For the first time in its 46-year history, there were more foreign exhibitors and visitors than Italian at Marmomacc, the most important annual trade fair for the global stone industry in Verona, Italy. The internationalization of the show has been going on for some time, but this year’s event confirmed this trend, registering nearly 29,000 foreign trade visitors (an 8% increase over last year) out of a total of 56,000, coming from 130 countries. The same is true for exhibitors of stone, machinery and related products. Of the 1,518 companies exhibiting this year, 849 were from outside of Italy, representing 61 countries.
“This is a very important result, especially in times like these of major difficulties for the European and international economy, and it demonstrates that exhibitions are one of the few engines entirely at the service of the real economy,” said Ettore Riello, President of Veronafiere, which organizes Marmomacc. “International events are an extraordinary platform for our companies. This is why stronger collaboration and alliance with all institutions is vital in order to provide further opportunities for this sector.”