Marmomac “Re-Start” Still on the 2020 Calendar
VERONA, Italy – Marmomac, this fall’s major stone event, is still set to open its doors here in late September … but with an eye on safety and a smaller exhibit footprint.
“Marmomac Re-Start 2020,” on Sept. 30-Oct. 3, will be a special edition of the annual show to “relaunch the natural stone sector towards a ‘new normal’ in the post COVID-19 emergency period,” according to a statement from event producer Veronafiere.
The event is the first standard trade show to be held at the Veronafiere grounds since this spring’s countrywide lockdown in Italy.
While the event will feature the standard exhibit-hall experience, Marmomac will also offer digital connections for participants unable to attend due to travel restrictions.
“Through Marmomac Re-Start,” said Giovanni Mantovani, Veronafiere CEO, “we aim to assure the most important natural stone community in the world that we have promoted for the last 55 years a 2020 edition in total safety hallmarked by resumption that we can share with clients, exhibitors and operators in response to the challenge that the sector is called upon to tackle.”
Veronafiere’s announcement of the special edition emphasized a focus on safety, as well as initially targeting EU customers and expanding worldwide involvement “as borders are progressively re-opened.
“To ensure connection with non-EU markets that may still be unable to attend because of restrictions, Marmomac is also developing innovative tools to make virtual b2b meetings possible,” according to the Veronafiere statement.
“The Verona-system and, more generally, the country-system as such thereby seeks to ensure that the recovery for the stone industry starts off from Italy, where Veronafiere organizes the leading sector event,” Mantovani added.
The physical show will include exhibits in five indoor halls and three outside areas – roughly half of Veronafiere’s capacity.
“This logistics solution was also studied in accordance with the #safebusiness safety protocol developed together with other major national trade-fair operators,” according to Veronafiere.
The road to Verona for non-Italian exhibitors and attendees remains uncertain. The Italian government dropped quarantine requirements on June 3 for travel originating from EU-member countries, along with most of the non-EU Western European countries (such as Norway, Iceland and the United Kingdom).
EU officials indicated that restrictions on travelers coming from outside the Eurozone may lessen as early as July 1. However, tight controls may continue for countries with high levels of Covid-19 infection, including Brazil, China and the United States.
As of June 15, the U.S. State Department classified Italy at Orange Level 3 “Avoid Non-Essential Travel,” with Red Level 4 “Do Not Travel” notices for the provinces of Lombardy (Milan) and Veneto (Venice and Verona).
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