The curtain opened today on Marmomacc, the stone industry's largest trade exhibition in Verona, Italy.

Stone suppliers shared a mood of optimism on the show floor, and they cited specific increases in their sales as compared to a year ago. "Business has picked up a lot this year," said Rodrigo Gava of Magnitos in Brazil. "We are seeing some good interest here at the fair as well."

"This year has been very good," said Jarmo Karttunen of Palin Granit, a granite quarrier based in Finland. "We have even been seeing growth in Europe."
 

Traffic on the show floor increased as the first day progressed, and a number of slabs were marked with "SOLD" signs by the end of the day. "We have had good traffic here," said Art of Primestone, Inc. of Concord, Ontario, Canada, a supplier of exotic materials such as onyx. "We have set up a place where people can look at bundles and pick out their slabs without going to a dusty warehouse. Here, they can listen to some nice music and have an espresso while they look at stone."
 

Among American exhibitors, the Marble Institute of America (MIA) reported quality attendance at Marmomacc 2010. "We have had a better first day here than we did in all of 2009," said Gary Distelhorst, Executive Vice President of MIA.

Marmomacc 2010 will continue through October 2, and Stone World will continue its coverage of the event in its print and online editions.