CarraraMarmotec 2008

An exhibition for innovation and design
Technology companies and architects together with natural stone producers from all over the world at Marmotec 2008 (29 May 1 June) when the Second International Congress on Dimension Stones, the Marble Architectural Awards and the new "Vivere il marmo", the Dressed Stone Design Award will be held.

The exhibition due to be held in four months will be as always an excellent opportunity to exhibit and see the best of natural stone and the latest technology but it will also be a venue for establishing relations among natural stone suppliers and designers who are the ones who promote the correct use of stone in quality design and building projects.

"A clear project which aims to change the relationship between the materials and architects, that is the stone suppliers and the designers who will find new stimuli and new applications in Carrara that will make natural stone a leading material in architecture". When presenting the exhibition to the trade press, CarraraFiere's chairman, Giorgio Bianchini, emphasised that "this new look has been understood perfectly by the companies and their response is positive. Large technology companies and natural stone groups, for example, are backing the new-style exhibition which is planned to carry on the same format for various years and which aims to promote the modernisation of the industry and the made in Italy brand".

A scientific board will be supporting CarraraMarmotec in this innovation, a board composed of professionals, architects, designers, journalists and scholars who will shape the project and on a yearly basis will identify the issues to be discussed at the exhibition.

The decision to hold CarraraMarmotec every two years (from 2008, every even-numbered year) has meant that companies such as SIMEC, Pedrini, Water Jet have immediately planned their high profile presence while other large raditional groups have asked for larger spaces, especially indoor spaces, and have even confirmed their presence in 2010 too.

However, in the year when CarraraMarmotec " is not held, events will be staged for architects and designers who will be able to appreciate what Carrara and its network of quality companies have to offer", Bianchini continued.

With the return of large companies and the presence of traditional exhibitors with larger stands the 2008 exhibition is expected to be all sold out with an increase in the number of exhibitors which was 426 in 2007 from 426 countries over an area of 4,000 square metres while visitors from the industry numbered 19.650, including 4.075 foreigners.

"Italian companies have immediately understood and backed the project and foreign companies have also shown great interest, for example we are expected to see group stands of Brazilian and Greek companies as well as many individual company stands. As always, CarraraMarmotec is promoted at all the large international exhibitions – said Paris Mazzanti, CarraraFiere's General Manager – and aims above all to increase the number of companies from the Middle and Near East, the Mediterranean and North America in addition to Europe which represents the most important market for Italian stone."

The 2008 CarraraMarmotec is taking place at a very complicated time for the Italian natural stone industry which from January to October 2007 recorded (statistics processed by IMM) exports totalling 2.818.000 tons of marble and granite, including raw materials and finished products, to the tune of 1 billion 549million euro for the most important items, showing 4,84 increase in quantity and a 3,04% increase in value. The highest increases are seen in the exports of raw marble (816.000 tons corresponding to a value of 156 million Euro showing a 12,33% increase in quantity and an 11% increase in value) and finished marble products which are the most important export item with 892.000 tons ( 6%) corresponding to a value of 666 million euro ( 8%) while exports of finished granite products have been decreasing for some months now.

The industry and Italian and foreign architects who come to Carrara will not only see a large range of quality stone products and technology but will also have the possibility to see what is new in the industry in a specific area which will be hosting two large design exhibitions.

The first will be showing the winning projects from the International Architecture Competition, the MAA, now in its 27th year, and the second will be showing the projects entered in the competition "Vivere il marmo" the Dressed Stone Design Award. This is an international competition which aims to encourage and identify high design solutions that enhance the quality and the best use of natural stone, widening its range of uses with an accent on comfort, elegance and functionality, in combination with other materials too such as wood, glass and composites so as to stimulate new uses in both public and private spaces.
The area will also show the future events and activities carried forward by CarraraMarmotec which however will maintain its commitment to staging important conferences.

The central event on the 2008 programme is the Second International Congress on Dimension Stones (ICDS) which is a scientific conference focussing on the issues involving the entire industry from extraction and characterisation of materials to their laying and the maintenance of finished products.

The conferences will be focussing on issues such as: the characterisation and exploitation of materials, the processing of stone products, the management of quarrying waste and/or off-cuts, standardisation, planning and control of production processes, the management of environmental resources and the assessment of impact issues, assessment of the risks and safety in production.
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