According to a survey produced by the Symonds Group this year for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, UK production of natural stone has grown by 50% in the decade to 2001 while stone imports have grown a massive 270% over the same period.

So where has all the extra stone been used? First, there has been an explosion in use of highly fashionable granite worktops in both domestic and commercial premises. Limestone floors have also appeared in homes, shops and offices all over the country as its virtues as an attractive and hard wearing flooring material have been \'rediscovered\'. Granite, marble, limestone, sandstone and slate have been specified for interiors of not only prestigious buildings, but also as a means of adding a recognised quality dimension to more modest projects.

Moving outdoors, limestone, granite and sandstone have been used for exterior cladding on prestigious new builds in cities and towns throughout the UK because of the ability of stone to blend into the local environment and gently weather over the course time. Natural sandstone and granite have become the materials of choice for hard landscaping and the conservation market has remained buoyant, making use of some of the more unusual of British stones in particular.

To accommodate the extra demand, many new companies have entered the market, particularly in interiors. In addition, UK masons have invested heavily in new and highly efficient machinery which in turn has both improved the scope of work which can be undertaken and also has reduced costs.

It is no surprise, therefore, that the combination of increased demand from the UK building market and new sources of the supply of stone from around the world has fuelled the demand for stand space at the Natural Stone Show 2004 - the only UK event dedicated exclusively to the stone industry.

The show takes place from 9-11 March 2004 at ExCeL, Docklands, London\'s premier exhibition and conference venue. A record attendance of some 300 exhibitors and associates from over 25 countries of the world will be participating including some of the biggest names in the international stone industry. The show will represent the largest and finest range of natural stone ever assembled under one roof in the UK, together with fixing systems, cleaning materials, stone working machinery and other related products.

In addition the industry trade federation - Stone Federation Great Britain - will be providing a \'helpdesk\' manned by industry experts to offer guidance to architects and designers interested in specifying natural stone. Specialist information on the use of stone in conservation will also be available from the eight \'not for profit\' organisations represented in the special Conservation area.

CPD (continuing professional development) training on all aspects of the use of stone in building will be provided by the new Natural Stone & Building Conservation Conference 2004 which takes place over the three days of the show in the lecture rooms adjacent to the exhibition hall.

Presentations will include: Celebrating craftsmanship George Ferguson, RIBA; Building on the past, training for the future, Peter Rogerson, CITB; Conservation CPD - the wider dimension, Ingval Maxwell, Historic Scotland; Traditional materials and design quality, Robert Adam, CABE; Understanding the geology of the magnesium limestone building stones, Graham Lott, BGS; The selection and testing of stone for flooring/paving and lining/cladding, David Ellis, Sandberg; Planning for the supply of building and roofing stone in England and Wales, Dr Alan Thompson, Symonds; New European specifications for stone flooring and cladding, Peter Harrison, Partner, Harrison Goldman, Rain screen cladding, Bruno Miglio, Arup FaÁade Engineering, Design with natural stone at Duke of York\'s Square, Chelsea, Robert Myers, Elizabeth Banks Associates and Phillip Vernon, Paul Davis and Partners; Maximising the value and appearance of natural stone used internally - the Canary Wharf experience, David Richardson, BRE and Larry Ng Cesar Pelli & Associates; Internal stone floors without flaws, Barry J. Hunt, IBIS; The new stone age, John Miller, John Miller and Associates; Bath Spa - a response to context, Mark Middleton, Grimshaw, Enclosed landscape - the use of Cowley Manor, JosÈ De Matos, De Matos Storey Ryan; An overview of the impact on stone of climate change and acid rainfall, Bill Martin, English Heritage; Physical and environmental characteristics of stone decay, Dr Heather Viles, Dept of Geography, Oxford University; Mapping and monitoring weathering processes and forms on buildings, Dr Rob Inkpen and Dr Bill Duane, Portsmouth University; Stone testing techniques for conservation projects, Tim Yates, BRE; The aesthetics of weathering and aging and the importance of mortars that will age gracefully, Peter Ellis, Rose of Jericho; EPSRC/Dti sponsored research into hydraulic lime mortars, Paul Livesley, Castle Cement; When to use consolidants and coatings, Seamus Hanna, English Heritage; Organic and inorganic stone consolidants and coatings, Professor Norman Weiss, Columbia University, New York; The practical application of lime treatments, Nic Durnan, Consultant; Current philosophies on repair and conservation of buildings, David Heath, English Heritage; Case studies in the repair of buildings and stone roofing, Chris Wood, English Heritage, Recent work at York Minster, St Magnus Cathedral, Orkney, Richard Carr-Archer, Ferrey and Mennim Architects, The nature of soiling, Dr Peter Brimblecombe, Dept of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia; St Paul\'s Cathedral; decisions affecting the approach to cleaning, Martin Stancliffe, surveyor to the fabric of St Paul\'s Cathedral, Masonry cleaning: a review of techniques, materials and status, Professor John Ashurst, Ingram Consultancy.

Both the show and conference are supported by RIBA, English Heritage, Stone Federation Great Britain, The Architects\' Journal and Natural Stone Specialist magazine. For further details and to register online visit the show website (address below) or contact the organisers at: