The 28th edition of CarraraMarmotec will be held from May 30 to June 2, 2007, in Carrara, Italy. Due to an aggressive marketing campaign, the show is expected to exceed the number of exhibitors and attendees that were present in 2006.

Last year’s exhibition included 440 exhibitors and 20,380 attendees (figures certified by ISF), of which 3,986 foreigners came from 99 countries. The exhibition floor covered nearly 250,000 square feet.

According to CarraraFiere, over 90% of the exhibitors who took part in CarraraMarmotec 2006 confirmed their participation in the upcoming exhibition. Many asked for larger exhibition areas to showcase new materials and technology, stated the show organizer. Additionally, many new exhibitors from Italy and abroad want to participate in the fair because they want to venture onto the market.

Among the stops on CarraraFiere’s international campaign to promote CarraraMarmotec 2007 was the Xiamen International Stone Fair. “Xiamen has been an extremely important step in a very wide promotional campaign, with specific reference to the Chinese market,” stated the show organizer, adding that the world tour included more than 30 events. In addition to Xiamen, CarraraFiere gave presentations about the upcoming fair at events in Kunming, Shanghai and Beijing as well as at exhibitions in Croatia, Russia, Turkey, Dubai, Slovakia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Argentina, Chile, the U.S., India, Brazil and Qatar.

“We present CarraraMarmotec in the most important stone districts and associations so as to find, with the help of the Italian Trade Commission (ICE) and the [regional government of] Tuscany, new exhibitors, and to arrange visits of groups and delegations,” said Paris Mazzanti, CEO of CarraraFiere. “We asked the Chinese [stone industry members], as well as architects and engineers, to visit a fair that is a far-ranging marble showcase, because CarraraMarmotec hosts all the best that is sold in this market.”

Mazzanti went on to say that the rise in the mean value of exports is promising, because it gives a new lease of life to the best Italian-made products. “It is a little recovery that must be checked, and CarraraMarmotec will be the real test,” he said. “The number of repeat exhibitors is extremely high, and the number of participants will be further increased by the presence of some leading foreign groups and many Italian companies. We feel that China, as well as all the world’s [industry members], look forward to taking part in an ever-growing event.”

In Xiamen, Mazzanti explained that CarraraMarmotec 2007 will take place at a favorable time for Italian exports of marble and granite, because during the first nine months of 2006, Italy exported 2.37 million tons of marble and granite with a value of 1.32 billion euros (U.S. $1.76 billion). This represents an increase of 3.39% in quantity and 7.62% in value over the same period in 2005. Meanwhile, imports were 2.22 million tons, with a value of 439.77 euros (U.S. $587.6 million).

Moreover, with Carrara’s rich history of stoneworking, it is an ideal setting for CarraraMarmotec. The show will not only provide attendees and exhibitors a place to gather and make business contacts, but it will also serve as a platform to display new stone products and machinery as well as installation, maintenance and stone care products. Visitors can also plan visits with the many stone producers in the Carrara region.

Another highlight of the 2007 show will be its seminars. “One of the most outstanding international events will be the conference on the Chinese stone market - designed to review the potential trade opportunities between the two countries,” said Mazzanti. “A workshop has also been planned for Italian and Chinese [industry members].”

In addition to seminars focusing on issues facing industry members from China, there will also be other presentations offered that interest attendees from other countries. This includes D-Stone, a trade-only event open to European and African companies working in the ACP countries, as well as a workshop for Turkish companies working in marble and technology, which will meet potential Italian partners in cooperation with Lucca Promos and the Region Toscana.

CarraraMarmotec will also host the annual Marble Architectural Awards (MAA) 2007, which this year will honor outstanding stone architecture in Italy. Additionally, this year’s event schedule will include the presentation of several publications, such as Stone Sector, the book on the world trade of Italian stone and technology, and the Guide to the EC Marking by Internazionale Marmi e Macchine, which is designed for stone companies.

The event schedule has been proactively supported by the Region Tuscany, the Italian Trade Commission (ICE), Toscana Promozione, Unioncamere Toscana and Cassa di Risparmio di Carrara, the only sponsor bank, reports CarraraFiere.