07.10.2014
Comments by companies attending the two shows at Veronafiere 24-27 September.
The interviews are also available on Marmomacc's YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/marmomacc).
Verona, 6 October 2014 – Great satisfaction in terms of business contacts and signs of optimism for the future of natural stone sector. This is the feeling that was evident for four days (24-27 September) at Veronafiere among the halls of the 49th Marmomacc, the world's leading trade fair for the entire natural stone chain, held for the first time together with Abitare il Tempo, the event dedicated to furnishing, interior finishes and the contract sector.
This is confirmed by numbers on the up recorded at the end of Marmomacc: more than 1,500 exhibitors (+6% compared to 2013) from 58 countries and 65,000 buyers (+15% over 2013) from 145 countries. Data for the real Italian economy equally saw exports of marble and granite grow by 3.7% and those for processing technologies by 7% in the first half of 2014, while the world sector in 2013 achieved growth of 5%.
Yet the best confirmation comes directly from the protagonists in 2014 at Marmomacc and Abitare il Tempo: the companies, associations and consortia, interviewed by the Veronafiere Press Office.
Flavio Marabelli, Honorary President with responsibility for Institutional Relations at Confindustria Marmomacchine: "The positive signals in half-year statistics indicating significant growth in exports for materials and technologies alike were also reflected in the trend at this edition of Marmomacc. The show confirmed its status once again in 2014 as the landmark event worldwide for natural stone and technology sectors for its international vocation thanks to strong and qualified attendance by international exhibitors and visitors."
Filiberto Semenzin, President of Centro Servizi Marmo in Volargne, coordinator for the Veneto Marble and Natural Stone District: "We attracted many visitors and contacts. The initiative bringing together all our consortia - Asmave, Val di Pan and Pietra della Lessina - in a single area proved to be a marvellous stimulus for the entire supply chain. This was an important first step at Marmomacc towards a single brand as a source of increasingly effective promotion."
Fabrizio Rovai, President of the Cosmave Consortium in Pietrasanta, presented the Carrara Export Consortium at Marmomacc: "For our members, this edition of Marmomacc developed on the same levels of last year. Response was good. This show is certainly a landmark on a European and world scale."
Francesco Pettenon, Sales Director of FILA - chemicals industry: "This edition was one of the best we've attended so far, with a large turnout right from day one and growing in terms of both quantity and quality. Good contacts, with 70% international and 30% national. The most important markets for us are Europe, Australia, the Far East and India. The show is important since it allows us to show our new products as well as maintain relations with our customers in the 60 countries where we export."
Ivo Siviero, Sales Director, Bagnara Nikolaus: "The show went well this year. It is important for us to attend Marmomacc since it is the most important sector show in the world. Business contacts were good just as in other years. Many marble operators have turned abroad because "Made in Italy" is a synonym of quality on international markets."
Enrico Favaro, Technical Director, Breton: "During show days, I saw a lot of things going on in the halls and keen interest in automation and the automated factory. We had foreign contacts, especially from South East Asia and the United States which consider innovation to be fundamental. The important thing is to show no fear of being copied."
Giacomo Bellegoni, sales manager at Gemeg: "Marmomacc is the most important show worldwide because it enhances the quality of Italian material, a universal symbol of excellence. A great international showcase for our products."
Renato Zambetti, international area manager, Pedrini: "We are pleased with the many business contacts we made - 80% international and in particular from Turkey, Russia and Kazakhstan. Buyer numbers were also positive. Much higher than our expectations: We have no complaints over this edition of Marmomacc. We even had meetings from unusual geographic areas, which are potential markets for machinery manufacturers like us."
Bruno Zanet, President of Marmi Bruno Zanet: "We have received many visits to our stand from Arab countries, Russia and Ukraine: the sector is waking up again! The economy of the natural stone field is improving and we had many business contacts here at Marmomacc. Marble operators must be patient because the market is beginning to move again and Italy - renowned for working well - is ready to grasp the moment."
On its debut at Marmomacc with two quarry machinery models, Volvo reported somewhat more vitality compared to the earth-moving market, especially for vehicles designed for marble and speciality sands. There is also interesting demand for wheel loaders by industries that use them in their factories; many contacts were also established at Marmomacc with foreign buyers.
MB Crushing Spa, a leading company in the crushing sector, was very satisfied by contacts made with potential foreign buyers, especially from the Middle East and Asia; there was major interest in the world associated with natural stone.
Igino Bombana, President of Tenax Spa based in Volargne, with ten branches in Italy and the rest of the world: "Only Marmomacc attracts such top quality visitors. I noted attendance by many Greeks, a market that is proving to be a rewarding confirmation for us after the crisis that struck the area. There were also many Chinese and some new attendance from Central Africa. Something is moving in Nigeria."
Francesco Antolini, President of Luigi Abdullah Spa based in Sega di Cavaion with a branch in Vitòria, Brazil: "Marmomacc is still the landmark event, especially for sector operators. The is still considerable Chinese interest, especially from that part of the population keen to find high-quality Made in Italy stone products. The same can be said for Brazil. We are also developing, albeit to a lesser extent, contacts in countries such as Kazakhstan or Turkmenistan in Eastern Europe as well as Vietnam and Indonesia. On the other hand, the trade axis has shifted towards the far East. For us, it is essential that the show moves progressively closer to the world of design and furnishing, as the 'unique feature' inherent in Made in Italy that everyone tries to copy."
Michele Caneva, area manager for North America at Santa Margherita SpA, the agglomerate and quartz multinational based in Volargne: "The show went fairy well and we made some good contacts. In collaboration with Veronafiere, we helped implement a prestigious conference area in the new Inside Marmomacc area. This type of installation is the outcome of careful consideration by our company to promote the use of natural stone implemented over quite some years. This installation appealed to new types of visitor such as many architects."
Luca Fasani, sales Director at Fasani Celeste based in Lugo di Grezzana (Valpantena area near Verona) and owner of Verona red marble quarries and related processing company: "We saw a great deal of interest especially from operators in Eastern European such as Bulgaria, Kazakhstan and Poland. With some of these, both in our head offices and at the show, we signed supply contracts of our products involving quarrying and processing of Verona red marble."
Luca Donatoni, area manager for Italy, America and China of Donatoni Macchine based in Domegliara (Verona): "Chinese visitors were a constant presence during the show and, in much the same way, we recorded the usual attendance by German operators. We signed a number of supply contracts for machinery with American and German clients."
Luca Graziani, sales director at Graziani Marmi based in Carrara which has owned-quarries and a craftsman processing centre: "This exhibition means you can meet, on a single occasion, clients travelling from various parts of the world. The trend at Marmomacc for us reflects previous editions in terms of consolidating existing relationships. Marmomacc is a very well-organized exhibition in a strategic location with excellent facilities."
Angelo Grassi, President of Carrara and Export and CEO of Gmc based in Carrara: "Marmomacc is the par excellence show on a European level. Contacts were positive with good response since it is the only exhibition of its kind in Europe and one of the few in the world. As regards assessment as regards my own company, we saw a downturn in attendance from Eastern Europe."
Rafael Jiménez Roy, area manager of Levantine-The Natural Stone Company, Spanish marble processing company: "Marmomacc 2014 was a success for Levantine. We created a functional and very attractive stand where we exhibited our top of the range marbles and granites coming from our quarries in Italy, Spain and Brazil. Incoming attendance by foreign operators was good, with architects and buyers coming mainly from Brazil, Russia, Northern and Eastern Europe – Lithuania, Estonia – and South Africa. The overall assessment is positive, with more business than last year, especially on the second and third days of the event."
Parag Bansal, director of Akriti JewelCraftz, an Indian company supplying design-oriented processsed marble: "Marmomacc surprised us in terms of attendance by operators, architects and distributors, largely international from South America, Sudan and many from the Baltic region and Russia. There was a good response from our traditional customers but also, and above all, we were satisfied with the new contacts and the effective and interesting business we defined."
Emanuela Zatta, director in Italy of Riel Sanwa srl, the Japanese tools company (diamond blades) for processing and polishing slabs: "This show is the reference point for many international operators because the entire industry supply chain is on hand. We received visits on our stand by buyers from America, Europe and the Far East. There was less attendance by Italians but this was to be expected considering the situation on the home market. Overall, it was a very positive show for us."
The same trust was also evident in the comments by exhibitors attending Abitare il Tempo, as evidenced by Nicola Azzaro of Azzaro Design, a Parma based company in the lighting sector: "Visitors to Abitare il Tempo were well-informed and determined. We have established excellent contacts with buyers and designers, as well as customers from Brazil, Seoul, Singapore and the Baltic Area."
Ugo Morelato of the Aldo Morelato Foundation commented: "85% between interior designers and buyers originated from abroad, particularly Russia and North Africa; there was also significant attention on the contract sector, where the company has developed successful business in recent years».
The link between Marmomacc and Abitare il Tempo was useful (albeit not essential) for Biagio Amaro of Nero Sicilia – Frama Mosaici s.r.l. (producer of unglazed lava stone surfaces), and Gilberto Garbin of Itlas, a company based in Cordignano (Treviso) that manufactures wooden furniture, flooring and cladding.
Visitors were split 50-50 between Italy and foreign countries, especially South Korea, Northern Europe and Russia, for operators visiting the stand of Palmalisa Zantedeschi, the owner of a company producing works in stone through tailor-made projects, who said: "Abitare il Tempo is an elegant exhibition, a workshop presenting the excellence of Made in Italy. I would even define it as the 'refined corner' of Marmomacc."
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