Honoring superior booth design, Marmomacc presented the Best Communicator Awards during the fair. Since its inception six years ago, the award has become a sought-after prize that recognizes the exhibit booth designs that best reveal and convey the constructive, communicative and decorative potential and prospects of stone materials. Thoughtful trade show stands effectively become a vital communications medium — combining an architectural impact with company marketing — conveying a more complete knowledge and culture of marble and natural stone, together with surprise, excitement and atmosphere.

The jury consisted of Enrico Morteo, journalist, historian and design critic; Chantal Clavier Hamaide, editor of design magazine “Intramuros;” Porzia Bergamasco, freelance journalist and ADI exhibit design manager; Aldo Bottoli, Scientific Director of the Colour Design Observatory; and Mauro Albano, Marmomacc Brand Manager. After reviewing and evaluating all the stands at the exhibition, jury members highlighted the examples especially worthy of attention as regards to care and insight in emphasizing and conveying research and material quality through exhibit design.

Five companies received awards this year, joined by five special mentions.

An award went to Calvasina with the project by Lorenzo Damiani for “narrating advanced technology through a playful informative approach studded with surprising and eye-catching objects arousing curiosity and a desire for interaction.”

Odorizzi Porfidi also received an award for the project by Lucy Salamanca for “a communicative device highlighting the technical transfiguration of a traditional material.”

Piba Marmi and the project by Grafton Architects also got an award for “the strength of an exhibition project capable of using a single material to build a domestic yet urban landscape, where blocks interact on an architectural scale with stylish objects.”

Prometec with the project by Giovanni Giorgi and Alessandro Rustighi won for “an ability to assemble a communicative volume starting from the component elements of machine tools, a kind of media container simultaneously evoking and transcending the original nature of these components.”

Stone Group International was another recipient with a project by Michalis Theofilou for “an idea developed entirely horizontally, focusing on information, communication, material and emotion to create a space where it is possible to move around always in contact with natural material.”

The jury has also mentioned Citco with Zaha Hadid, Testi Group with Tobia Scarpa, Stone Italiana with Lorenzo Palmeri, Trentino Marketing S.p.A. with Monica Armani, Savema Magt with Paolo Armenise + Silvia Nerbi.

“While all different to each other, these projects are evidence of quality, excellence and research. Irony and monumentality, architecture and design, information and seduction: five routes through the contemporary nature of material,” the jury stated.