Vitória Sets New Records – Again

VITÓRIA, Brazil – The 23rd International Fair of Marble and Granite in early February continued its record-setting pace, breaking the 35,000-attendee mark.
The event, on Feb. 6-9, drew 35,797 visitors, up 14.7 percent from the 31,202 attendees at the 2006 show. The 2,335 non-Brazilian attendees is also a record mark, up 11.8 percent from last year’s 2,087.
North America led the way to Vitória this year, making up 46 percent of the foreign-visitor contingent. Europe contributed 33 percent of the foreign attendees, while Asian and African visitors totaled eight percent and seven percent, respectively.
The 2007 event also set a record for exhibitors, as 420 companies – 360 Brazilian and 60 non-domestic – appeared, up 10.5 percent from last year’s 380 entities on the show floor. Stone quarriers and suppliers made up 65 percent of the exhibitor list, with 26 percent showing machines and tools and nine percent representing associations, magazines and services.
As with previous years, the attendance at the 2007 event peaked on its last day, with the visitor total on Feb. 9 topping 10,000.
The Vitória event, produced by Milanez & Milaneze, maintained its steady growth track. The 2007 attendee total represents growth of 87.4 percent from the 19,100 visitors recorded in 2003.
However, the biggest increase in the past five years came with foreign participation. Non-Brazilian visitor totals this year went up by 174.7 percent from the 850 who walked the exhibition halls back in 2003.
The 24th International Fair of Marble and Granite will return to Vitória next year on Feb. 19-22.