From November 4th to 7th, the Kamien-Stone Fair will be held in Poznań (Poland). It is a major construction industry competition that will welcome Glass & Stone this year for the first time. With an area of almost 15,000 m2, the exhibition will host close to 300 leading companies from the stone supply industry. In addition, the complete schedule of events and activities of the 2009 edition will be one of the fair’s indisputable attractions.

The International Fair of Poznań is the largest and oldest natural stone exhibition in Poland. The competition plays a leading role in the Polish business arena, and it is a fundamental event for everyone in the stone industry, mainly in the European market. The International Fair’s 2009 edition translates into 15,000 m2 of floor space for the exhibition, in which some 300 companies from 20 companies participate.

The Polish market presents an interesting horizon for natural stone companies to do business. Poland, located in the middle of Eastern Europe, and a member of the European Union (EU) since 2004, has experienced considerable GDP growth in the last few years: 6.5 % in 2007; 6.2 % in 2006, and 4.8 % in 2008.

These economic results reflect a growth in imports and an expansion of consumption. Spending and the demand for all types of EU products have increased. Of special note among these products are construction materials.

The competition arose from the agreement between the two fair-hosting organizations: Geoservici-Christi and MTP. They independently organized the Stone+Glass and Kamien fairs; both have been united and will from now on be called Kamien-Stone.

The Polish event is increasingly taking on an international status, and currently ranks among the main European fairs in the industry, after Marmomacc (Verona, Italy), Piedra (Madrid) and Stone + Tec (Nuremberg, Germany). Among the exhibitors and foreign visitors, the predominant countries are Germany as well as a good number of the countries that have recently joined the EU.

Poznań, a Polish industrial center
Poznań is one of the oldest and largest Polish cities (fifth by absolute population with 567,000 inhabitants, and sixth in area), located on the banks of the Warta River. This city is considered to be a dynamic business, academic, scientific and cultural center in Poland. It is also an industrial metropolis for major and large companies such as Volkswagen, Beiersdorf, Bridgestone, Imperial Tobacco and Kompania Piwowarska, among others.

The trade exhibitions, meetings and conferences held periodically in Poznań attract 500, 000 visitors every year (representing 50% of the trade fair market in Poland). This guarantees the city a prominent place among the most important business tourism cities in all of Eastern and Central Europe. Poznań, as the region’s administrative center, is very close to the most important stone quarries and transformation facilities in Poland.

Participation in the Kamien Stone Fair provides its visitors with the opportunity to meet potential business partners from several different Eastern European countries, to contact the main technological suppliers and have access to the new solutions that make production easier. Furthermore, the products exhibited at the fair offer manufacturers and builders specific possibilities for cutting costs and improving the quality of their finished products.

At the Poznań Fair 2009, 39 projects will compete for the title of the best stone design of Poland 2008-2009. The contest will celebrate its seventh edition this year, and it is considered the most important award for the stone industry in Poland. The winners will receive prizes divided into three categories: stone in architecture, engraved stone and sculpture.