StonExpo Imports a New Partner
Lisa Plummer -- Tradeshow Week, 10/31/2008 11:05:00 AM
Something has been missing from Hanley Wood Exhibitions’ StonExpo. The stone and technology event geared towards fabricators, installers, builders and distributors has traditionally showcased machinery and stone-related products – but not much stone itself.
However, a strategic alliance with one of Europe’s best-known stone fairs, Marmomacc, is about to change that. After three years of planning, Hanley Wood and Marmomacc’s owner, Veronafiere, joined forces and rebranded the event StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas.
The newly-named event took place Oct. 16-18 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Last year, StonExpo spanned 124,000 net square feet and had a total attendance of 7,399 and 333 exhibiting companies. This year, the show drew approximately 7,000 attendees. Exhibitor and showfloor numbers were unavailable at press time.
Since the partnership was only a few months old, according to Show Director Dana Teague, any changes to the show wouldn’t be apparent until next year. With the addition of Marmomacc’s influence and positioning within the design and architectural segments of the industry, she said, the pairing will have a dramatic effect on the event.
“By creating this alliance between the two, it’s extending (Marmomacc’s) brand into the U.S., and it’s helping us to get more stone into the show,” Teague added. “It’ll become a bigger and prettier show.”
Teague said aligning with the Italians will enable the 21-year-old StonExpo to expand in content, size and audience by introducing more product, adding design and architectural elements and attracting more international participation. Meanwhile, she added, it will help the Marmomacc brand increase its exposure and visibility in North America.
The 43-year-old Marmomacc is Europe’s oldest and largest tradeshow for stone materials, design and technology. The most recent edition of the annual show took place Oct. 2-5 at Veronafiere in Verona, Italy. Since the United States is the No. 1 market for high-end stone product, finding the right partner in that market was key for Marmomacc, said Janina Mathiasz, head of the international division of Veronafiere’s marketing department.
“We can learn many things from each other,” Mathiasz said, “It is a real partnership based on commercial values and respect.”
Even so, on the showfloor, most participants knew nothing about the new alliance and seemed to have one thing on their minds – the economy.
Exhibitor and 35-year industry veteran Dan Steiner, president of Diteq, said he had noticed the name of the show had changed, but was more concerned about light showfloor traffic. “I think this show has been busier in the past,” Steiner said. “It’s based on economics.”
Teague said that even though the show has been impacted somewhat by the poor real estate market, she sees great things for StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas going forward. After a year of heavy marketing efforts, she added, next year’s event at the Las Vegas Convention Center will be bigger and better, growing by about 30,000 sq. ft. of space.
Hanley Wood President Galen Poss said he also looked forward to the future of the partnership and its impact on the show.
“The combination of resources between Marmomacc and StonExpo will bring extraordinary value to the industry and participants of future events,” he added. “It’s a long-term, upward opportunity.”
