From the start of opening day, Cersaie 2023 ignited with lively chatter and visitors flooding the 15 halls of the Bologna Exhibition Center in Italy. The annual International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings – held this year from September 25th to 29th – celebrated its 40th anniversary in grand style with a total of 633 exhibiting companies occupying 145,000 square meters of floor space, and 99,319 registered visitors over the five days of the show -- an increase of 8.8% compared to last year’s edition.

Among the exhibitors, 245 were from 27 countries other than Italy – comprising 39% of the total. Moreover, the number of attendees has experienced steady growth over the past few years -- from 62,934 in 2021 to 91,269 last year. Show management is happy to report it is gradually approaching the 2019 level of 112,340 visitors.

“Despite challenging market conditions, Cersaie’s strong appeal has enabled exhibiting companies to maximize their investment and strengthen their links with Italian and international distributors, architects, installers and real estate professionals,” said Giovanni Savorani, chairman of Confindustria Ceramica. “Italian ceramic products continue to be renowned in international markets for their intrinsic characteristics such as health, hygiene, durability and sustainability. The Route 40 exhibition trail chronicled the main product innovations that have cemented the role of Italian ceramic tiles and bathroom furnishings as representatives of Italian design worldwide. We have also embarked on the crucial process of energy transition, although as we pointed out to the politicians and institutional figures present at the show, the flawed ETS mechanism requires urgent action at European and national levels to avoid undermining these efforts.”  
During a press conference held on Monday, September 25^th, Cristina Faedi spoke about current tile trends. “Aesthetics must go hand-in-hand with performance,” she said. “New 3D technology makes it possible to achieve these effects.”

Faedi cited nature and shades of blues and greens reflective of the sea as points of inspiration for new tile collections. Additionally, white marble-look tile now are showing hints of gold, rust and brown veining – providing a sense of warmth. Bright colors, including pink, are also in high demand.