Taking place in the historic stoneworking center of Verona, Italy, Marmomacc is set to take place from October 4 to 7. The event, which has consistently been among the strongest international stone fairs in the world, has added several new features for the 2007 edition.
The event will include 1,500 exhibitors from over 50 countries. Stone suppliers will be on hand from Italy and abroad, showcasing a broad range of granite, marble, limestone and onyx, among other materials. Over the past few years, more and more stone suppliers have been introducing exotic materials at Marmomacc, including rare varieties of onyx and semi-precious stones. Moreover, stone can be found in a wide variety of formats, including slabs and tiles as well as detailed mosaics, cut-to-size architectural pieces and blocks.
In addition to stone suppliers, exhibitors at Marmomacc include many of the world’s leading manufacturers of stoneworking machinery. In fact, many companies in the stone machinery sector rely on the event as a platform to introduce the latest generation of stoneworking technology. Other exhibitors include suppliers of stoneworking accessories and stone installation and maintenance products.
Marmomacc attracts over 62,000 trade visitors from 120 countries, and exhibitors have been consistent in their praise for the event. “Marmomacc is the best trade show for stone in the world, bar none,” said Robert Campo from Rock of Ages of Barre, VT.  “We’ve been exhibiting at Marmomacc for seven years, and the show really allows us to reach our target and gives us good customer turnover.”

“Marble, Architecture and Design”

In addition to the exhibition, Marmomacc has always had an extensive educational and cultural program. Specifically, the organizers -- VeronaFiere -- of the event have capitalized on the relationship between natural stone and architecture. This year’s program “Marble, Architecture and Design,” offers several highlights:
· The exhibition of new stone architecture in Spain, sponsored by the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX) and the Spanish Natural Stone Federation, will highlight major stone projects of the last 10 years by leading Spanish architects, including Alberto Campo Baeza and Rafael Moneo.

· A pairing of leading international designers, including Kengo Kuma, Riccardo Blumer & Matteo Borghi, and Odile Decq, with certain Italian exhibitors. The teaming of architect/designers and Marmomacc exhibitors -- “Marmomacc Meets Design” -- will emphasize the “lightness” of stone in decorative objects and furnishings. Prototypes will be on display and highlighted on a map distributed to Marmomacc visitors.

· On Saturday, October 6, 2007, the award ceremony for the winners of the International Stone Architecture Award (10th Edition) will be held at the Castelvecchio, Verona’s medieval castle.

· A seminar, organized by the Association of Women in Stone, on “The Beauty of Stone.”

· An exhibition of the use of stone in southeastern Italy entitled, “Apulia: Stone Landscape.”

For more information on Marmomacc 2007, visit www.marmomacc.com.

Architecture course continues in Verona

This October, Marmomacc will host the ninth edition of its continuing education course for architects. Thirty architects from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., India, South Africa and Australia will spend four days studying the importance of stone in modern design. The course program includes visits to a quarry, stone processing operations and to Palladian villas, in addition to the Marmomacc exhibition itself. Because participants are able to see the actual stone extraction and processing first hand, they develop a better understanding on the use of stone in the architectural field.
In addition to field visits, the course includes a variety of seminars on aspects of the sourcing and selection of natural and engineered stone. At last years seminar, participating architects received 19 AIA Learning Units, most of which also counted as HSW credits.
Marmomacc has also consolidated its relationships with RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) and RAIC (Royal Architectural Institute of Canada) -- whereby every year, architects have the chance to attend theoretical and practical lessons, experience first-hand visits to several quarries and watch stone material extraction processes and working methods. U.S. architects were joined by colleagues from Canada, the U.K., India, South Africa and Australia.
The participating U.S. architects at last year’s event were overwhelmingly positive in their reaction to the course:

· “[The course was] terrific on all ends. The range of information was wonderful, and it blended so many aspects of the stone industry seamlessly.” -- Stephanie Vierra, Steven Winter Associates, Washington, DC
· “To gain an understanding of all facets of natural stone -- quarrying, manufacturing, selection and application -- is invaluable...an A+ event.” -- Mark Higa, WCIT Architecture, Honolulu, HI
·“[The course] felt very global and intellectually stimulating [and] also worked well as networking.” -- Matt Dubbe, Architectural Alliance, Minneapolis, MN

· “The visits to the quarry and finishing plants were worth the trip.” -- Christine Reynolds, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Fairfax, VA
Veronafiere, an AIA CES provider, awards scholarships to about 15 U.S. architects each year for this program. Architects compete for grants that cover tuition, meals, hotel accommodations and local transportation.
Additionally, Marmomacc is now an official member of the Marble Institute of America, and it is recognized as an “education provider” for training by AIA (American Institute of Architects), the association whose members include most U.S. architects (more than 85,000). American architects may also refer to the new online course detailing the use of natural stone through the AECDaily site (www.aecdaily.com/sponsor/veronafiere).