Germany might be well ahead of the game in pulling out of the economic difficulties being faced by Europe but its two-yearly Stone+tec exhibition last month (June) failed to show signs of benefitting from that recovery, once again seeing a reduction in both visitors and exhibitors.

Stone+tec is still a big show. It had 700 exhibitors and around 26,000 trade visitors from 70 countries. But last time it had 800 exhibitors and 34,000 visitors – and those figures were16% down on the time before.

The show was held later in the year this time, 22-25 June rather than in the customary spot at the end of May / beginning of June. The organisers said this was due to a clash with other large events in the area and public holidays. They say next time Stone+tec will be back to normal – Wednesday to Saturday, 29 May to 1 June 2013.

Stone processors in Germany are investing in machinery again, unlike most of the rest of Europe, according to the manufacturers of the equipment, as demand for stone from the German market picks up.

Nevertheless, many stone and machinery companies from outside Germany are still smarting from their conditions at home, which the Stone+tec organisers thought was responsible for the decline in exhibitors.

Claus Rättich, Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse, says: “The external influences of economic and political conditions in individual countries and regions can be read from the exhibitors involved like the growth rings of a tree.”

There were exhibitors from 37 countries. The largest contingent came from Germany itself, but the number from China had grown again and was the second largest grouping, followed by Italy, Spain, Turkey and India.