Piedra 2008: an international showcase for the natural stone industry

Piedra 2008: . Over the course of just seven editions, the fair has doubled its business participation figure, as well as the total number of professionals who visit the event. . PIEDRA is the most comprehensive trade forum for the industry in Spain and provides an ideal meeting-point for producers from all around the world . Coinciding with the fair's trade exhibition, PIEDRA will host the staging of the Second International Congress on Stone in Architecture and organise the Eleventh PIEDRA'08 Architecture Awards. The fair will also provide the setting for the presentation of an exhibition on contemporary architecture in Spain, "The Natural Seduction of Stone"

PIEDRA´08, the grand monographic fair for the natural stone industry, will stage its seventh edition between 7th and 10th May in Halls 3, 5, 7 and 9 at FERIA DE MADRID. This trade event is organised by IFEMA in collaboration with the Spanish Natural Stone Federation (FDP). It will present an entire range of products and new features for the industry, as well as the latest ideas and applications relating to natural stone within the fields of construction, architecture, interior design and decoration in general.

The excellent progress that PIEDRA has made, in addition to its growing participation and attendance figures, provide the best indication of the significant impact that this fair makes within the industry as a whole. In this respect, we might highlight the fact that, throughout its seven editions, the fair has doubled its number of exhibiting companies, not to mention the total number of professionals who visit the fair. Thus, according to figures corresponding to the last edition, some 936 companies took part at PIEDRA, including 532 direct participants. A total of 31,744 professionals visited the fair.

With regard to international participation, the fair's progress is even more outstanding. At the last edition, participation on the part of foreign companies came to 41% of the total figure, based on the direct attendance of 218 exhibitors from 19 countries, including Germany, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Brazil, China, Egypt, the United States, France, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Islamic Republic of Iran, San Marino, Tunisia and Turkey. With regard to the attendance of foreign professionals, which has grown by 350% since the first edition of PIEDRA took place, this variable accounted for 11.5% of overall participation, based on the presence of visitors from 73 different countries.

In view of these figures, PIEDRA constitutes the most comprehensive forum for the industry in Spain and provides an ideal meeting-point with producers from around the world, offering professionals the opportunity to gain an overview of all the products and services available within the natural stone industry.
  
Spain also possesses rich geological resources, which provide the foundations for a robust and cutting-edge industry that has a strong export capacity. Spain plays an especially important role with regard to the production of marble, granite, slate and quarry stone, based on an extensive range of varieties and quality levels, not to mention processing procedures and finishes for products that are designed to meet the demands of different users and specialists and professionals working within the fields of construction, decoration, etc. Throughout the year 2005, Spain's natural stone production figure came to 8,743 tons, a 2% increase compared to the year 2004, based on a value of 3,063 million euros, which represents a 13% increase compared to the previous year. In 2005 exports featured an estimated value of 922.72 million euros, which represents an increase of 6.8% compared to the year 2004, whilst imports also enjoyed considerable growth in the year 2005, thanks, in large part, to the strong development of the building sector in Spain, featuring a value of 291.07 million euros.

The offering at PIEDRA'08 will feature all of the latest products, new features and services within the following segments: quarrying; elaboration and transformation; craftsmanship; Decoration; Design and Marketing; Stonecutting and Restoration; Stone-Laying; Machinery; Adamantine tools; Abrasive agents; Tools and accessories; Funerary Art and Management of by-products. The fair will also feature the presence of bodies and associations linked to the industry, not to mention the specialised press. This comprehensive exhibition will be of great interest to natural stone distributors, extraction companies and elaboration companies, as well as architects, builders, property developers, decorators, designers, interior decorators and all other parties who recommend the use of natural stone.