Full House at Marmomacc 2015

MILAN, Italy –  The 50th edition of the mammoth Marmomacc stone trade event in Verona, Italy, this fall is fully booked four months in advance.

Show producer VeronaFiere made the announcement May 28 during a press conference held at the Milan Triennial. The conference highlighted the main points of Marmomacc, set for Sept. 30-Oct. 3, and the concurrent Abitare il Tempo, the b2b exhibition for professionals in interior design and contract sectors.

200 marmomaccClick photo to enlarge“Since 1961, we have given a voice to the natural-stone industry – a field where, in 2014, production, processing, machinery and technology in Italy achieved overall output worth more than €3.84 billion euros, with 3,340 companies and 33,700 employees,” said Ettore Riello, VeronaFiere president. “Such figures define a top-level manufacturing reality with a strong export vocation – 75% of sales are sold abroad, amounting to €2.88 billion euros in 2014.”

“In this context, Marmomacc is the leading global platform for promoting natural stone business and culture,” added Giovanni Mantovani, VeronaFiere CEO and Director General. “This role is confirmed by attendance figures: on average, more than 1,500 exhibitors take part from 58 countries, attracting more than 60 thousand visitor – more than 50% international from 140 countries – and commercial delegations representing more than 40 countries.”

Mantovani also revealed plans for promoting Italy’s domestic stone industry during the golden-anniversary Marmomacc, citing support from the Italian Ministry for Economic Development (MISE), the Italian Trade Agency and Confindustria Marmomacchine.

Marmomacc, Mantovni explained, “will dedicate a special initiative to support Made in Italy developed through three major projects:

  • “The Italian Stone Theatre”, a hall celebrating excellence in the Italian natural stone industry;
  • intense activity to promote incoming foreign trade delegations of sector operators as well as more than 200 architects and buyers; and
  • the organisation of the ‘International Stone Summit’, the first event of its kind involving natural-stone associations.”

“Marmomacc provides a preferential point of view on the value of design applied to natural stone, as a way of telling the story of a product that has always been the strength of  Made in Italy,” said Luciano Galimberti, president of  the Milan-based Associazione per il Disegno Industriale (Industrial Design Association).

Another speaker at today’s presentation was Italo Rota, an internationally known Milan architect and art director for the Wine Pavilion at Milan’s Expo 2015. Rota created an installation at the world’s fair in the Hall of Wine Colours using 20 different marbles representing all the regions in Italy:

“Technologies and new markets are offering  creative scenarios and prospects for marble that have never been taken before,” Rota said, “and Marmomacc has the merit of exploring these trends and launching innovative messages for the sector.”

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