The Natural Stone Show at ExCeL in London is a two-yearly highlight for the stone industry in the UK and Ireland, and this year's Show, opening on 30 April, has a record number of Stone Federation members exhibiting.

At the heart of the Stone Show, the Federation 'Village' is the Stone Federation member-exclusive area this time hosting 24 companies around the Federation's own stand (E30).

These firms cover all aspects of the stone industry, from quarry operators and stone suppliers to sealant manufactures, design consultants and technical experts. The 'Village' and the Stone Federation stand at the centre of it are a comprehensive source point for discovering all aspects of natural stone for architects, developers, interior designers and clients.

The Stone Federation stand is hosting 'silent seminars' (given through headphones) aimed at both specifiers and the natural stone industry. The sessions will run throughout the show, but shown below is the Wednesday 1 May programme during the Industry Day of the exhibition (Monday is Architect & Designer Day and Thursday 2 May is Conservation Day) to give you a snapshot of what’s on offer.

Wednesday 1 May, Industry Day at the Natural Stone Show. Seminar programme on Stand E30

11.00 – 11.20 Working with stone – Technical Update (David Ellis, Sandberg Consulting Engineers LLP)

11.30 – 11.50 Stone Health & Safety Update (Andrew Bowker, HSE)

12.00 – 12.20 Using Stone for Interiors CPD (Robert Merry, Stone Consultants) 

12.30 – 12.50 Using Stone for Swimming Pools (Barry Hunt, IBIS Ltd)

14.00 – 14.20 Ethical Stone Register – An Introduction (David Richardson, Diagenesis Consulting Ltd)

14.30 – 14.50 British Stone – What’s on Offer (Sean Wootten, Welsh Slate)

15.00 – 15.20 Selecting for Successful Landscapes (Gordon Hines, Marshalls PLC)

15.30 – 15.50 Grants – Are you getting what you’re entitled to? (Claire Wallbridge, StoneTrain) 

Alongside the seminars, the stand also has stone sample boards with more than 100 different natural stone samples, all quarried and supplied by Stone Federation members.

What’s more, once you have explored all that the Stone Village has to offer, you can come and have a coffee and a chance to network at the lounge area on the Federation stand.

The Ethical Stone Register

The Ethical Stone Register continues to prove itself as an exciting new resource for the natural stone sector, attracting the attention and interest of leading architects, main contractors and industry bodies. At the end of last year it was even mention in the Architects Journal as one of the Editor's top picks of interesting developments. 

There are now 48 stones on the register that users can use with confidence in their ethical and environmental criteria along the supply chain. The stones are British and international and include limestones, sandstones and slate.

The current list of companies on the Ethical Stone Register includes Albion Stone, Amarestone, Burlington Stone, Hutton Stone, Johnsons Wellfield, LSI Stone, Stone Age Private, Strata Stones and Talasey Group.

There has already been a positive response to the scheme from all areas of the industry, with a number of leading major contractors and architects working towards incorporating membership of the Register into their tender requirements. We are aware that a scheme such as the Ethical Stone Register requires ‘buy-in’ from all sectors of the industry, which is why we are so encouraged by the support from these different professionals. 

Steve Turner, Managing Director of stone supplier and Ethical Stone Register company Amarestone says: “It has become an issue that must not be ignored and will trigger even greater demand for ethically and responsibly sourced stone. Major players in the construction industry will want to avoid the potential embarrassment of unsavoury practices in their supply chain. The Ethical Stone Register will be the safe source for natural stone, and I can foresee that it will become a key resource for the specifier.”

If you’re interested in exploring The Ethical Stone Register go along to one of the Ethical Stone Register Introduction seminars on the Stone Federation stand (E30) at the Natural Stone show, or take a look at www.ethicalstoneregister.co.uk. 

Stone Federation Architects’ Club membership grows

The Stone Federation Architects' Club was launched with the aim of providing architects with a source point for all things stone. It enables the Federation to connect architects with free technical support, publications and proofessional natural stone firms.

Since its launch in 2016, the Architects' Club has grown to a membership of over 60 professionals from practices of all disciplines, sizes and locations. Members include 12 of those practices on the Architects Journal Top 100 architects list. The Club includes architects from Adam Architecture, Chapman Taylor, Darnton B3, Donald Insall Associates, Eric Parry Architects, Formation Architects, Foster + Partners, Grimshaw Architects, HLM Architects, Pick Everard, Shepperd Robson, Squire & Partners.

Membership of the Architects’ Club has two tiers. The first is free but provides access to a wealth of resources, although if you want more there is a small charge. You can find out about the Club on the Stone Federation Stand (E30) or download a PDF about it from the Federation website here.