Joe Simpson has been writing about the UK tile and stone industry for over 30 years and has unsurpassed knowledge of the global ceramic tile market.

As well as the Founding Editor of Tile UK, Joe is the current Editor of two B2B tile publications in the UK: Tile & Stone Journal, and The Specifier’s Guide to Ceramic Tile & Calibrated Natural Stone.  He is also International Correspondent for Tile Today and Discovering Stone in Australia.

In 2017 Joe launched his influential tile blog: www.DiaryofaTileAddict.com which now has over 21,500 followers world-wide.  Diary of a Tile Addict – squarely aimed at tile professionals – covers trends in tile design, the creative use of tiles in architectural projects, technological developments that are driving the tile industry forward, news on tile exhibitions around the world, and profiles of the talented and inspiring individuals who make the ceramic tile sector so creatively diverse, technically advanced, and intellectually fascinating.

Prior to concentrating on the world of tiles, Joe was one of the leading commentators on the built environment.  His past roles include Editor, Building Products; Editor, Building Refurbishment; Technical Editor, Building Design: founding Editor ECO Magazine; founding Editor, Wood & Laminate Journal; Editor, Hotel Sport & Leisure; Editor, Specification; Editor, Specifier Profile; and Editor, Specifier Review.

In 1996 he launched Tile UK with CMP, as Editor.  In 2005 he joined forces with Kick-Start Publishing to launch Tile & Stone Journal, as Editor: a position he holds to this day.  He is also the Editor of The Specifier’s Guide to Ceramic Tiles & Calibrated Natural Stone; the annual technical and aesthetic bible on the subject for architects and interior designers.

Joe has also held Directorships at two of the UK’s leading construction marketing consultancies, CIB and Pavillon Publicity.

In 2009, Joe was judged International Journalist of the Year Award by ASCER (The Spanish Tile Manufacturers Association), for providing the most insightful coverage of the ceramic tile sector from a list of more than 650 B2B and consumer publications from 180 countries; only the second English-speaking journalist to have been granted this prestigious award.

Joe is a regular speaker on architecture and ceramic tiling.  He has devised CPD seminars on sustainable construction for the Royal Institute of British Architects, and presentations on green architecture to various governmental and professional bodies; as well as at leading exhibitions including Coverings, Interbuild, Design Interiors, and UK Construction Week.

He has now launched The Ceramic Tile Manufacturing Forum as a platform for the manufacturers of kilns, presses, inks, glazes, frits, and all the other key components of ceramic tile production. It is designed to be a professional forum where experts can share their informed insights into the technology that has, and continues to, transform the ceramic tile sector.  The Ceramic Tile Manufacturing Forum will cover key areas such as continuous pressing, energy-efficient kilns, digital inkjet decoration, reactive glazes, inkjet glues, energy co-generation, body preparation, surface inspection, surface finishing, etc … in short, all the advanced technologies that go to make ceramic tile the most aesthetically sophisticated, technically advanced, and creatively versatile surface option on the planet.  Enjoy!