Brazil is an important source of stone for the British market, with its quartzites (in particular) having revived demand for natural stone in interiors, where engineered quartz has dominated.

Brazil's Vitoria Stone Fair has become one of the world's major stone exhibitions. It was held this year from 7 February to 10 February and Simon Chan was there for Natural Stone Specialist magazine. His report will be in the next issue of the magazine. In the meantime, there is a short overview of the exhibition in the video below.

Held in Vitória, the capital city of the state of Espírito Santo, the 20th Vitória Stone Fair opened its doors to much excitement and fanfare in February following a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Presented and organised by Veronafiere do Brasil (Veronafiere Group) with their partner Milanez & Milaneze, the normally annual trade extravaganza is supported by a number of key industry organizations, including the Brazilian Center for Ornamental Stones Exporters (Centrorochas) and the Brazilian Trade & Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

As with previous shows, this year’s Vitória Stone Fair was well-received and, once again, brought together all of those who have a keen interest in the design and use of Brazilian stone as a building material for spectacular architectural projects. 

More than 300 exhibitors took part in the exhibition, to promote their natural stones, machinery, equipment, and technologies and, according to Centrorochas, the 2023 edition of the Vitória Stone Fair was one of the most popular and best-attended shows in the event’s 20-year history. 

With 1,000 varieties of natural stones on show (the largest and most diverse collection on display in Latin America) under one roof and a highly successful conference programme featuring a packed schedule of high-calibre speakers – not to mention a host of networking opportunities for show attendees to share knowledge, ideas and make crucial industry connections – Vitória Stone Fair 2023 was a huge success.

Speaking to Simon Chan of Natural Stone Specialist magazine following the grand opening ceremony of the Vitória Stone Fair on 7 February, Fabio Cruz, vice-president of Centrorochas, commented: “Brazil has the largest natural and geological diversity in the world, and there is simply no better trade show in the Americas to showcase the strength, versatility, and beauty of Brazilian ornamental rocks than the Vitória Stone Fair. 

“There continues to be fantastic support for the event from exhibitors and the wider public and private sectors, and we are really thankful for that. As part of our ‘It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone’ initiative [in partnership with ApexBrasil], we have strong ambitions to encourage and increase exports of Brazilian stone materials and products to the global market.

“At this year’s show, we welcomed more overseas developers, contractors, architects, and designers than ever before, and international interest in the trade fair was the strongest it has ever been, drawing in visitors from far and wide.”

Indeed, the annual Vitória Stone Fair has firmly taken its place among the world’s top-tier stone exhibitions / conferences and continues to be a significant event for exhibitors to do business and showcase the magnificence of Brazilian quartzites, marbles, granites, and slates after all the constraints of the past two years.