Support activity on international markets for a sector of excellence for Made in Italy technologies and design. Verona, 11 February 2011. A new platform of international promotion services is available to companies in the natural stone and related machinery sector - one of the fields of excellence for Made in Italy technology and design - comprising thousands of small-medium companies fighting to maintain levels achieved over the years through investments and development; today, these companies must compete on markets that are increasingly stiff and often lacking in the rules that are the hinge pin of the European economic-social system. Against this background, VeronaFiere - the organiser of Marmomacc (International Exhibition of Natural Stone, Technology and Design in Verona 21-24 September 2011, www.marmomacc.com), the most important and complete exhibition in the world (with more than 1500 exhibitors from 56 countries and 56 thousand visitors of which 48.5% from 132 countries at the last edition) - has implemented the agreement signed two years ago with Confindustria Marmomacchine, the Confederation of Industry reference association for the Italian natural stone and related machinery sector that represents more than 330 companies embracing producers of stone materials and manufacturers of quarrying and processing machinery and equipment. Collaboration is now strengthened through the development of new assets, such as the preparation of market studies, training and activity to procure finance for the development of promotional activities. In the context of the international scope of the platform, another a strategic aspect of the agreement concerns attendance at events and joint and shared management of new exhibition events or commercial initiatives in areas experiencing major development such as Brazil, China, India and the Persian Gulf, be they promoted and organised by VeronaFiere (such as Marmomacc and StonExpo Marmomacc Americas) or Confindustria Marmomacchine (on average 15-20 events per year on the main international markets). The first positive results sono emerged from StonExpo Marmomacc Americas at the end of last January in Las Vegas, which was attended by as many as twenty companies which achieved important commercial returns. The exhibition, the outcome of the strategic agreement between VeronaFiere and Hanley Wood Exhibitions, was held alongside Surfaces, the cladding exhibition, and Las Vegas Market, an event dedicated to interior furnishing, which overall attracted 900 exhibitors and more than 70 thousand buyers to the capital of Nevada. The next development of the agreement is co-organisation, together with Riyadh Exhibition Co., of Saudi Stone Tech, scheduled next 16-19 October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where VeronaFiere and Confindustria Marmomacchine have created an “exhibition inside an exhibition” for the natural stone sector, where Italian attendance will be organised.
