TR
The World's One and Only Fair Has Ended
The Heaviest Contribution to National Exports "22,235 Industry Professionals from 48 Cities Across 50 Countries"The World's One and Only Marble Block Fair Has Ended
The "Bursa 6th International Marble Block Fair" -the heaviest fair in the industry- has ended and registered great interest from businesses within the natural stone industry. The fair, which was held between 23 and 26 November 2022 at Tüyap Bursa International Fair and Congress Center, was visited by 22,235 people from 50 countries and culminated in a business volume of 10 million USD.
Exhibiting high quality marble blocks, the Bursa 6th International Marble Block Fair allured huge interest as it is the one and only specialized fair in its segment. The fair added strength to the export figures and competitiveness of the national natural stone industry with 10 million USD worth of business contracts completed during the 4-day period. It also acted as a convenient business platform where visitors from 50 countries established nearly 1000 business contacts with the participating firms.
İlhan ERSÖZLÜ, General Manager of Tüyap Fuarlar Yapım A.Ş., states that 2,200 marble blocks were exhibited, 'as is' in the way they were extracted from marble quarries, across a fair area of 50 thousand square meters, including 7 halls and open-air display areas, and explains as follows: "High quality precious stones in hundreds of colors were displayed for the first time during the fair. We wanted to make sure that the fair contributed to the growth of national exports, and we achieved this objective. Visitors from 48 cities in Turkey and from 50 cities abroad had the chance to see in-person the most exquisite marble blocks available during the fair and to make valuable business contacts."
Adding that the fair has transformed into an international industry gathering since its inauguration in 2015, İlhan ERSÖZLÜ, General Manager of Tüyap Fuarlar Yapım A.Ş., continued by saying: "Mining is an important revenue generator for Turkey. It is one of the top exporting industries in the country. Turkey is rich in mineral resources. The fair provides us with a platform to display the rich variety of products, including marble blocks extracted in quarries throughout the country, giving the local firms to carry out global marketing activities. The trading that takes place during the fair makes significant contributions to both national and regional economies. The fair was held in an area of 50 thousand square meters, including 7 halls and open-air display areas, with the participation of 200 companies and company representatives attracted great interest from the industry. It had professional visitors from 50 countries abroad and 48 cities in Turkey, and added strength to the export figures and competitiveness of the industry by generating business volume.
Taking the opportunity to thank the leading marble block suppliers in Turkey who participated in the fair, Ersözlü also stated: "We are now starting our preparations for the next year's fair, which will be held between 25 and 28 October 2023, to gather the industry professionals for the 7th time. I would like to extend my gratitude to BTSO, İMİB and MADSİAD who gave their full support to this year's fairs just like they did in previous years."
On the aftermath of the 6th International Marble Block Fair, İbrahim Burkay, Chairman of the Board of Directors at BTSO, emphasized the importance of the fair in promoting the capabilities and potential of Bursa as a city in the marble industry. Burkay stated that the fair addressed the needs of the industry on a national level and emphasized that many of the products displayed were already sold out prior to the end of the fair. Highlighting the significant role that the fair played in improving the export performance of the industry in recent years, Burkay said: "This is an important industry as it makes great contribution to the Turkish economy through export capabilities, domestic consumption and natural stone machinery. Turkey is one of the top 3 natural stone producers in the world. The Turkish marbles have become a well-known brand through its wide range of color and high quality." Also noting the potential of the previous fairs, the Chairman continued: "The fair continues to make significant contribution to the Turkish economy with its high export potential. As BTSO, we have been supporting organization of the fair since its inauguration and want to make sure that it continues to create value for the industry."
Rüstem Çetinkaya, Head of Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) Mining Industry Board and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of İstanbul Mineral Exporters' Association (İMİB) stated that Bursa was at the core of the natural stone industry and that business people from across the world met with the participating supplier firms during the fair and held more than 250 business meetings as part of the purchasing committee program. The "Natural Stone Industry Purchasing Committee Organization", which was held in collaboration with İMİB and Tüyap Bursa as part of the Bursa 6th International Marble Block Fair, served as a great business platform allowing business people from India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Egypt, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Greece to meet the participating firms.
Erol Efendioğlu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MADSİAD, said that 2,000 trucks were used to transport the 2,200 marble blocks to be displayed at the 6th Bursa International Marble Block Fair and continued: "The market value of these marble blocks is approx. 10 million USD. The revenue generated through the sales of these products contributes to the national economy. The fair was held in an area of 50 thousand m2, and we expect that it will attract even more visitors next year."
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, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrein, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Holland, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malta, Mongolia, Morocco, Montenegro, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Spain, Syria, Tailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen including especially India, visited the Bursa 6th International Marble Block Fair and established business contacts with the participating firms during the four-day period.
For more details, please visit www.blokmermerfuari.com.