), the National Kitchen and Bath Association, and the Natural Stone Institute (NSI).
