The presentation featured a panel discussion moderated by journalist Federica Sala, with the participation of Veronafiere's leadership team: President Federico Bricolo, General Manager Adolfo Rebughini, B2B Area Exhibition Manager Valeria Santolin, Marmomac Event Manager Francesca Zivelonghi, The Plus Theatre Artistic Director Giorgio Canale and Davide Fabio Colaci, professor at the Politecnico di Milano and one of the key figures in the new talk series.

"Marmomac is much more than a trade fair: it is the international stage where natural stone becomes business, culture, innovation and relationships," said President Federico Bricolo. "Veronafiere reaffirms its role as the world capital of the techno-stone sector with a strategic event for one of the flagship industries of Made in Italy. This achievement is the result of a system-wide project involving companies, production districts, institutions and associations such as the Ministries of Made in Italy and Foreign Affairs, ICE-Agency and Confindustria Marmomacchine."

"Marmomac is our most international exhibition platform, also benefitting from the global reach and synergy of initiatives like Marmomac Brazil and Cachoeiro Stone Fair, as well as trade missions to target markets such as the U.S. and the Middle East," added General Manager Adolfo Rebughini. "The 2025 edition already confirms exhibiting companies from 54 countries, and we are actively working with ICE-Agency on targeted inbound actions aimed at bringing operators, qualified buyers, architects and designers from all over the world to Verona."

The 2025 edition of Marmomac aims to highlight all the "grains" of the event that tell the story of stone in its productive, technical and cultural dimensions. These three pillars will be showcased across 12 exhibition halls and eight outdoor display areas, joined -- new for this year -- by Pavilion Zero | Antolini®, housed in the two central aisles of the Gallerie Mercatali.

The journey through the natural stone supply chain begins with the material itself: Marmomac was born as an event where natural stone is presented in all its many forms -- from raw block to finished work -- highlighting regional identities, production districts and the knowledge that guides its transformation. Every year, blocks, semi-finished products, slabs and design pieces will form a spectacular natural installation with the monumentality of the stone at its core. This year, marking 15 years since its first presentation at the Venice Film Festival, Marmomac will celebrate stone and its natural beauty with daily screenings of Il Capo by Yuri Ancarani, filmed entirely in a marble quarry. From the quarry's sounds also comes the first-ever playlist dedicated to the acoustic world of marble. From block extraction to sawing and lab work, this unique soundtrack narrates not only the various phases of stone processing but also captures the essence of the event itself.

Artisanal know-how, cutting-edge technologies and the most advanced machinery in the global stone industry take center stage for four days across half the exhibition area, forming a true hub for marble sciences and applied technologies. The world's leading companies, known for their technological excellence, converge in Verona with their top innovations, celebrated through special projects such as Epiphanies curated by Raffaello Galiotto -- one of the featured installations within The Plus Theatre.

Marble and natural stone have always played a key role in urban planning, interior design and the highest forms of artistic expression. A dedicated section on design and visionary projects offers a privileged observatory of new aesthetics, languages and contemporary approaches to stone design. Conceived as a space for reflection and experimentation, The Plus Theatre returns for its fourth edition in Hall 10, with a program of talks, lectures, workshops and four themed exhibitions exploring the world of stone.

The 2025 layout, inspired by Le Corbusier's 1925 Plan Voisin, will give shape to a contemporary "stone city," organized into narrative pathways that guide visitors through architecture, art, design and industry. The year-long work of Marmomac meets Academy culminates in the exhibition "Fabula Litica: The Enchanted Forest," curated by Giuseppe Fallacara, which involves over 15 national and international universities and research institutions. Carlo Trevisani and Silvia Dandini, on behalf of ADI, continue the investigation -- initiated in the 2024 edition -- into the compositional languages of stone: ADI – Modular Verticalities. The entire curatorial vision, under the artistic direction of Giorgio Canale, concludes with his curated exhibition Stone Next, dedicated to the most innovative technologies, machinery and tools for stone processing. Along with Galiotto's Epiphanies, it celebrates human ingenuity through mechanical and technological innovation, showcasing the immense potential of technology on display.

A cornerstone of Marmomac since 1998, Marmomac Academy serves as a benchmark for professional development and interdisciplinary dialogue. Each year, the Academy presents an international program exploring themes related to the selection and use of natural stone, design and advanced processing techniques. Keynotes, case studies and expert talks highlight aesthetics, innovation and sustainability, contributing to the spread of a culture of stone design.

This year, the series of talks hosted in The Plus Theatre is enriched with new features: in addition to the professional development sessions offering internationally recognized continuing education credits through Marmomac Academy, a series of panels will foster discussion on marble and contemporary culture. In this context, Davide Fabio Colaci will deliver a lecture titled "Marble and the Values of Surface," offering a critical reflection on the role of ornamentation in architecture by revisiting Adolf Loos's theories through a contemporary lens.

Continuing its commitment to shifting perspectives in the stone-based approach to architecture and design, Marmomac is launching a new award in collaboration with the international Dedalo Minosse Prize, introducing a special "Marmomac Section." The goal is to elevate the client's role in architecture. Previous editions have recognized a diverse range of recipients -- from the National Gallery in London to Politecnico di Milano, Porsche, and Microsoft Italy.

With a program interweaving business, cultural content and an international outlook, Marmomac 2025 confirms its role as a space for connection and vision -- fostering a conscious forward-looking and advanced approach to stone design.