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43rd International Natural Stone, Design and Technology Exhibition at VeronaFiere
CULTURE: ENGINE DRIVING THE ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT
Providing an effective contribution to the economy: this is the consolidated objective of Marmomacc 2008 through a series of initiatives targeting designers and architects by promoting natural stone as a material for indoor and outdoor furnishing.

Culture at the service of the economy and development. This is the objective that VeronaFiere – through Marmomacc, the International Natural Stone, Design and Technologies Exhibition (43rd edition scheduled 2-5 October 2008, www.marmomacc.com) – has pursued for more than twenty years in order to make an effective contribution to the competitiveness of companies in the marble and stone field – including finished goods, technologies and accessories – that in Italy boasts 11,000 companies and 60,000 employees (Marmomacc study).
“In the course of this approach, Marmomacc has created a Biennial International Stone Architecture Award – a unique event renowned all over the world; it has involved associations of architects in Italy, as well as in the USA, Canada, India, South Africa and Great Britain. And there’s more. VeronaFiere has established rewarding collaboration relationships with Universities by implementing ad hoc degree courses for the Polytechnic University of Milan, through the Mantua Regional Centre, for the Faculty of Architecture in Ferrara and the Faculty of Engineering in Trento: these courses focus on awareness and use of stone materials and natural stone in modern design”, emphasises the President of Veronafiere, Luigi Castelletti.
Strong and direct relationships have also been established with designers through specific initiatives, not the least in collaboration with selected exhibiting companies, thereby expanding the culture and consequently the use of stones, marbles and granites in modern constructions. Ductile, natural and ecological materials that are less expensive and more resistant that other cladding products and, thanks to more innovative products, today absolutely easy to restore and clean. Unique materials ensuring unthinkable applications such as those on show, for the second consecutive year, at Marmomacc Meets Design, the exhibition that will once again highlight – during the main event – the innovative applications of marble and stone, as well as seeking indications about current life-styles.
The formula is by now perfectly consolidated: an architect or a designer joins forces with a company taking part to develop together the 2008 theme: “Skin, Texture”. “Skin” viewed as “surface” – this topic is the result of analysis of new aspects in world architecture over the last year. Set up for the 2007 edition, another Award for exhibitors – the “Best Communicator Award”- has the objective of stimulating their awareness of the value of their stands in relation to brand image and overall exhibition impact.
Other initiatives, intended to consolidate the relationship with stone by architects and companies in a “mix” proven to be highly successful, will also be held: 20 June, the Morseletto quarries in Vicenza will hold the meeting-conference with Alvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura as part of celebrations of the 80 years of Casabella Magazine. June will also see Marmomacc take part in Material Connexion at the Milan Triennial with the exhibition “The lightness of marble” , while 29 June-3 July, the World Congress of Architects in Turin sees Marmomacc organise a workshop titled “SOFT-STONE Stone Origami” and a conference with architect Kengo Kuma.
4 October in Verona welcomes the central convention event of Marmomacc focusing on the topic “Building in Highlands – stone e architecture in Alpine areas – the Swiss identity”.
“Cladding in marble or granite has a soul – something unique and incomparable.” Cesare Bellamoli, President of Confindustria Marmo, takes a look at the international stone industry from a specific point of view. “We must continue to promote our products among designers and architects through events such as Marmomacc. This is the only way to promote the essence of natural stone and its millennial culture.”
The President then analysed the current stone industry on an international scale. Italy, as an historic producer, is now joined by emerging countries progressively consolidating their roles on the world scene. “Italian producers must focus on design work where technology and skilled labour are in the forefront, since Italy – historically speaking – has always been a processing country. China, India and other emerging countries are consolidating their positions through quantity and competitive prices.”
At the same time, these countries are also becoming consumers. “Their domestic markets are growing and many new tenders involve, for example, exterior cladding of skyscrapers in China and other countries that are not only competitors but also offer new business opportunities”. Emerging markets equally represent the new frontiers of luxury. “There is growing demand in the Arab Emirates and Eastern Europe, under the lead of Russia and its magnates, based on the huge capital generated by sales of petroleum and natural gas”.
A European marble market focusing on increasingly evident specialisation. Giuliano D’Angiolo, 47 years old and President of the Cosmave Stone Industry Consortium grouping 55 of the leading companies in the Apua-Versiglia district – first and foremost Carrara and Lucca – has no doubts in outlining the direction companies in the old Continent must take as regards producers in emerging countries. “We must focus on products ensuring high added value. Low cost products, unhewn or processed, are increasingly dominated by China, Turkey, Brazil and India”.
This fact is also confirmed by 2007 ISTAT data analysed by the Studies and Research Office of Verona Chamber of Commerce. Italian marble takes a close look at Russia and the Arab Emirates, fast-growing markets for Italian exports.
Overall, in 2007, Italy exported processed material and semi-finished stone goods worth 1 billion 616 million 236 thousand euro against 1 billion 629 million 697 thousand euro (-0.8%), while imports settled at 135 million 667 thousand euro against 143 million 3 thousand euro (-5.4%). In 2007, imports of unfinished material (blocks) came to 442 million 127 thousand euro against 467 million 775 thousand euro (-5.5%); exports of 246 million 339 thousand euro against 236 million 221 thousand euro (+4.3%).
While traditional reference markets, such as the United States and Germany that take about 42% of Italian exports of processed materials and semi-finished goods saw a drop in values in 2007 compared to 2006 – overall 676 million euro in 2007 compared to 765 millions in 2006 (-12.3%) – last year nevertheless saw Italian exports grow towards Russia and the Arab Emirates. Exports to Russia were worth 47 million 379 thousand euro against 34 million 700 thousand euro in 2006 (+36.5%); exports to the Arab Emirates came to 60 million 641 thousand euro against 52 million 677 thousand euro (+15.1%) in 2006.
Italian exports of processed materials and semi-finished goods also performed well in Poland and Croatia, confirming the gradual development towards high quality consumer goods in Eastern Europe: Italian exports to Poland in 2007 came to 19 million 833 thousand euro against 15 million 539 thousand euro in 2006 (+27.6%); in Croatia to 19 million 549 thousand euro against 16 million 661 thousand euro (+17.3).
Marmomacc is the world leader exhibition – as proven by data for the 2007 edition, that attracted overall 65 thousand (+4%) professional operators, of whom an impressive 43% international. Positive increases were also recorded for other event parameters: 1,510 exhibitors from 50 countries (+4% over 2006), of which half international, over a net area in excess of 76 thousand square metres (+ 5.5%).

Read also
Grand Hotel Salgari
Palladio and stone design
Training for innovation and culture
Best communication award
Building in Highlands
Workshop with Kengo Kuma

FACT FILE
DATE: 02-05 October 2008
PLACE:
Verona Exhibition Centre
V.le del Lavoro 8 – 37135 VERONA
Tel. 045 8298111
TIMETABLE: 9.00 – 18.00
ORGANISATION: VeronaFiere
ORGANISING SECRETARIAT:
VeronaFere (Brand Edilizia Logistica & Costruzioni)
Tel 045 8298111
Fax 045 8298288
ON SHOW:
Marbles, stones and granites
Pavings, claddings, furnishing accessories, design
Quarry machinery and equipment
Workshop machinery and equipment
Transport and hoisting Systems
Technologies for the recovery of the architectural heritage
Abrasives, tools, accessories, chemical products
Informatics
Trade press
Authorities, Associations
MARMOMACC – FACTS & FIGURES (2007):
1,510 exhibitors (750 international from 50 countries)
63,000 professional operators (28,000 international from 118 countries)
12 exhibition halls and 4 large outdoor exhibition areas for a total of more than 76,000 sq.m. net
ONLINE TICKET SALES: www.marmomacc.com

Servizio Stampa Veronafiere
Tel.: +39.045.829.82.42 – 82.85 – 82.90 – 83.78
Fax: +39.045.829.81.13
E-mail: pressoffice@veronafiere.it
www.veronafiere.it – www.marmomacc.com

Press Office Umbrella
evelina.bazzo@umbrella .it
www.umbrella.it tel. +39 0422 319536