Italy is taking part with a promotional stand in the national meeting due in Moscow from 19th to 22nd October. Region Tuscany, Toscana Promozione and Internazionale Marmi e Macchine coordinate the project which has been joined by the Italian regions
Italy is taking part with a promotional stand in the national meeting due in Moscow from 19th to 22nd October. Region Tuscany, Toscana Promozione and Internazionale Marmi e Macchine coordinate the project which has been joined by the Italian regions of Inter-Reg.

For the first time, Italy will take part in “Zodchestvo”, the exhibition that is part of the yearly meeting of Russian architects, due in Moscow from 19th to 22nd October, with a promotional stand in which the national stone industry will showcase the very best Italian materials and products.
The initiative has been planned as part of Inter-Reg, the project presented during CarraraMarmotec 2006, which has been joined by the stone-producing provinces and regions, such as Tuscany, Lazio, Liguria, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily and the self-governing province of Trento, all interested in promoting and re-launching national high-quality marble and products through a joint work.
The Region Tuscany, Toscana Promozione and Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara, with the assistance of ICE, the Italian Trade Commission, play a propelling role in the accomplishment of the promotional activities located by Inter-Reg, which makes its debut with a very important event, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the main meeting of Russian architects to provide a category that plays a key role in the use of marble with technical, scientific and commercial information about the productive organisation of Tuscany, not least by showing them products that are the very best of the Italian stone industry.
The Russian market seems to be very lively and seems to be increasing its imports from Italy, even if the amounts are still limited, but it seems to be clearly oriented to high-quality, high added-value products. As early as the first six months of 2006, it had already imported over 13,000 tons of Italian marble and granite, worth 17 million euros, which is equal to +18% by quantity and +80% by value. Last year’s exports had accounted for an overall amount of 22,000 tons worth 20 million and 482 thousand euros. The star of Italian exports is finished marble: 13 million euros is the value of the exports of the first six months of 2006, which is equal to +84% by quantity and +110% versus the same period in 2005.
“It is an opportunity not to be missed, especially for the companies, to which we ask to play a proactive role – said the director of Toscana Promozione, Roberto Pucci, as he presented the initiative to the press – because the Russian market is expanding and, even in this case, architects are a decisive factor in the selection of materials and products. Italy, and Tuscany in particular, can offer very high quality products that only the Italian companies can produce”.
At Zodchestvo, in a 400-square-metre stand, the Italian delegation will also present technical videos on the use of marble and will hand out technical materials; technical workshops will be included in a calendar full of high-profile events, involving such mythical figures of contemporary architecture as Norman Foster, who designed an innovative skyscraper in Moscow, which is set to become the pride of the city. Italy, in cooperation with ICE, will hold workshops on stone in architecture, Italian marble and stones: materials for public areas, Reinforced stone: the design and building of the Church of Padre Pio.
IMM will be responsible for showing Russians technological innovation, formal innovation and the processing of stone products at two different events (20th and 21st October).
“The participation of Internazionale Marmi e Macchine has been deeply wanted – according to the president and CEO of IMM Giancarlo Tonini Paris Mazzanti – because the work we are going to carry out in Moscow is part of a promotional campaign that has always been our distinctive trait and that, like in this case, we carry out through events that involve a multitude of players who can make up a critical mass, by optimising resources, which are not too many, and above all by targeting our plans to types of users and professional categories that are essential for the use of marble”.