IZMIR, TURKEY - Marble 2001, the 7th International Marble, Natural Stone and Technologies Fair, was held from March 29 to April 1 in Izmir, Turkey. This year, the size of the fair grew by 26%, according to the show's organizer. It took place on a total of 10,887 square meters (6,917 square meters indoors and 3,970 square meters outdoors) in Culturepark. Statistics also show that the number of attendees increased. The 10,644 visitors this year represented a 39.6% increase from last year. Also, there were 423 exhibitors that represented 21 different countries. The fair included an in-depth exhibition of the Turkish Sector. Organizers of the fair described Turkey as "an important tool for world trade and the opening door to Europe and Asia."