Multi-colored fair in the pink city

The Stonemart 2019 International Natural Stone Fair, held every two years in Jaipur, India, opened its doors for the 10 th time between January 31 and February 3.

The activities organized during the fair in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan Province, where important companies of India natural stone industry are located, and also known as the Pink City, offered colorful moments for the visitors…

Text and photos: Levent Dörtyol

India, with a population of over a billion is one of the biggest countries of the world economy. It is the second leading block buyer from Turkey after China. This year 60 natural stone companies from Turkey participated to the Stonemart Fair held every two years. The TGA Expo organized the national participation organization.

60 Turkish Companies

This year 60 companies, which performed and exhibited their products in a total area of 2809 square meters, participated in the fair from Turkey. The Fair organization states that nearly 30,000 people visited the fair, which was held in Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Center.

The importance of the Indian market

For the Turkish natural stone sector, especially after the recent decline in the Chinese market, the Stonemart Fair has gained a special importance, since it is held in Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, where the majority of the marble factories were located.

No New Buyers

During the 4 days of the exhibition, around 30,000 visitors visited the fair. According to the Turkish exhibitors although there were now new visitors in the fair, their current customers in India came to visit and see the products at the fair.

Representatives of the Turkish natural stone industry, which has been participating in the fair for the last two years because of the economic contraction experienced by the global economic collapse, say that India is still the second biggest block market after China. They believe that the market share of the country will increase along with the developing dynamic structure of the country.

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High participation rates protested

TG Expo makes the Turkish National Participation Organization of the Stonemart and Stona Fairs held in India. In accordance with the protocol made between TG Expo Exhibition Company and the Indian Fair Organization company, Turkish companies can only exhibit their products via TG Expo. According to the agreement of the fair company, the companies that want to participate individually are not allowed for both fairs and they are directed to TG Expo. While the Indian companies participating in the fair pay 100 dollars per square meter for unfurnished stands, however the Turkish companies pay $ 395 for the same.

Turkish companies participating in the fair, stated after their internal meetings, that if this unfair pricing application continues next year, Turkish companies will not participate in fairs organized in India. TG Expo officials, who were consulted about this unfair pricing problem, stated that their profit margins on Indian Fairs are not high.

There is no such application at any fair in the world!

Murat Ulusoy, the owner of Babomar Marble, who made a statement on behalf of Turkish participants, said: “Neither in China, in Izmir, nor in Verona, there is no such practice in any part of the world. Here, the Turkish marble manufacturers are being asked for unjust price. If the related authorities do not correct this situation from next year, we have decided not to participate in any Indian stone Fairs. Instead, we will visit our customers on their factories and quarries. Everybody should receive recompense for their work. This is not to say TG Expo should sacrifice from its profits but this problem should be solved. Our request from TG Expo is to solve this problem with the organizers. No body wants to waste money on an organization that imposes such an unequal double standard.”

Explanation of the TG Expo

The statement by TG Expo representative Gönül Akyıldız, whom we contacted regarding the subject, is as follows:

“In terms of the international pricing policy of the Indian Fairs, we are ready to give full support in order to solve this problem. However, the Indian organizers say that the price they charge for international participations (300 USD + Tax) is their fixed international stand sale price and it is not possible to change it.

We made an application to İMMİB about this subject and claimed that we are ready to act in unison.

Our evaluation regarding the national participation rates is as follows:

While organizing Turkish National Participation in both events held in Jaipur and Bangalore for many years, our primary aim has always been to develop all the necessary platforms to ensure that Turkish participants exhibit their products in the best way and emphasize their brands in a way that respects the reputation of the Turkish natural stone industry in the world.

In this context, I think we should create a sustained success in all meetings and operations made before and during the fair, in meetings with the main organizators, in our participations in order to empower Turkish participation. Most of the ungrounded information put forward in terms of the stand prices recently do not reflect the reality due to the fact that they are lack of certain refractions and calculations.

Although the companies and associations authorized in the eye of Ministries to make national participations in the fair sector, have to transfer these breakdowns to the competent authorities, these misinterpreted numerical misperceptions give material and moral damages to both us and our companies operating in the natural stone sector.

These rumors about two of the most important events organized in a region that is about to become a vital market for our natural sector and which has become a more important market especially after the recent troubles in China, deals a big blow to exportation of our own resources and thus leave the market to the suppliers in different countries. Some of the examples we provide below about the stand prices at fair participations and details of the services provided may show that these prices are not made with exorbitant profits as speculated.

For Example:

The raw space price we received from the main organizers of Xiamen Fair, where the Turkish national participation is organized by Associations, is 340 USD / m2.

National participation costs including stand and freight via the Union;

760 USD/m2 in 2015

730 USD/m2 in 2016

690 USD/m2 in 2019

639 USD/m2 in 2018

639 USD/m2 in 2019

Similarly, when you buy the Marmomacc Fair stand from the main organizer, the participation fee is 140 Euro / m2.

National participation costs including stand and freight via the Union;

450 Euro/m2 in 2015

500 Euro/m2 in 2016

500 Euro/m2 in 2017

400 Euro/m2 in 2018

The raw space participation price in Stone Mart Fair, which we organize, is 300 Dollars /sqm

The price we charge for a full special design stand construction + freight service within the national participation is 670 Euro / m2.

This price includes the stand constructions, stand furniture such as table counter and chairs, special stone placements and expenses of 10 supporting workers that give operational support for stand constructions.

Moreover, although we are not a non-profit organization such as unions, and we are not an institution that should not register incomes as revenue, these prices include our entire corporate profit.

The companies that want to organize their own transportation and stand services are invoiced on the main organizer prices and they are provided with the opportunity to participate as they wish. It is not ethical trade wise to misinform the companies and present them the raw space prices as if they include furnished stand and international freight costs. Therefore, as we are the passengers of the same ship, we are ready to be the pioneer for fruitful cooperations that all the sectoral actors can benefit.