A $40 billion trade volume is strengthening with the 27th Marble İzmir, attracting visitors from 135 countries

$40 Billion Trade Volume Strengthens with the 27th Marble İzmir, Attracting Visitors from 135 Countries

The city of fairs, İzmir, is hosting the world's largest natural stone fair.

Opening its doors to global trade for the 27th time, Marble İzmir is a lifeline for the mining sector, which has a $40 billion trade volume due to its role in providing raw materials for all industries. Visitors from all over the world are securing their 2022 project supplies from the fair. On its first day, the fair welcomed a flood of visitors from 135 countries.

The global exhibition industry, which employs 3.2 million people, facilitates a $325 billion business volume. İzmir, Türkiye’s city of fairs, is expected to host visitors equal to half of its population in 2022 through various fairs. Moving steadily towards its goal of contributing approximately $100 million to the city’s economy in 2022, İzmir is hosting the global natural stone trade from March 30 to April 2.

The 27th Marble İzmir Fair Marks the Opening of the New Season in Natural Stone Exports

The fair plays a major role in natural stone exports, which constitute $2.5 billion of Türkiye’s $6 billion mineral exports. Holding 5.1 billion cubic meters of natural stone reserves, which accounts for 33% of the world’s 15 billion cubic meters, Türkiye showcases its wide variety of natural stones at the fair. Block, processed, semi-processed, and designer-transformed stones in diverse colors and types are awaiting buyers at Fuar İzmir.

The Mining Industry Generates a $40 Billion Trade Volume

In 1995, the Marble İzmir Fair was first held in Kültürpark, when Türkiye’s total natural stone exports amounted to only $77 million. Thanks to the fair, Türkiye’s natural stone exports have now reached $2 billion. Natural stone, one of the most significant sectors in reducing Türkiye’s trade deficit, is self-sufficient with its raw material reserves and locally produced machinery. Over the last decade, the sector, which has become the lifeblood of Türkiye’s natural stone exports, has contributed nearly $20 billion to Türkiye’s economy. When combined with the mining sector, which supplies raw materials to all industries, the sector generates a $40 billion trade volume and continues to strengthen with the 27th Marble İzmir Fair.

Visitors from 77 Provinces and 135 Countries on the First Day

Opening its doors on March 30, the 27th Marble İzmir Fair witnessed a massive influx of visitors from around the world on its first day. From the Far East to America, Scandinavia to Africa, professional buyers from various regions began securing supplies for their new projects at the fair. The procurement delegation program, which started with intense interest from India, saw buyers placing orders for block stones even before the fair officially began. On the first day, 500 buyers participated in B2B meetings with exhibitors. Nearly 1,000 business meetings took place on the first day of the three-day program, and over 10,000 meetings are expected to be conducted.

“It’s Impossible for Project Developers to Not Find the Stones They Need Here”

Altan Ağaoğlu, a Dubai-based executive of a multinational company, shared his thoughts on the fair:

“Our main goal is to supply stones to Gulf countries. We buy stones from Greece, Italy, and Portugal, but no country surpasses Türkiye in terms of variety. In fact, the top three spots all belong to Türkiye. Achieving this level of color diversity in marble is extremely rare worldwide.

Today, Türkiye uses the same cutting-edge technology as Western countries like Italy. In fact, many Turkish firms outperform their Western counterparts. Türkiye is also far ahead of Europe in terms of exhibition organization and industry support.

Hosting this fair in İzmir is a great decision, as most producers are located in and around İzmir. Visitors can also visit factories nearby, making this a high-potential commercial fair. Right now, many people are searching for stones for major projects here, and they are guaranteed to find the marbles they need in terms of color and variety.”

“The Diversity in Türkiye is Reflected in the Fair”

Dr. Fabio Massimo Biselli, an Italian attendee visiting Türkiye for the first time, shared his impressions:

“The natural stone diversity in Türkiye is incredible. I haven’t explored the entire fair yet, but from the very first day, you can feel this richness. I’ve been following Turkish natural stones at international fairs, and I’m interested in all aspects of stone.

Natural stone is an exceptional material with diverse applications. I firmly believe that marble enhances many works of art. Instead of artificial stones, we should use natural ones. I am a strong advocate of natural stone and dislike artificial stones being used as substitutes.

Every block of stone is unique. We need to transform these stones and incorporate them into architecture. Fairs like this prove that artificial stones can never replace natural stones in the global market. Türkiye supports this idea with its wide variety of colors and patterns.”

“The Fair Offers a Huge Advantage for the Market”

Michelle Rezende, a visitor from Brazil, explained that marble and travertine are the most commonly used stones in their country:

“We procure our stones from Egypt and Türkiye. We are here to find new suppliers, better prices, and new markets.

As sellers, we buy stones and distribute them according to project needs across the country. We are interested in stones of all sizes and dimensions based on demand.

This is our first time in Türkiye and at this fair, and we have had successful meetings with potential partners. It’s a huge advantage to connect with suppliers, explore the market, conduct business, and discover new products. This fair will be a great opportunity for us to finalize new agreements for this year. Through the fair, we have witnessed the extensive variety of Turkish stones.”