Video images courtesy of Xiamen.

Highlights from the 2024 China Xiamen International Stone Fair

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by Jennifer Richinelli

With the theme “Say Hi,” the Xiamen Stone Fair 2024 hit a new record -- expanding its exhibition space to more than 200,000 square feet and more than 2,000 exhibitors from around the world. The 350 international exhibitors at the stone show, which was held from March 26 to 19, 2024, hailed from Italy, Turkey, Brazil, Egypt, Portugal, Iran, Pakistan, Greece, India and Vietnam, among other countries. Separated into eight exhibition areas and 25 halls, the fairground included: Domestic Stone Area, Machinery & Tools Area, International Area, Artificial Stone Area, Outdoor Area, Design Area, Media Area and Natural Stone Varieties Collection. A highlight worth noting was that the newly opened Hall B8 and Hall D1 were planned as Machinery & Tools and Design areas respectively.

NSI Silica

Industrial regions in China organized delegations to participate in the annual stone exhibition, including Guizhou province, Laizhou city in Shandong province, Sui County and Macheng in Hubei province, Jiaohe city in Jilin province and Taiwan. The array of exhibits -- from raw blocks, slabs, engineered stone to finished stone products; as well as heavy equipment such as, gangsaws, to abrasives, adhesives and stone care products -- could be found in every aisle, making Xiamen Stone Fair a one-stop center for global buyers.

The 2024 edition of the Xiamen Stone Fair attracted 151,845 visitors during the four-day show. Trade buyers from 120 countries and regions flocked to Xiamen to make contacts, develop business and place orders. The fair also saw a substantially increase in key buyers, designers, association delegations and end-users from China and overseas countries such as India, Russia, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, the U.S., Malaysia, Turkey and Vietnam.

Featured Events

Featured events were concurrently held throughout the stone exhibition. Special attention should be given to the Design Area in Hall D1 where the two theme exhibitions, Habitat Interior Design Exhibition and Stone Infinite Product Design Show, were located. For this featured event, 18 top designers and architects in China teamed up with leading stone brands to present the fabulous beauty and diversified application of natural stone, leaving profound impressions on every visitor, design enthusiast and stone lover. “It was incredible to see the high level of Chinese design,” said one attendee. “I was shocked and surprised by their imaginations in showing the beauty of stone.”

In its third year, the Natural Stone Varieties Collection became the first stop to have a quick overview of the market trends in 2024. Launch Out @XSF, New Product Releasing and WSC educational sessions contained a series of releasing conferences, forums and lectures to give insights into the stone industry.

With all the support and trust from the entire stone community, the Xiamen Stone Fair 2024 has made another major achievement. The 25th China Xiamen International Stone Fair is scheduled for March 16 to 19, 2025.

Rod Sigman CTC, CCTS, CSMTT is the business development leader for MAPEI Corporation’s UltraCare® line of products for the care and maintenance of tile and stone products. Sigman has a proven track-record of success in the flooring industry, with experience in both training and education, as well as all support functions pertaining to national sales accounts and distribution. He has served on the technical committees of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and the Natural Stone Institute (NSI). He has successfully completed the Ceramic Tile Consultant Course, is a Certified Ceramic Tile Specialist (CCTS) and is also a Concrete Slab Moisture Testing (CSMT) Technician. Further, he was recognized by the Marble Institute of America (now the Natural Stone Institute) as a significant influence for the stone industry.

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june 2024 // www.stoneworld.com

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