Marble Izmir-International Natural Stone and Technologies Fair, one of the world's three largest fairs in its sector and Turkey's largest fair, opened its doors for the 29th time. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the fair, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay emphasized the importance of branding and marketing for the natural stone industry and said, “We will attach importance to regional development in this period. "For this purpose, we will cooperate with our neighboring provinces and all institutions in Turkey," he said.
Marble Izmir-International Natural Stone and Technologies Fair, the largest global meeting of the natural stone industry organized by İZFAŞ and hosted by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, opened its doors for the 29th time with a ceremony held in Fuar Izmir. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. started his speech at the opening ceremony by emphasizing the importance of Marble Izmir Fair for Izmir and Türkiye. Cemil Tugay said, “I would like to thank everyone who contributed here, on behalf of the host Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and the İZFAŞ family. I would especially like to express my gratitude to all of you. Sector representatives said very valuable things about the problems experienced in the sector and their expectations. It is especially valuable that Aegean Exporters Association Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi stated that we need processed products and that their added value is higher. I would like to say that branding and marketing are very important for all of us, we need it. We will attach importance to regional development during this period. "For this purpose, we will cooperate with our neighboring provinces and all institutions in Turkey," he said.
20 thousand square meters addition
Mayor Cemil Tugay said that he is positive about the sector's request for a reserve area for the growth of the Marble Izmir Fair and said, “Izmir has historically been a city of commerce and fairs. We will put a lot of effort into improving this aspect. I hope it will be a nice fair. "I hope to meet with more advanced fairs and larger organizations with an addition of 30 thousand square meters in the 20th edition and beyond," he said.
Governor Elban: “The fair is growing day by day”
Izmir Governor Dr. Süleyman Elban said, “We know that there is incredible competition in the natural stone sector, as in all sectors. You all know the rules of standing out better than we do; Reducing costs and producing value-added products is the main magic of this business. It is a fair that grows every day. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, İZFAŞ and chambers have a great contribution to this. "I express my gratitude to all of you for your support," he said.
“Marble Izmir is extremely important”
Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources MAPEG General Manager Arslan Narin said, "Marble Izmir Fair is extremely important for sector representatives to come together with international investors, transferring information on developing technologies and new markets." Describing their efforts to increase export figures, Tayfun Kılıç, Deputy General Manager of Exports of the Ministry of Commerce, said, "We continue to increase support for the promotional activities of our companies participating in the fair."
“Cities are now competing in the world”
Ender Yorgancılar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry, said, “Cities are now competing in the world. Izmir turns our country's special position in the world in terms of natural stones into an advantage with an internationally branded organization such as Marble. Our country has the wealth of holding approximately 40 percent of the global natural stone resource reserves. "Our Marble fair has been fulfilling a very important mission for years in terms of introducing such an important wealth to the world and bringing it into the economy in the most efficient way," he said. Emre Kızılgüneşler, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Izmir Chamber of Commerce, said: “Our Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, Dr. I congratulate Cemil Tugay. "We have full faith that our city's fair organization will develop during your term," he said. Providing information about export figures and explaining the activities, Aegean Exporters' Association Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi said, "It is our greatest wish that the fair will be productive. "Türkiye is among the important players in the natural stone industry," he said.
The industry is satisfied
İbrahim Alimoğlu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Aegean Mineral Exporters Association, noted that their aim is to increase export figures even higher in 2024. Hüseyin Memişoğlu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Denizli Exporters Association, stated that they, as Denizli, are proud to participate in the fair with more companies every year. Metin Çekiç, Board Member of Istanbul Mineral Exporters Association, underlined that Marble Izmir Fair is very valuable for the sector and said that it contributes to exports. Mining Platform sözcüMehmet Yılmaz emphasized the importance of the sector and Marble İzmir. Hanifi Şimşek, Chairman of the Board of All Marble, Natural Stone and Machinery Manufacturers Association, stated that they will work together with President Tugay.
Emphasis on regional development during stand visits
After the opening, President Dr. Cemil Tugay and his wife Öznur Tugay visited the fair participants. Mayor Tugay stated that they will attach importance to regional development in their exchange of ideas with sector representatives and that they will work with the provinces in the Aegean Region. Tugay visited Çemar Traverten&Mermer, which is the main sponsor of the fair this year, and tried virtual reality glasses there. President Tugay wished the sector a successful fair.
Who participated?
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. The opening ceremony hosted by Cemil Tugay and his wife Öznur Tugay was attended by Izmir Governor Dr. Süleyman Elban, TR Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources MAPEG General Manager Arslan Narin, TR Ministry of Commerce Deputy General Manager of Export Tayfun Kılıç, Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, Denizli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Bülent Nuri Çavuşoğlu, Afyon Mayor Burcu Köksal, MHP Kütahya Deputy Ahmet Erbaş, Aegean Region Chamber of Industry Chairman Ender Yorgancılar, Izmir Chamber of Commerce Vice Chairman Emre Kızılgüneşler, Aegean Exporters' Association Coordinator Chairman Jak Eskinazi, Aegean Mineral Exporters Association Chairman İbrahim Alimoğlu, Denizli Exporters Association Chairman Hüseyin Memişoğlu, Istanbul Mineral Exporters Association Board Member Metin Çekiç, All Marble, Natural Stone and Machinery Manufacturers Association Chairman Hanifi Şimşek, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Council Deputy Chairman Altan İnanç, bureaucrats, local and foreign sector professionals, press members attended.
Nearly 500 blocks
This year, at the fair organized under the main sponsorship of Çemar Travertine&Marble, all natural stone companies were located in the closed halls of Fuar İzmir in Gaziemir, while a large part of hall C and the entire hall D were allocated to machinery and technology companies. The block marble area will be the exhibition area of nearly 500 blocks of natural stones of various colors and varieties, just like last year. This year, in line with the decision taken upon requests from sector representatives, only natural stone, natural stone products, machinery and technologies are exhibited at Marble Izmir.
Visitors from all around
While cooperation is being made with commercial attachés in the USA, the Middle East, Asia and Europe for Marble Izmir, participants and visitors from all over the world are expected at the fair. With the export-oriented support of the Ministry of Commerce, three different purchasing delegation programs will be organized jointly with the Aegean Mineral Exporters Association, Istanbul Mineral and Metals Exporters Association and Western Mediterranean Exporters Association. Industry professionals from the United Kingdom, South Korea, France, Italy, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Azerbaijan, which are determined as target countries within the scope of these programs, will be hosted. 2 foreign buyers are participating in the B186B program carried out by İZFAŞ. During the fair, participating companies will be able to meet with customers quickly and effectively. A total of 59 foreign visitor application registrations have been received on the website from 912 countries in every continent of the world, from Australia to Italy, from the USA to China.
Many sectors are at this fair
In Marble Izmir, natural stone and its products, mining consumables, factory and workshop consumables, mining machines, work machines and heavy equipment, factory and workshop machines, environmental protection, recycling and recovery systems, sectoral organizations, IT and software companies. , transportation and logistics services, financing and credit services, public and official institutions, associations, unions and NGOs, media institutions and organizations are participating as participants.
A natural stone design competition is also organized within the scope of the fair. Marble Izmir brings together young designers with innovative companies of the sector with the International Different Natural Stone Design Competition, which is held for the 6th time this year. The competition aims to increase natural stone exports with high added value products, supported by design and architecture, and to reveal the innovative face of Turkish natural stone in the market.
Contribution to both the sector and the city
In addition to contributing to the sector and its sub-sectors, exports and employment, Marble İzmir will also have a positive impact on the city and country's economy in many areas from tourism to accommodation, from transportation to the food and beverage sector, as in previous years. Local and foreign participants and visitors who will come to the city for the fair will make the abundance of Marble felt in Izmir. When Marble Izmir was first built, natural stone exports were 77 million dollars, and over the years, with the contribution of the fair, Turkey's natural stone exports exceeded 2 billion dollars. In the first three months of this year, Turkey's natural stone exports reached 420 million dollars, an increase compared to the same period last year.