The world’s only block marble fair Bursa International Block Marble Fair has shown a great success in terms of the size of the fair, number of visitors and exhibitors, blocks exhibited since the day it started. Increasing its success every year and attracting great interest from Indian buyers since its first year, Bursa International Block Marble Fair unfortunately coincided with the Indian holiday ‘Diwali’ in its fifth year and lost a great deal of visitors. Erol Efendioğlu, the President of Mineral Marble Producer and Industrialists Businessmen Association (MADSİAD) touched on this issue at the gala dinner held on the second day of the fair and said, “Bursa Block Marble Fair will be held on 21-24 October 2020 next year. The timing problem we faced this year will not repeat next year.”
Intensive participation in the opening
Bursa International Block Marble Fair, which was held in cooperation with TUYAP Bursa Fairs Inc., Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) and Mineral Marble Producers and Industrialists Businessmen Association (MADSİAD) with the support of Kosgeb and Bursa Metropolitan Municipality opened the doors for the 5th time between 23-26 October 2019.
The Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Dr. Şeref Kalaycı, Tuyap Fair General Manager Ilhan Ersözlü, BTSO President Ibrahim Burkay, MADSİAD President Erol Efendioğlu, Mayor of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Alinur Aktaş, Istanbul Mineral Exporters Association (İMİB) President Aydin Dinçer, Turkish Marble and Natural Stone Machinery Manufacturers Association (TÜMMER) President İbrahim Alimoğlu, as well as the city protocol and many guests attended the opening ceremony of the fair which was held at TÜYAP Bursa International Fair and Congress Center
2015 : Blocks Exhibited: 550 / Total exhibition area: 40 thousand m² / Number of exhibitors 148 / Number of visitors: 14,728
2016 : 1080 / 50 thousand m² / 201 / 19.675
2017 : 2000 / 60 thousand m² / 215 / 20.898
2018 : 2500 / 60 thousand m² / 240 / 22.765
2019 : 2200 / 60 thousand m² / 205 / 20.719
A total of $ 20 million worth marble
In his opening speech, Tüyap Fair Organization General Manager İlhan Ersözlü said: “In our fair, 2,200 blocks of marble are exhibited in 9 halls. Marbles with a total value of approximately $ 20 million, ranging from $ 250 to $ 4,000 are exhibited by participants from 26 cities. We hope that all the stones will be sold before the last day of the fair as in previous years.” In his opening speech, the Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Dr. Şeref Kalaycı said: “Marble sector is difficult to operate due to factors such as permits, environmental factors, bureaucracy, social perceptions and costs. Despite these difficulties, you contribute to our country while continuing your activities. As the Ministry, we are aware of this. Marble sector is one of the most powerful sectors of the mineral sector. The number of employees working only in the quarries is 20 thousand. From now on, the miners will not have to come to Ankara thanks to the E-mine system that will be activated by the end of the year.”
Our environmental sensitivity is high
İMİB Chairman of the Board Aydin Dinçer, who stressed that the mining industry constitutes the raw material of all strategic sectors said: “Half of Turkey’s mineral exports is made of the natural stone industry. I would like to thank the organizers of the fair which brought together all the stakeholders of this important sector under one roof. There is information pollution in the press and social media related to the mining sector. We should use domestic resources to prevent imports. The entire mining sector operates at 2.9 per 1000 of the forest fields. More than half of these areas are bare and stony lands. We have highly sensitive to environment.”
We caught Italy in marble
MADSİAD President Erol Efendioğlu said: “1600 truck full of 2,200 block marble were exhibited at the 5th Bursa International Block Marble Fair this year. Our Fair makes positive contribution to the promotion of Turkish marble. Italy is the biggest brand value in the world. Italy’s marble income is $ 2 billion. We have caught Italy with the activities we have been carrying on since the 2000s.”
Precious Mineral and Marble Council
BTSO President İbrahim Burkay said that Bursa International Block Marble Fair has made a significant contribution to the foreign trade volume of the sector. He claimed that more than 80 thousand business professionals from nearly 45 countries visited the fair over the last 4 years, President Burkay, noted that they established the Precious Mineral and Marble Council in BTSO in order to develop the culture of acting together in the sector.
20 thousand 719 visitors from 46 countries
In a statement made by TÜYAP Bursa, 2200 blocks were exhibited by 205 exhibitors from. U.S.A., Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Algeria, Algeria, France, Georgia, Indonesia, France, Georgia, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, United Kingdom, TUYAP stated that purchasing delegations came from Malaysia, Norway, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Oman, Ukraine, Jordan, Yemen and Greece. The fair was visited by 20.719professionals.