The 21st China Xiamen International Stone Fair returned to the showground in grand style on 18-21 May after a break due to Covid-19, although following the success of the online version last year it was both onsite and online this time to give the industry the best chance of revival.
Covering a total exhibition area of 162,000m2, the Fair filled 20 exhibition halls in eight areas: Domestic Stone Area, Machinery & Tools Area, International Area, Artificial Stone Area, Outdoor Area, Design Area, Media Area and Xiamen Bath & Kitchen Fair. There were more than 1,100 companies exhibiting, from both China and abroad.
The online platform, called Cloud Xiamen Stone Fair (XSF), was launched last year, when it received a lot of attention. Cloud XSF Live Stream this year broadcast programs including a live walking tour of the exhibition halls, recorded videos of forums, and real-time uploading of on-site photos, enabling global visitors to enjoy the Fair online.
Five featured events were held concurrently to create a particular buzz. There was the 11th Global Master Architects Forum, with the theme of 'How will COVID-19 reinvent architecture and city?' held on May 18, with Zhu Pei, Carlo Ratti, Xu Weiguo and Vicente Guallart responding to the historic coronavirus sweeping the world.
Xiamen Habitat Design & Life Festival, organised jointly by Xiamen Stone Fair and the International Habitat Interior Design Association, made its debut with 10 interior designers talking about how they had used various stones in 10 living spaces. Also, Steve Leung, Ricky Wong, Meng Ye and Pang Xi shared their design ideas at the Development Forum of the International Habitat Interior Design.
The 3rd Stone Infinite Product Design Show, with the theme of 'Stones in Daily Life' was structured in five sections - art, life, artifacts, constructions and salon, broken up with a tea break - to explore the infinite possibilities of stone. Xiaojie, LAU Siu-Hong Freeman and Shao Fan displayed stone artworks in the art section. Brands and studios presented stone products in 15 areas and 12 designers brought delicate construction models. There were 20 brands participating in the 'artifacts' section.
World Stone Congress continued its focus on future trends and innovations in the global stone industry. World-class architects, famed designers, industry experts and media professionals gathered at the exhibition to reveal industry trends, deliver creative ideas and share knowledge.
Launch Out@XSF was a new platform for launching new products. All exhibitors were able to use it to unveil their latest products and technologies. There were also three conferences, covering machinery & tools, quarrying equipment and new building materials. 24 of the exhibiting companies used the new platform to promote their latest launches.
Xiamen Stone Fair came to a successful conclusion in spite of it being such a challenging year. The organisers express their gratitude for the support and trust of the worldwide industry, without which it could not have happened. The organisers say Xiamen Stone Fair is and will be standing with the whole stone community, dedicating itself to reviving the stone industry.
The China Xiamen International Stone Fair will be back for the 22nd edition on 16-19 March in 2022, when the exhibition hopes to welcome even more of the world's stone industry to Xiamen.