27th Marble İzmir hosted 145 countries – A multi-million dollar fair in İzmir

27th Marble İzmir Hosted 145 Countries

A Multi-Million Dollar Fair in İzmir!

Marble İzmir Fair, the lifeline of Türkiyey's natural stone exports, welcomed the global market of the industry at fuarizmir from March 30 to April 2.

Held in a 150,000 square meter exhibition area with 1,015 exhibitors, the fair witnessed multi-million dollar agreements. It was visited by 78,096 people, including 8,590 international visitors from 145 countries. The industry is now eagerly awaiting the 28th Marble İzmir, scheduled for April 26-29, 2023.

27th Marble İzmir Fair Became a Source of Hope for the New Year

The 27th Marble İzmir Fair, a gateway to exports for the natural stone industry, provided a significant trade volume, offering a hopeful start to the new year. The entire A, B, C, and D halls of fuarizmir, along with its outdoor area, were allocated for the fair, making it a massive 150,000 square meter operation.

The fair featured natural stones, processed and semi-processed stones, marble machinery, construction equipment, and consumables, bringing together 1,015 exhibitors with 78,096 visitors from 145 countries. Deals were closed even before the fair officially started, with all showcased products being sold and new orders being placed. Over four days, the fair generated millions of dollars in trade volume for the industry.

Millions of Dollars in Sales

Türkiye, home to 650 different colors and textures of natural stone, showcased its entire range of extracted stones—from raw blocks to processed products—to a global audience. All 1,138 block stones, priced between $80 and $3,000 per ton, were sold. Meanwhile, both national and international exhibitors completed their orders for 2022 with the products they showcased.

In addition to natural stone, the fair stood out for its machinery sector, where the latest technology products were exhibited. Nearly 500 machines were showcased, priced between $5,000 and $500,000, attracting numerous buyers. The machinery sector signed multi-million dollar deals, with industry representatives stating that sales would continue throughout the year thanks to business collaborations established at the fair.

Visitors: “We Kept Our Promise, and Marble Fair Fits İzmir Perfectly”

İZFAŞ General Manager expressed great satisfaction with the fair, saying:

“We hosted professional visitors from 145 countries. Despite the pandemic, we showed great courage in August 2021 by opening our doors. Though it wasn’t in the usual fair season, we still managed to create a good trade volume. Back then, we promised our exhibitors that we would raise the bar even higher for this year’s event. The 27th Marble İzmir was packed with visitors, and we provided our exhibitors with a valuable trade platform. The most crucial aspect of our fair is that it is a globally renowned event. Together with our exporters' associations, we successfully organized an international procurement delegation program. With the same dedication and determination, we have already begun preparations for the 28th Marble Fair. The **Marble Fair truly suits İzmir perfectly.”

Full Support for the Fair Through the Procurement Delegation

İZFAŞ organized a “Procurement Delegation Program” in collaboration with four key exporter associations:

• Istanbul Mineral Exporters' Association (İMİB)
• Aegean Mineral Exporters' Association (EMİB)
• Denizli Exporters' Association (DENİB)
• Western Mediterranean Exporters' Association (BAİB)

Approximately 500 visitors from 41 countries participated in the program. In addition to the delegation program, the fair was attended by 78,096 visitors, including 8,590 foreign visitors from 145 countries.

Unique Designs Awarded

As part of the fair, the 4th Unique Natural Stone Design Competition awarded young designers who created innovative projects using natural stone. The three best projects were given the "Marble Most Unique Design Award" along with a cash prize of 15,000 TL.

The winners were:

• Taner Vural with the project "Teos"
• Feyza Başak with the project "Turn and Relax"
• Mehmet Tekin and Tahsin Demir with the project "Ant"

The awards were presented by the Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Among 46 designs, the top 17 were brought to life with the support of exhibiting companies and showcased in Hall A throughout the fair.

A Call for the Global Use of Natural Stone

The fair hosted international discussions with natural stone experts from around the world. Two key sessions took place in the B Seminar Hall at fuarizmir:

1. "Man-Made Materials vs. Natural Stone: External Applications"
2. "Various Uses of Marble in Design and Architecture"

Experts from the U.S., Iran, Qatar, and Poland participated as speakers, highlighting the global significance of natural stone.

Contribution to the Local Economy

The excitement of the fair started well before the event and continued throughout the four-day period. Visitors and exhibitors from both Türkiye and abroad made hotel reservations weeks in advance. Nearly every hotel in İzmir reached maximum occupancy during the fair.

Besides the hospitality sector, restaurants and transportation services also benefited significantly, boosting İzmir’s service industry. İZFAŞ aims to generate a $100 million trade volume for İzmir's economy through fairs organized in 2022.

A Fair Supported by Key Institutions

The 27th Marble İzmir International Natural Stone and Technologies Fair, organized by İZFAŞ under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry of Trade and hosted by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, was supported by:

• The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB)
• Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization (KOSGEB)
• Turkish Natural Stone and Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (TÜMMER)
• Istanbul Mineral Exporters' Association (İMİB)
• Aegean Mineral Exporters' Association (EMİB)
• Western Mediterranean Exporters' Association (BAİB)
• Denizli Exporters' Association (DENİB)
• Aegean Region Chamber of Industry (EBSO)
• İzmir Chamber of Commerce (İZTO)