MILAN, ITALY – Marmomac, scheduled from September 24 to 27, 2024, is highly anticipating a large turnout for this year. There will be 12 exhibition halls spanning an area of 74,000 square meters, 1,485 exhibitors from 55 countries and visitors expected to hail from 130 countries. The international stone exhibition, celebrating its 58th edition, caters to the entire natural stone supply chain -- from quarrying to finished products, and technology to machinery and tools.
Show management presented the information on Marmomac 2024 in Milan. The presentation focused on research conducted by Nomisma titled "Status and Positioning of the Italian Stone Sector.” It represents a promotional platform for Italy's stone industry in international markets, starting with the U.S. With Italian exports to the U.S. totalling EUR 639m in 2023, the American market is the primary target of an inbound campaign organized by Veronafiere in collaboration with Confindustria Marmomacchine, ICE Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
According to Nomisma's regional analysis, with a total annual demand exceeding EUR 3.4b in 2023, the U.S. remains the world's largest importer of stone products and the key market for the Italian sector. The Italian natural stone industry, which ranks second among global exporters and is the only supplier in the top three across all supply chain categories (raw and finished natural stones, machinery and technology, capital goods), has seen a 56% growth in the U.S. over the past decade. It has surpassed Brazil and China in ranking international suppliers, capturing an 18% market share in 2023.
"With Marmomac, Veronafiere brings the entire Italian marble system into play," said Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere. "Thanks to the inbound project in collaboration with Confindustria Marmomacchine, ICE Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we are hosting new top buyers, including contractors, importers, architects and designers from 44 countries this year. These high-level profiles add to more than 30,000 international professionals expected in Verona. The event's international nature is also reflected in the diversity of delegations, with significant representation from the U.S., India, Canada, China, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia."
"Now more than ever, we must maintain a strong presence in key markets for our flagship products," added Adolfo Rebughini, general manager of Veronafiere. "Internationalization is one of the pillars of our ONE Veronafiere 2024-2026 development plan. Marmomac is a reference brand for the entire Italian supply chain: a vital tool that also benefits from the synergy with our other trade platforms active in Brazil. Among these, starting in 2025, Marmomac Brazil will move to São Paulo, a key hub not only for the stone industry in Central and South America but also for opening new business opportunities in North America."
According to the Nomisma research, demand for Italian stone products has grown in 37 out of 50 U.S. states over the past decade. It is estimated that the number of hotel structures in the U.S. will increase from 59,600 in 2023 to about 62,000 by 2026 (data from Lodging Econometrics), significantly impacting the demand for natural stone. In the first half of 2024, 250 new hotel structures were recorded, over 60% of which are high-end or mid-high-end, with over 6,000 projects in the pipeline.
In this context of international positioning, Veronafiere's new business mission in Chicago took place this year -- thanks to collaboration with the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, a delegation of Italian companies met with North America's most renowned architecture and interior design firms last May.
In addition to promoting business in the stone supply chain, Marmomac is an essential gathering point for professionals in the sector, fostering the knowledge and use of natural stone. The trade fair also becomes a stage for exhibitions, workshops, conferences and debates to explore new languages related to lithic materials.
