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Huge Contribution to the Industry from the Fair Exhibiting World's Heaviest Marble Block
Being the one and only specialized fair in its segment, the Bursa 7th International Marble Block Fair allured great interest with participants exhibiting a wide range of Turkish marbles extracted from almost all quarries throughout our country which caught people's eyes with their quality, colors and patterns. The fair, which boosted the exports and competitiveness of the natural stone industry with a business volume of USD 20 million generated in four days, facilitated more than 700 business contacts established between visitors from 58 countries and participating companies.Business people from 58 countries visited the fair
Thanks to the promotion activities of Tüyap's global offices and the purchasing committee organization program, a high number of business people from Afghanistan, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, England, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Georgia, Holland, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Italy, Spain, Japan, Qatar, Kazakhistan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Hungary, Morocco, N. Macedonia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Libya, Lebanon, Malta, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Sudan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Vietnam, Oman, Jordan, U.S.A, U.A.E, Greece including India, visited the Bursa 7th International Marble Block Fair and established business contacts with the participating firms during the four-day period.
Ilhan ERSOZLU, General Manager of Tüyap Fuarlar Yapım A.Ş., stated that the fair, where 2,200 pieces of Turkish marble exported from Bursa to global markets were exhibited in the same area, were displayed to buyers in an area of 50 thousand m2 consisting of 7 separate halls and open exhibition areas and continued: "High quality, precious stones of hundreds of different colors were exhibited in a single area. Our primary goal was to contribute to the export side of the business, and we are glad to have achieved this goal. A lot of business meetings took place during the fair, with visitors from 45 provinces of Türkiye as well as from 58 countries enjoying the opportunity to experience exclusive block marbles first hand.
Ersozlu added that the fair, the world's only specialized fair in its field, had become a global brand as an international industrial gathering, and he further explained: "Mining is an important source of income for our country. It is also one of the leading sectors that contribute significantly to our exports. Türkiye is rich in mineral resources. Exhibiting a rich variety of products with a total value of USD 20 million, with marble blocks extracted from quarries operated all over our country, the fair also provides a great platform for the marketing of these stones to the world. We contribute to the exports from Bursa to the world through the commercial activities taking place during the four-day period."
Taking the opportunity to thank the leading marble block suppliers in Türkiye who participated in the fair, Ersozlu also stated: "We already feel excited about the next year's fair, which will be held between 13 and 16 November 2024 to gather the industry professionals for the 8th time. We aim to create synergies again at the next gathering of the sector, which we have started working on without wasting time. I would like to extend my gratitude to BTSO, IMIB, MADSIAD, EIB, BAIB and DENIB for supporting us with this year's fair, too."
Cuneyt Sener, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors at BTSO, noted that the Bursa International Block Marble Fair, which was designed to introduce Bursa's potential in the marble industry to the world, addressed the needs of not only Bursa, but also of the region and Türkiye. Emphasizing the importance of marble reserves in Türkiye, Burkay said "Marble is an extremely important element for us. The term "marble", which takes its name from the natural stone produced on the Marmara Island and entered the world literature, originated from the Marmara Region. Therefore, our fair is held in Bursa, which is the heart of this business. The fair boosts the export capabilities of Bursa building on its momentum year after year, and makes a significant contribution to the Turkish economy with the sector's high export potential, domestic market demand and natural stone machinery."
Rustem Cetinkaya, Chairman of the Mining Sector Board of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Istanbul Mineral Exporters Association (IMIB), stated that the mining industry broke a record of USD 6.5 billion in 2022, and explained: "As miners in Türkiye, we have the power to further improve this figure. We are confident in the quality, production capabilities, products and strength of the Turkish marble industry. The development of the mining sector is key to self-sufficiency in raw materials. This is what motivates us. I want to utter once again an expression that we repeat over and over. "First the people, then the environment, then the mines". During the fair, the natural stone industry gathered in Bursa and business people from across the world came together with production companies. And, more than 200 business meetings took place during the "Natural Stone Industry Hosted Buyer Programme" event which we, as Istanbul Mineral Exporters Association (IMIB), held for the second time with the support of the Ministry of Commerce of the Republic of Türkiye and Tüyap Fair Organization Group. The committees event attracted great interest and facilitated business meetings between business people from United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Indonesia, Egypt, Italy, Kuwait, Portugal including India in particular, and participating companies.
Erol Efendioglu, Chairman of the Board of Directors at MADSIAD, stated that the 7th Bursa International Block Marble Fair, during which 2200 block marbles brought from almost all provinces of our country with 1200 trucks were exhibited simultaneously in an area of 50 thousand m2, had a unique position in the world, and explained: "The industry's heaviest fair, which we have successfully organized for the seventh time, continues to take firm steps towards its goal of positioning Türkiye at the heart of the natural stone trade. Türkiye has a prominent place in the global markets with its increasing number of high-capacity marble quarries and improved production capacities. I think that with this capacities, which will increase over time, we will be the first country that comes to mind in the natural stone trade. The fair attracted 20,926 visitors, including 803 foreign visitors from 58 countries, which shows that we are on the right track. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the fair."
Key stakeholders expanded the fair
The fair was organized by Tüyap Fair Organization Group and Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) in collaboration with the Istanbul Mineral Exporters Association (IMIB) and the Mineral Marble Producer and Industrialist Businessmen Association (MADSIAD) and with the support of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization (KOSGEB).
For more details, please visit www.blokmermerfuari.com.