VERONA, ITALY - Marmomacc, the landmark event for the natural stone sector worldwide, and Archmarathon, the international architecture event, organized by publisher PubliComm, which brings together 42 design studios from various countries around the world and boasts attendance by more than 1,000 visiting architects, have launched a collaboration project, the Archmarathon award, to promote and valorize natural stone in architecture.

The forum area in Hall One at Marmomacc 2016 will be home, over two intense days of "casting" (September 30 and October 1), to many architecture studios who will take the challenge of building with stone.

An international jury will evaluate the three most impressive projects involving stone materials from among those taking part. A second selection will take place during Marmomacc 2017 and the six best projects -- three in 2016 and three in 2017 -- will compete for the first Archmarathon stone award that will be held during Archmarathon 2018.

Marmomacc will be host meetings between the studios taking part in the award competition and leading Italian and foreign exhibitors.

The Archmarathon award is a convention where some of the most important studios worldwide are invited to present a main project which will then compete in one of the categories for the prestigious award. The event provides training credits for architects taking part.

Thanks to this important collaboration agreement, Marmomacc further strengthens its bond with the world of designers, architects and interior designers, and demonstrates once again its vocation in combining business events with opportunities for training and knowledge for companies and professionals in this sector.