“The trade fair system is one of the strategic assets for restarting the country,” said Maurizio Danese, president of Veronafiere. “The health emergency has also severely struck the entire stone sector worldwide. Against this background, Veronafiere exploited all its potential to the fullest by redesigning its 2020 calendar of events. A hybrid model was thereby created between physical and digital worlds to ensure business recovery for our client companies, as well as communities in the sectors represented. At the end of the emergency, this model will complement the physical events as they return to normal, thereby generating new opportunities. We are implementing this activity in close collaboration with the ICE Agency, since this format combines the guidelines defined by the Export Agreement signed last June at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our aim is to relaunch trade fair business and, through it, the Italian economy, companies and Made 
in Italy products.”

Veronafiere will achieve success with its virtual event due to an advanced, interactive and business-friendly digital platform connecting companies in a targeted and safe manner with those world markets still experiencing difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it will continue to work within the context of Marmomac Re-Start together with the ICE Italian Foreign Trade Agency to organize contact opportunities at Veronafiere and local companies involving selected buyers, architects and international designers.

“In a dramatic and difficult year for the entire planet, the Verona system by no means came to a standstill but continued to work to generate value and restart fields of excellence — from culture to a business — in all possible ways,” said Federico Sboarina, mayor of Verona. “Marmomac, just like other events scheduled in the second half of the year, remains a strategic occasion in support of one of the main sectors in the local economy. Having re-designed business models so quickly and in such innovative and technological terms is an operational and effective response that, as we all hope, will restore as the new normal as soon as possible.”

The goal of the new event model is to maintain Marmomac’s important international profile achieved in the course of 54 editions, with more than 62% of visitors arriving every year from more than 150 countries worldwide. Consequently, this special appointment of Marmomac Re-Start also seeks to support promotion in the stone sector even in these critical times, thereby accompanying it towards the Marmomac 2021. The on-going conditions of general uncertainty associated with the escalation of the COVID-19 emergency around the world have highlighted the absence of those conditions needed to ensure upkeep of Marmomac’s quality standards which, on an international scale, are one of the event’s major strengths.

The new project has been studied to present a well-designed and different event, with a new layout exploiting part of the exhibition center involving some of the halls and outside areas, thereby being able to use the new multi-function Re Teodorico entrance gate. Marmomac is working to implement the existing services with digital solutions in order to support the dissemination of content — both inside the stands and outside the trade fair as such — and virtual interaction between exhibitors, even where difficult situations as regards to mobility and exclusion from physical meeting opportunities may still persist. Not-to-be-missed appointments include The Italian Stone Theatre, which will be moved to a new area specifically reserved for this event. This theater of excellence in natural stone, which turns Marmomac into a source of talent and creativity, as well as home to culture and knowledge related to natural stone, will once again be an important driving force for the Made in Italy business.

“The decision to confirm the 2020 edition became possible after careful evaluation of the progressive resumption of international mobility, the imminent regional authorization for the trade fair, the confirmation of the International Incoming Plan prepared by ICE and analysis of visitors to Marmomac which, combining those from Italy and the Schengen area, will come to more than 40,000 trade operators,” stated Veronafiere. “The objective of Marmomac Re-Start is to ensure a 2020 edition in total safety, also hallmarked by resumption where customers, exhibitors and operators all start off again together, as well as a response to the challenge that the largest natural stone sector community is called upon to tackle.”