The Marmomac international natural stone trade fair concluded a successful mission to Chicago from May 14-16, 2024. The mission, organized in collaboration with the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, aimed to promote Italian marble in the United States, the main import market for Italian marble.
A group of 12 leading Italian and Portuguese marble companies, including BG Basaltite, Marmi Scala, Porfido Trentino, Athena Marmi, Agglotech, and Marmobon-Domos, participated in the mission. As part of a packed three-day program, these companies had the opportunity to meet with 30 of Chicago’s most renowned architecture and design firms, such as Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, and Aria Group.
The choice of Chicago as the destination for the mission reflects the strategic importance of the United States for the marble market, particularly for Italian marble. With imports of €227.6 million in the first half of 2023 (latest data available, source: Confindustria Marmomacchine Research Center), the United States represents the main destination market for Italian slabs and processed materials.
“This initiative,” said Raul Barbieri, Commercial Director of Veronafiere, “confirms Marmomac’s central role in promoting marble on the main international stages. We chose Chicago for its global reputation as a center of excellence in the field of modern architecture and design. The contact with the best local professionals in these two sectors represents an extraordinary opportunity for companies not only for the North American market but also to open up new collaboration opportunities in other areas of the world where these studios operate.”
The trade mission to Chicago was an important step towards Marmomac 2024, scheduled to take place from September 24 to 27 at the Veronafiere exhibition center (https://www.marmomac.com/en/home-english/). The latest edition of the event, the 57th, saw the presence of 1,507 exhibitors from 54 countries and over 51,000 professional operators, of which 66% were foreigners from 138 nations; among these, 1,895 came from the United States.
Source: www.fattinostri.it
