Marmomac 2017 included more than 1,600 exhibiting companies – of which 64% were international from 56 countries — and nearly 68,000 visitors – of which 60% were international from 147 countries. Its upstanding international profile means that Marmomac is the landmark promotional platform for a sector involving trade worth more than 18 billion euros on a global scale, according to show management. This is a market where processed products and stone technology “Made in Italy” hold second place in terms of exports — worth more than 3 billion euros — and the first for quality and added value.

“Marmomac is one of our most important business events,” said Maurizio Danese, president of Veronafiere. “Today, it is the absolute benchmark for trade fairs in this sector worldwide. This is demonstrated by the higher levels of satisfaction among our exhibitors compared to competing events and the fact that more than four months from the start of the show the exhibition space of more than 80,000 square meters has already been sold out. There is also a waiting list of more than 40 companies and requests for at least a further 1,000 square meters, of which 90% are from international companies.”

Within the scope of planned initiatives, collaboration between Marmomac, ICE-Italian Trade Agency and Confindustria Marmomacchine for incoming activities targeting international visitors continues for 2018. Veronafiere has invited 300 top buyers and will host them in Verona to attend b2b meetings, technical training sessions and visits to local companies. All this is once again joined by the International Stone Summit — the world conference involving the world’s leading marble associations.

“Internationality is one of the key words for understanding the success of Marmomac,” said Giovanni Mantovani, CEO & director general of Veronafiere. “We have created a natural stone community that can also rely on the events we organize in consolidated, as well as developing, markets such as the U.S., Brazil, Egypt and Morocco. We are keen to strengthen this network this year through the creation of ‘Marble Ambassadors’ and thereby spread knowledge and use of stone materials, as well as ‘Miami Calling,’ an initiative in partnership with Platform Magazine that seeks to analyze real estate opportunities in Florida.”

“Water and Stone” at The Italian Stone Theater

Other fundamental aspects for developing trade during the exhibition are innovation, design and training related to stone and its use. This concept is represented at Marmomac by the exhibitions featured in The Italian Stone Theater – located in Hall One. Established several years ago, this pavilion brings together Italian research, experimentation, marble and technologies.

A new theme for the 2018 edition is “Water and Stone,” which will be curated by designer Raffello Galiotto and architect Vincenzo Pavan. This initiative is dedicated to artists to enhance dialogue between water and stone materials in hospitality and well-being contexts through the creation of furnishings, products, accessories and architectural elements for hospitality and well-being scenarios. The main theme characterizing the set-up is water, whereby its fluid nature prompts a wealth of aesthetic-perceptive aspects in dialogue with the solidity of natural stone.

In all, the Italian Stone Theater will host five exhibitions (two for product design, one with an architectural focus, one with an artistic identity and the Ristorante d’Autore), the Forum Area and the bar corner.

The scheduled exhibitions include:

• LIQUID, SOLID:  Stone: the exhibition seeks to promote new ideas for well-being environments through the creativity of highly talented designers teamed up with companies to give life to prototypes for furniture and accessories for bathrooms, saunas, thermal baths and spas.
• ARCHITECTURE FOR WATER:  Companies will collaborate with prestigious architects to develop projects sharing the theme of cladding on facades and reflective architectural elements in the large liquid spaces of Hall 1.
• BRAND+STONE:  This exhibition involves high-end brands in the world of furniture interested in developing concepts and prototypes for inclusion in their collections thanks to collaboration with companies handling materials, processing and machinery to implement works of design and/or interior design.
• ART-WAYS:  The spaces dedicated to water in the hall will also be enhanced by art itineraries involving works by international artists, with experience in numerical processing of natural stone in collaboration with machinery manufacturers.
• RISTORANTE D’AUTORE:  In adopting the “pavilion” concept, the project implemented by ADI Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige Delegation highlights water as a natural element to celebrate all its different aspects — shape, color, sound and movement — by interpreting it in a way that helps create the objects furnishing the restaurant and welcome guests with the movement and sensations of a flowing stream.

As a prestige stage-setting in terms of centrality and visibility, The Italian Stone Theatre is dedicated to Italian exhibitors keen to try their hands at creating theme-based works in collaboration with international architects and designers such as Paolo Ulian, Ludovica Roberto Palomba, Craig Copeland, Setsu & Shinobu Ito, Massimo Iosa Ghini, Marco Piva, Kengo Kuma, Patricia Urquiola and Benedetta Tagliabue. Two sectors are involved: stone processing companies and companies producing machinery and technology — lined up in a single exhibition occasion. All companies are matched with designers and architects who will stimulate relational opportunities and the ability to transform specially designed projects into artefacts and prototypes.

Additional highlights

Marmomac 2018 will also pair luxury design and furniture brands, such as Baxter, Swarovski and Luxury Living Group, with stone producers to work on specific projects. Moreover, a significant amount of attention is also dedicated to architects arriving in Verona from all over the world. They will benefit from exclusive training and refresher courses organized by the Marmomac Academy, as well as the new web portal that is tailor-made for designers who use natural stone. This is an increasingly widespread trend since 88% of architects visiting the trade fair clearly state that stone will be included in their future projects, according to show management.

Recognition is always held in high regard at the international stone exhibition. Once again, Marmomac will present the Icon Award, which identifies the work displayed in The Italian Stone Theater that will be used as the image for the 2019 promotional campaign, while the Best Communicator Award acknowledges the care and originality that exhibiting companies dedicate to their display booths.