(September 2010)

Because of the overlap, many traditional Verona participants switched venues to Bologna altogether, as architects and designers are more numerous than at the stone fair.

Cersaie in Bologna

The Cersaie opens on the 28th of September, just one day before Marmomacc. Both fairs end on October 2nd. Cersaie is the leading fair for ceramics and bathes. For a list of exhibitors and visitor statistics, see below.

Architectural themes stand in the foreground in the accompanying program bearing the title „Building, living, planning“. One major point of interest of the seminars and conferences examines how shopping centres serve less and less as mere shopping venues and more and more as centres of communication. Another important theme is social housing and the symbiosis of private and public architecture. And last but not least, „Building, living, planning“ examines possibilities for increased sustainability in the ceramics industry.

One exhibit presents the ideas submitted to the competition „Emilia Romagna, urban polis future“, in which citizens developed ideas revolving around quality of life in cities. The main speech at the accompanying program will be held by David M. Child of Skitmore, Owing & Merill LLP Architects (SOM).

Cersaie

Marmomacc in Verona

The Marmomacc, to be held from September 29th to October 2nd, is still the lead trade fair in natural stone. Even if the competitor in the Chinese city of Xiamen surpassed the 100,000 visitors’ mark last year, Verona provides the impulses for the branch.

The competition „Marmomacc Meets Design“ made the stone branch sit up and take notice to stone design. This year’s theme is „Irregular – Exceptional“. Ideas have also been in the making to facilitate participation for foreign candidates.

Of course there will be a „Best Communicator Award“ again this year for the best presentation.

The program can be viewed on the homepage under „Conventions“. According to a press release one of the talks will be held on conversion of abandoned quarries.

Pre-registration is free of charge under http://www.marmomacc.com/freebadge2010. The access code is ID CODE: 201011, Control Code: 497474. Each professional visitor must submit a unique e-mail-address to which the entrance ticket can be mailed. It is then printed. It is advisable to deactivate the spam filter before beginning with the registration procedure to assure that the mail actually arrives at it’s destination.

Marmomacc

Transport. Bologna is accessible in just over one hour by high-speed train from Verona’s Porta Nuova train station at a cost of about 45 – 70 € return fair or 2,5 hours by regional train at a cost of about 20 €. Busses to the fair grounds (Bus 10, 35 or 38) commute from the curb opposite the train station.

Overview of fairs. BusinessStone.com offers a list of trade fairs an overview of the major stone and architecture and design fairs.

(July 2010)

ssS: You see a trade fair not only as a showroom for products but also as an event. Why?

Giorgio Bianchini: In former times, a fair was a place to do business after exchanging information about the availability of products, the prices and so on. Nowadays, modern communication systems allow us to make business without having met before. So a modern fair can’t remain a place only to do business. It also has to be a moment were people can increase their knowledge, can find new ideas, can sit together and develop strategies for the future of their branch.

ssS: What does this mean in respect of Carrara Marmotec?

Giorgio Bianchini: A focus of our efforts is to get the architects, the developers and the project managers as the decision makers in respect of construction materials to our fair. We show them the quarries and the workshops, where the Carrara marble comes from and where it is processed. In seminars and lectures we teach them how to use the material. At the same time, we foster the contact between the stone people.

ssS: Are architects as these target group at all interested in natural stone?

Giorgio Bianchini: This year, we had 947 architects and designers coming to our fair. 60 percent of them were from outside Italy. The construction sector is very interested in our material, but many architects are not sure how to properly use it.

ssS: How were the events financed?

Giorgio Bianchini: We devoted some of our budget to them. The main goal of the Carrara Marmotec is not to make the maximum profit but to promote our companies and our material, too.

ssS: Aren’t you afraid that stone producers from other regions in Italy or in the world might profit from your efforts?

Giorgio Bianchini: The real competitor of the Carrara marble is not another marble or a granite or another stone. Our competitor is ceramics and composite products. Logically, in our marketing we have to point out in how far our material is different from that artificial stuff. Our material is natural.

ssS: You bring new ideas into the fair. How about new ideas for the stone industry as such?

Giorgio Bianchini: At least the European stone industry definitely needs new ideas because it has to compete with the low cost countries in Asia. As to new ideas in our competition with the ceramic industry we need to do more and better marketing. There are only few stone companies who have realized how important it is to present oneself in a certain way.

ssS: What about new ideas in design?

Giorgio Bianchini: Design can bring the most important innovation. The goal of the stone industry must be to have the best architects and the best designers as its best friends. Their ideas can lead to a new era for the natural stone.

Carrara Marmotec

(*) Central part of this year’s programme with the title „Under a White Sky – Carrara Marmotec becomes an event” was a show with light, music and dance during three evenings at the main square of Carrara. The idea was to bring the international stone experts into the city that has such a long history in stone. Another event was an exhibition of the Italian architect Angelo Mangiarotti. The fair supported the edition of a book about his works. All in all, 5 exhibits with different topics where held at the fairground. Lectures took place in great numbers. At one such lecture, the architects Marco Piva, Luca Scacchetti, Claudio Silvestrin and Lorenzo Carmellini showed how they used marble in their works.

Other events:

25. Marble Architecture Awards

1. Innovative Design Technology Award

Dressed Stone Design Award (see separate article)

The complete programme can be found in the IMM-Newsletter (07)

Facts and figures

The financial situation for the Italian stone industry is tense but there were also some „positive signs“, as reported in the statistics of Internazionale Marmi e Macchine (IMM) at this year’s trade fair. The upturn could be detected particularly relative to the USA, the traditionally most important target market for Italian stone.

2009 saw further negative growth in exports albeit with a tendency to levelling off: turnover was down by -19.35% in value and -10.12% in mass. Net turnover was 2,822,355 t of marble and granite valued at 392 million €. This includes all sectors from raw blocks to finished products but excluding gravel, chips and powders or other stone.

Statistics underscore that Italy is the foremost international exporter of high-end stone products to the USA. The average price for stone was calculated at 1,325 $ / t as compared to 776 $ for stone from India and 726 $ for Brazilian products. Nevertheless Brazil did outsell Italy and India by mass.

Exports of machinery from Italy was also down sharply -31.5% (= 312 million €) Egypt was last year’s most important market taking 23 million € worth and overtaking India which hat purchased 29 million € worth the previous year.

(June 2010)

There is great demand for sculptures in the midst of China’s current economic boom, by means of which office complexes, parks or even city districts or distinctive streets are meant to be adorned. This type of usage would also create important public-relations work for stone as a building material according to one of the fair’s organizers, Pedro Valcarel Reyes of Ouhua Stone Company.

Back to the fair: the Stonetech is much smaller than it’s big sister held in Xiamen extending over only four halls in this, its 17th edition held at the accessible grounds of Pudong. Surprisingly, more than one full hall was occupied by machine exhibitors alone. The stone branch around Shanghai is not comparable to the Xiamen and surrounding areas.

The Stonetech takes place about four weeks after the Xiamen trade fair usually altering between Beijing and Shanghais venues. The last three years have seen the fair take place in the South Coast city not least because this is the venue for this year’s world exhibit Expo (see below).

„But next year we will return to the capital“, as Kevin Wang of the fair’s operator assured us „and after that we will see.“ Perhaps Beijing is the more interesting venue in the long run: the capital is the distribution hub for the growth region in the North West and North East of China, particularly the „Bohai-rim Economy Circle“ around Qinhuangdao. The capital is also teaming with building activity in the private home sector.

As far as the Stonetech’s image is concerned the operator seem to want to develop a high architectural-and-design-profile as the fair’s unique characteristic. Two half days of the fair were dedicated to a congress on both themes.

Iran’s strong presence was a surprise, providing no less than 16 of the 75 foreign exhibitors. The insular State of Taiwan was also represented with its natural stone organization. Talk is of signing a free trade agreement between the Chinese States.

Stonetech

Expo Shanghai without natural stone

Expo 2010 continues through October 31st so we took the opportunity of scrutinizing the buildings under the aspect of natural stone building materials. After all, the motto of the World Exhibit is „Better Cities, better Life“ and the use of sustainable building material was strongly emphasized at least during the planning phase.

Only one pavilion uses natural stone extensively: Israel has clad half the building in stone, possibly limestone Jerusalem Stone. Unfortunately no information was available from the architect.

But even among the world-wide big-time players, natural stone does not seem to be sufficiently modern to make a presence at the Expo. Or planers don’t make use of innovations in stone because they are not informed of their availability.

Cases in point: China chose a 2000-year-old wood construction technique for its pavilion. India displayed a Sanchi-Stupa-Tower, traditionally a stone construction. Italy wanted to convey the feeling of a typical ancient city and used a new type of concrete, which will soon be marketed. Spain’s choice fell on a rattan-woven construction over steel beams. Turkey constructed a red box and Brazil displayed its know-how in green. An official webpage summarizes and describes the various constructions.

We take the liberty of noting that the next Expo will take place in 2015 in Milan.

(Mai 2010)

This year saw almost emphatic warnings addressed at politicians: point of contention was the new fair grounds close to the airport which would almost double the exhibit area from 43,000 m² to some 80,000 m². The planning phase has been ongoing for years. But it was not until recently that politicians were able to feather their nests with the acquisition of the property.

Obviously nothing much will change the cramped conditions in the old cultural park any time soon. „Even if all goes according to plan, the new site will be ready in 2012 at the earliest“, as predicted by Selahattin Onur, chairman of the national trade association Tümmer.

Looking at exports: whereas 2007 and 2008 were growth years for the Turkish market (+13% by value, +8.19% by mass) 2009 saw the market take a plunge in the midst of the world-wide financial crisis: -12.8% by value and -3.32% by mass (see table). Compared to other countries the trend is only moderately downward.

But close scrutiny uncovers the problem: processed material saw negative growth of -22% by value and -16.4% by mass whereas exports of raw material saw an upward trend: e.g. blocks +3.6% (value) and +4.1% (mass), or slabs +10.1% (value) and +2% (mass). Similar statistics are reported from other countries: during times of crisis more raw material is sold to Asian producers of processed material.

This trend is also reflected in the table of exports by countries (see below): to China +5.74% by value and +30.5% by mass. The USA, on the other hand, previously the strongest buyer, curtailed turnover by -36.3% (value) and -37.5% (mass) continuing the downward trend already in progress. Growth was registered almost exclusively in Muslim countries like Libya, Iraq, Egypt as well as in some States of the former Soviet Republic.

The important role of China in the Turkish stone industry is also reflected in numbers at this year’s trade fair. The organizer IZFAS is quick to underscore the great number of Chinese and Indian visitors. The fair, held from March 24th to 27th for the 16th time saw an increase in visitors and exhibitors alike (see below)

According to Selahattin Onur the branch is fighting a hydra at home what with exaggerated laws. As far as ecology and sustainability are concerned, he wishes „that regulations be understandable instead of ending in more and unnecessary bureaucracy“, he says in an interview. He also expressed the branch’s call for financial relief regarding social deductions of salaries at source.

But the biggest burden is the cost of energy „which is higher in Turkey than in other countries world-wide”. The source of the burden is a luxury tax implemented a few years ago, which applies among other goods to high levels of energy consumption and was meant to aid victims of earthquakes. By now it has become a permanent condition.

Table: IMMIB

Last year’s statistics

 

(April 2010)

With this preconception in mind China’s biggest stone trade fair held in Xiamen, was a rude awakening for one European representative of BusinessStone.com. What the stone branch presented there and how it was presented showed an industry with high standards in design and innovative potential.

The pictures below this text as well as the report of the World Stone Congress held during the fair will give readers some idea of the standard on display.

But what is the root of the discrepancy between the level displayed in the West and China’s true potential?

An analysis of the building branch in China shows enormous potential of the local market. China is riding the crest of a hitherto unseen building boom and the country boasts an ever-growing social stratum of well-endowed citizens. The same can be said for India and Indonesia to name but two markets with high buying potential.

Also, albeit this is just our hunch, China is probably the ghost-producer of much of the mosaic or inlay work displayed at the stands of Western firms.

The unprecedented upward trend of the Chinese economy and its stone industry is also reflected in the statistics of the Xiamen Fair, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year (see below). The goal is set and stakes are high: to be the nr. one world-wide and take over the rank of Verona’s Marmomacc.

This is not likely to happen overnight. The building machine sector e.g. is still in fledgling phase. However the fair is already an international meeting point not only for Asia’s buyers and sellers. Representatives of the branch world-wide come together here.

It was the declared aim of the fair’s organizers to foster international exchange with its World Stone Congress (see report) according to Marsha Tsai so that the exhibitors as well as visitors may „gain by the experience”, i.e. find answers to current questions.

Western fairs, by contrast, are weak in this area with the exception of Coverings and Marmomacc Americas. Verona’s Marmomacc often sponsored talks on a variety of interesting subjects, but alienated business guests due to a series of mishaps such as failing to keep by the schedule. The same result was achieved by Carrara’s Marmotec albeit by different means: all talks as well as discussions were held in Italian, insufficient by international standards.

Xiamen was a bang figuratively and literally speaking. The show opened with a confetti explosion. „Chinese people love that sort of theatrics” as Bessie Lin, another representative of the Xiamen Organizers, expounded. Like her colleague Marsha Tsai, she too, is a good-will ambassador for Xiamen attending fairs world-wide.

BusinessStone.com‘s know-it-alls note that the confetti explosion was accompanied by the title melody to the movie „Star Wars”. What does that tell us? Is the Empire ready to strike back? Is the return of the Jedi imminent? Or will raw stone blocks be sliced by means of the laser sword by the likes of R2-D2 in the future?

China Xiamen International Stone Fair 2011 (March, 6.-9)

Contact to the fair: Bessie Lin

 

(April 2010)

Sustainability was one core theme of the talks. Dr. Frans Papma of the Dutch Working Group on Sustainable Natural Stone (WGDN) broached the subject on a social angle: it is not only the responsibility of the stone industry to engage in ecologically sound production. The industry must also ensure that the safety and health of workers and their families and adjoining towns and settlements are not endangered by quarries and sawmills.

He bluntly and unsparingly told the 200 or so mainly Chinese participants that Western consumers who are in the market to buy Chinese products „would like to see that products which they buy do not add to global problems.“

On a more conciliatory note he expounded that it was not the intention of his Organization to impose fixed rules on sustainability but rather to work out solutions in cooperation with producers. He conceded that improved labour conditions would not be realized over night.

The Sustainable Stone Label, under development by the WGDN to be implemented by the end of this year, will accompany producers actively at first. But Papma left no doubt that rigorous controls will be part of the quality certificate and that the WGDN would effectively spread information in Western countries.

Another core theme of the Congress addressed the question of local consumption of stone in China, and specifically how to expand the market. Xu Rongque of the Stone Trade Organization Fujian Province, home of the Xiamen Fair, saw the path clearly: natural stone must mutate from a mere building material to a finished high value product. The increased value can be achieved by working the raw product or by design. Rongque summed it up this way: „Resources are limited but ideas and technology know no bounds“.

Zou Chuansheng of the China Stone Material Association, the branch’s National Trade Organization cited figures. 2009 saw a decrease of -25% in volume and -2.36% in Value. Imports, too, saw a sharp decline: -25% by volume and -8.39% by value. Nevertheless, the branch as a whole took no harm through the financial crisis: According to preliminary statistics, in 2009, the industrial value added produced by the stone industry increased by 21.28%.

But how do these figures converge with the setbacks in exports and imports? Simple: local markets. „Demand for stones will rise with great momentum“ according to the head of the Organization. Urbanization and promotion of local building materials through politics are also positive aspects which work favourably for the branch according to Zou.

He was relentless when addressing the issue of environmental pollution. „Although some quarries in China are up to the standard, the general situation is not good, and even large numbers fall below the standard.“

Some insight into the real situation of the branch could be gained by a group of visitors to a local quarry: far away of the actual quarry, the surrounding landscape was shrouded in a white cloud of stone dust and the roadside was littered with chunks of stone like plastic bottles along roads in some vacation resorts.

Zou made reference to the technical specifications which the Trade Organization adopted and to the „Green Quarry“ initiative which applies across the country. He called for „friends from overseas stone industries“ to bring their knowledge and experience to China: „With your sharing, I believe that the clean and green development of Chinas stone industry will be guaranteed.“

This is music to the ears of suppliers. On the down-side, however, fears linger after recent reports that the Chinese Government recently subjected Importers of software and Automotive industry to certification and divulgence of know-how.

Complete programme of the World Stone Congress 2010

Contact to the World Stone Congress: Marsha Tsai

 

(April 2010)

Generally speaking the target group of such fairs are not the strongmen who conquer the mountain or the block of raw stone but rather the creative-minded who have taken on the task of designing facades and interiors. Private visitors, too, are addressed, particularly women who comprise the most important target group.

Considerable effort is invested in staging the fairs. Assertion presupposes mastering the game of innovation. Visitors expect original products and inspiration.

The classic stone fairs have long recognized this trend. Particularly Verona’s Marmomacc and Carrara’s Marmotec have been exhibiting designer products or works of art. Shanghai’s Stonetech is holding a congress dedicated to design this year. A newcomer in Cairo has announced a „Design week“ to be held in November.

List of trade fairs

(December 2009)

Albeit the fair was not overrun: during the course of the four day exhibition beginning of November, only 8000 visitors saw 300 exhibitors from 20 countries in an area measuring some 15,000 m², according to the fair organizers. In fact, the halls were nearly empty on opening day. Nevertheless, the fair grounds situated right next to the train station, withstood the test: facilities were modern and professional.

Exhibitors were mainly machine and tool retailers for stone masonry from Italy, Germany and China. Companies from Spain, France, Scandinavia, India and South Africa were also represented. Interesting to note that among the natural stone on show, many types were high end, exclusive and expensive – the branch obviously considers the Polish market as promising consumers for interior construction.

Many an exporter probably views the country as a gateway to Eastern Europe or as a mid-way warehouse en route to Germany or Scandinavia. Suppliers from India have already set up tombstone depots as the Polish graveyard culture is unique. See our analysis in the June-2008-issue.

The peripheral programme, organized by the two trade publications of the branch, was remarkable for the size of this fair, simultaneously setting an accent of their own: Nowy Kamieniarz presented the development of marketing and advertising in the Italian and French stone branch over the past 40 years.

Swiat Kamienia presented this year’s winners of the Stone-in-Architecture-Awards in Poland. Let us expound on a project, giving some insight in the difficult and strained relation between Poland and Germany in decades past: Wroclaw in Silesia had been formerly German, but became Polish territory after the end of WW II. Remember: the War, which claimed 60 million lives, began with Germany’s invasion of Poland. After the end of the war, the graveyard, resting place of Germans, Poles and members of many other nations, was destroyed and gravestones were used elsewhere. The award-winning „Monument of Common Remembrance“ was erected in place of the old graveyard and is comprised of a 60 m long, 4 m high granite wall, into which some of the old gravestones were integrated. The monument was conceived by Tomasz Tomszewski, Louis Gryta and Czeslaw Wesolowski. The stone was supplied by Piramida near the city of Strzegom.

The next Kamien-Stone is scheduled to take place from November 10th to 13th 2010. The name, by the way, is a Double whopper: „Kamien“ is Polish for stone. That was the name of the predecessor in Wroclaw.

Photos: Swiat Kamienia

 

(November 2009)

The trend is underscored by exhibitors as well: while Xiamen experienced considerable growth despite the world wide financial crisis, and while Izmir also saw some growth, Verona was stagnant.

But these figures are only one aspect. Also, the Marmomacc took place from Wednesday to Saturday this year. In previous years the fair was from Thursday to Sunday. The change was decided to discourage the multitudes of non-commercial Sunday-visitors.

Marmomacc is not likely to lose its position as the leading fair any time soon: this year, as in previous years, Marmomacc was the big marketplace for new products in the stone branch. This is not only true for machinery, where Italy is the uncontested market leader. But also the efforts in stone design and the various events give the branch important impetus from year to year.

Here the competition is lagging far behind: but, Xiamen intends to expand its congress held during the fair next year. Ecology and marketing issues will be the main themes. Izmir, too, has shown interest in holding a congress. But the new fair grounds seem to be making little progress toward completion.

The statistical yearbook was introduced by Dr. Carlo Montani this year again. It carries the title „Stone 2009“ and includes the figures for 2008. It, too, shows a shift toward Asia, as growth (albeit small) was recorded, whereby the rest of the world was facing recession.

Interestingly, Montani’s numbers show a slight increase in pro-capita consumption in 2008 world-wide: 187 m² per 1000 person (2007: 184 m²; 2003: 135 m²). The fact that companies were discharging employees or closing down branches indicates that surplus capacities of the two previous boom decades were being reduced. For the first half of 2009 the figures show that the branch is truly struggling.

A few more figures from Montani’s yearbook: China alone retrieved 26.2 % of world production from its quarries and carried away one quarter of world exports.

Regarding imports, China is the market for stone blocks, which are worked and then sold again as an end-product. The price for end-products in China is 13.75 € compared to Italy: 43.80 €, Brazil: 30.90 €, Spain: 30.60 €. The Land of the Rising Sun plays a major role only with respect to commodities i.e. average stone varieties.

„Stone 2009. World Marketing Handbook“, Carlo Montani, Edizioni Il Sole 24 Ore Business Media, ISBN 978-88-8138-124-1, Code N. 10330, 32,00 €.

The organizers of „Le Donne del Marmo“ („The Women in Marble“) awarded this year’s prize to Dr. Paola Blasi if the IMM Carrara for her work in introducing CE-Standards in the European Union. The organization (Italian) wants to distinguish the role of women in the branch. It was founded in 2006.

Next Marmomacc: September 29th to October 2nd, 2010.

 

(June 2009)

The Portuguese company d2 technology presented a novel idea for waste disposal. With the help of its patented die-stamping machine dubbed „puzzle“ tesserae can be turned into mosaic or cobblestone for paving. According to the company, one m² costs 0,30 € plus man-hours. A comparable machine was presented by Bellani whose machine is dubbed „Krea“.

Bideseimpianti presented „Gold 56V“, a multiple wire saw, which allows users to simultaneously cut slabs of different types of stone and in various thicknesses. The machines configuration can be adjusted to customer needs. Among the advantages of this device are reduced time requirement for changing saw-blades and cutting.

New developments in thin stone layer cutting was presented by the German company Seeberger: a sandwich glass allowing delicate stone to be exposed to outdoor use or great material stress – the 5 mm stone is mounted on an 8 mm glass pane upon which another 4 mm pane of safety glass is laminated. Another development uses thin stone slabs for kitchen countertops whereby the stone and supporting glass are 30 mm thick in total.

Many a new design idea was presented at the fair, of which BusinessStone.com passes on but a few examples.

Stone+tec