The Natural Stone Industry Training Group (NSITG), leads training in the stone industry. Funded by CITB and supported by Stone Federation Great Britain, it invites the whole industry to engage with training the workforce. Anyone from the industry is enthusiastically welcomed to participate by contacting Claire Wallbridge (contact details in the box below). At its recent meeting, NSITG heard about a scheme for companies to take on apprentices for the duration of short-term projects.

Natural Stone Industry Group (NSITG) members heard at their latest meeting about a scheme for allowing companies to engage apprentices just for the duration of a project.

Steve Farrow of apprenticeship training agency (ATA) Evolve Apprentices told the group about the work of Evolve, which manages the CITB Shared Apprenticeship scheme and Flexi Job Apprenticeship Agency (FJAA) in London & the West Midlands.

Steve conceded that ATAs in general do not have a great reputation, but said they work well in construction because many construction projects do not last for the full two years of an apprenticeship. So Evolve employs the apprentices and takes responsibility for them and their college placings, and finding them projects to work with contractors for the duration of the project for their on-the-job development.

Steve said one of Evolve’s aims is to increase diversity in the construction industry.

‘Diversity’ is a term frequently used to encourage businesses to recruit and employ people from outside their traditional pool of labour. There has been a lot of research that shows there are considerable benefits to firms of widening the diversity of the people they employ. In construction, most people are male and white. Evolve is trying to broaden that demographic.

Steve said Evolve employs 50 apprentices in London and the West Midlands, and 67% of them do not describe themselves as ‘white British’. He admitted most are male, but not all of them, and said they cover a wide age range. He said 30% of Evolve’s staff are female.

Evolve has identified specialities where there are shortages of apprentices, which includes the stone industry, especially in the heritage sector and roofing.

A problem is that many companies operating in these sectors do not have projects lasting long enough to cover an apprenticeship and the companies are, therefore, reluctant to take on apprentices that they might not be able to keep fully employed for the duration of a two-year apprenticeship. Many specialist contractors also have relatively small workforces and are reluctant to lose any of them for the college training that apprenticeships require.

However, firms can find themselves obliged by Section 106 agreements to provide employment and skills initiatives if they want to win a tender, so Evolve’s solution is to employ the apprentices itself, taking away all the administration and responsibilities that it involves, including college places, and fit them into various projects as required.

If there is no job to move them on to, Evolve will continue to employ them until one becomes available, so that the apprenticeship continues. It also takes responsibility for them when they are attending college courses.

Steve said Evolve covers its costs of paying the apprentices, providing personal protective equipment (apart from site requirements such as hard hats), and its administration fees by charging host companies that offer the apprentices positions to cover the costs for the duration of the project.

Of course, a host company will want to be sure an apprentice will fit in with its team and the way it works, and work experience and trial periods can be arranged before a firm commits to taking on an apprentice. Placements are normally expected to last between three and 12 months.

It is a good way of introducing people to specialities and many of Evolve’s apprentices are recruited by the companies they are placed with before the end of their apprenticeships. “We’re happy about that,” said Steve.

For more information about Evolve go to evolveuk.org.

Independent stone consultant Robert Merry has answered a call from ‘Our Future Health’ to take part in research to identify health risks. He believes one way the construction industry could reduce ill health in it is by de-stressing the way it works. 

I am now officially a guinea pig for the nation. ‘Our Future Health’ has invited me to join research to identify future health risks such as  dementia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Apparently I have been randomly selected to take part. I question whether I want to know the potential risk of dying, and when, and from what. Still, when the nation calls…

At my age there is a lot for the researchers to get their stethoscopes into.

Firstly, there’s the on-going prostatitis that comes in two flavours – acute or chronic. Then there’s the bakers cyst and the arthritic knee. The 30-year-old anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) operation now needs doing on the other knee as well. Also two shoulder / neck sprains / ricks or whatever you want to call them – left and right.

From the exercise regime provided by the NHS physio to fix the shoulders, I appear to have strained my oesophagus, leaving me with something called ‘Globus’.

To improve health I started drinking an additional litre of water a day, thinking this would be good for flushing out infections and keep the system in good order. Instead, I can’t sit through a movie now without having to find a loo. I have officially joined the old man brigade.

I have remodelled working practices by reducing the long hours sat at the computer. I have reviewed my sitting position and bought a second hand desk with adjustable height from the local office clearance warehouse. I can now work from kneeling (usually when I’m chasing payment) through to fully standing up on my hind legs (mornings only).

All of this is particularly galling as I have lost two and half stone in the past two years. I exercise regularly, am careful what I eat and drink and have reduced my cholesterol from dangerously high to normal without taking any statins. Round of applause please.

So what is my secret to having a long list of niggling health issues? Old age for one. Checking with male friends of a similar age I discover we all have similar failing bodies and functions. There is also a communality in our working lives. Working in construction, we all experience or have experienced high levels of stress. Not that this is a sole cause, but I think there is a correlation between stress and some illnesses.

Interrupted sleep, churning an issue over and over in my internal monologue often results in physical symptoms – upset stomach, mysterious aches, fatigue, as well as poor mental health, leading to rash decision making (like that ill-advised email) and risk-taking that can put me in danger.

It’s common knowledge that working in construction is stressful. Men are three times more likely to commit suicide than the national average. There are two suicide-related deaths every day. The contributory conditions experienced in construction are well documented: short-term contracts, job insecurity, long hours, lengthy commutes, sometimes living away from the family, impossible timescales, unrealistic budgets, unending snagging and late payment.

For many in management roles there is the added burden of responsibility, not just for the project but also for the livelihoods and welfare of your staff working on it.

The ‘macho’ culture stops us talking about stress, which can bury the problem even deeper. This same culture has historically prevented the industry from creating more roles for women, and the male dominated statistics still reflect this, even though there are a lot more women in the industry nowadays than there used to be.

There are many organisations offering assistance and counselling specifically for this industry – Mates In Mind (www.matesinmind.org) and The Lighthouse Club (www.constructionindustryhelpline.com) among them.

There is also a study published by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) called Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment, which is free to download from tinyurl.com/CIOBmentalhealth. It offers examples, statistics and further contacts if you want to know more.

If you get passed thanking your lucky stars you haven’t got a list of ailments as long as mine, then you might want to give some thought to looking after yourself and your staff this year.

Finding ways to de-stress from the grind of construction could be a worthwhile ambition for the year ahead.

At last year’s Cersaie in Italy I was asked repeatedly about that show’s main European rival, Cevisama in Spain. For 30 years Cevisama has brought the tile world together in Valencia each February, but the perennial fixture in the trade’s calendar has been profoundly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. 

When The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in 2020, Cevisama was a casualty, with the 2021 edition initially postponed and then cancelled altogether. 

The rise and fall of Covid-19 cases allowed Cersaie to re-open its doors in 2021, albeit under a severe health test regime and a 50% fall in visitor numbers due to travel restrictions. But the fact that it took place primed the Italian event’s return to something like normality in 2022 when it attracted nearly 100,000 visitors, only 20% below its all-time audience peak.

Cevisama, on the other hand, sadly always seemed to be on the wrong side of the coronavirus curb and the event was not held in 2021 or 2022. So when the doors to Cevisama #39 open in Valencia on 27 February this year, it will be more than three years since Cevisama #38. 

The 38th Cevisama ran from 3 to 7 February 2020. It attracted 92,000 visitors, with more than 21,000 from overseas.

My chats at Cersaie indicated that many in the tile trade doubted whether Cevisama could recover from the pandemic shut-downs. This view was underlined by the additional twin blows of clay shortages and spiralling energy prices, both results of Russia invading Ukraine.

For Spain, Brexit is potentially an additional drag factor because the UK has traditionally been one of Spain’s top three tile export markets.

So it is particularly positive to report that the latest news from the event’s organisers is that almost 400 direct exhibitors – and more than 500 brands – will be showcasing their latest ceramic and porcelain floor and wall tiles this year alongside bathroom equipment, natural stone, and other related construction sectors.

Make no mistake, this is not a complete return to the good old days. Unless there is a last minute change of heart, which seems highly unlikely, the show will not feature Pamesa, one of Spain’s major players. A long-time loyal supporter of the show, the absence of this major group’s extensive portfolio of powerful brands leaves a significant hole.

The current catalogue of exhibitors also excludes any of the Porcelanosa brands. This is less surprising because Porcelanosa has generally chosen to plough its own furrow, holding a series of events at its impressive headquarters near Villareal to coincide with Cevisama.

Inevitably, this detracts from the show as Porcelanosa is, without doubt, one of the highest profile and most aspirational tile brands in the world and its events always draw a crowd.

Thankfully, a number of Spain’s other leading tile brands will be exhibiting at Cevisama. The list includes such renowned names as Peronda, Roca, Baldocer, Keraben, Grupo STN, Aparici, Apavisa, Schluter Systems, Raimondi, Fila, and Cevica... there are more.

It should be celebrated that, despite the challenging market conditions, so many factories continue to see the Valencia event as the leading trade fair for the Spanish ceramics sector. As such, Cevisama remains closely aligned to the mission of Ascer, the Spanish ceramic tile manufacturers’ association, to take the ‘Made in Spain’ message to every corner of the world.

Carmen Álvarez, Cevisama’s Director, says: “Thanks to the support of the Valencian Regional Ministry of Sustainable Economy, in 2023 we will be investing €1million in Cevisama through the most powerful promotional campaign in our history, inviting thousands of VIP buyers from target countries in the sector to come to the event. This initiative will more than meet the expectations of buyers from all the firms in the ceramics and bathroom industry taking part in the fair.”

The buyers already invited include Spain’s own distributors and the main dealers from foreign markets where ceramics have a strong foothold or excellent growth potential, which includes the UK along with the USA, Germany, France, and Canada. Major trade visitors from the contract channel who are product opinion leaders and project developers are also on the target list of the €1million spend.

In 2023 Cevisama will be hosting the best Architecture Forum it has put together in years, featuring three top architects, including the latest two Pritzker Architecture Prize winners: Francis Kéré, who won in 2022; and Anne Lacaton, the 2021 winner. The triumvirate’s third member is UK heavy hitter David Chipperfield, one of the creators of the highly acclaimed Veles e Vents building in Valencia’s Marina.

As Carmen Alvarez says, the confirmation of Chipperfield, Kére, and Lacaton assures the forum is a world-class event.

She also says that Cevisama remains committed to inviting other leading figures from the world of architecture to the fair and giving them a unique forum for discussion and learning. “The fair is definitely going to be a hit with all the clients, exhibitors and visitors participating in the event,” she says.

As a time-served flag waver for ceramic tiles, I certainly hope the 39th Cevisama lives up to the advance billing. Dedicated exhibitions are a great source of vitality and energy in the sector. If ceramic tiles are going to continue to convince the world’s interior designers, architects, and home owners that they are a supreme surface solution, they need Cersaie, Coverings, and Cevisama to continue their missions of the past three decades by championing innovation, showcasing trends, providing a stimulating forum for international business, and disseminating news about the best developments in installation.

Given the resurgence of interest in small formats, colourful patterns, rich glazes, 3D forms, and the artisanal aesthetic – all strengths of the Spanish ceramic tile sector – it might just be that after three void years Cevisama finally has timing on its side.

More at: cevisama.feriavalencia.com.

New products for 2023 from three of the major worktop product suppliers stick to the natural look of stone.

Mostly the new designs are variations on white marble, although Cosentino has been a bit more adventurous with its Dekton Pietra Kode, a collection developed with designer and architect Daniel Germani.

The carbon-neutral Dekton surfaces of Pietra Kode are the third collection from Daniel Germani. His previous ‘Industrial’ and ‘Chromica’ collections for the brand were inspired by an industrial aesthetic, while the seven designs that make up Pietra Kode are influenced by the natural stones of Vicenza, travertine, and Milan’s Ceppo di Gré.

“For this collection, I spent a lot of time decoding each stone’s history in Italian architecture and reimagined them in a contemporary design with all of the benefits of Dekton,” said Daniel Germani.

“Pietra Kode is a collection that showcases luxury in the small, understated details. It’s designed with the future in mind and compliments any space in a way that won’t go out of style.”

From Lapitec come five new additions to the Musa collection.

Lapitec, made in Italy to a formula that is free from crystalline silica, comes in jumbo size ‘full body’ slabs – that is, with the veining going throughout the product rather than being printed on, as it usually is on other brands of sintered stone and ceramics.

This full body characteristic is emphasised by the new designs that join the Musa collection. From the softness of Bianco Serena, with golden veins on a chromatic base tending towards ivory, to the rigour of the grey texture of Bianco Atena, the new colours offer five more interpretations of the white marble theme.

Marcello Toncelli, at the helm of the brand developed by Breton, well known for its stone processing machinery and quartz manufacturing lines before it developed the process of making Lapitec, says: “Lapitec does not use inks or petroleum derivatives. That’s why the range draws on earthy tones, in white, black and grey in different shades.

"Research never stops at Lapitec and these five new colours are designed to meet the demands of the kitchen market in particular, which is of fundamental importance to us and an integral part of Lapitec’s development strategy for the coming years.”

And the latest in marble look ceramics from CRL Stone come in MDi (Minerals, Design, innovation) surfaces from Spanish company Inalco.

These 20mm thick, large format slabs are said to be eco-friendly thanks to water-based inks and glazes, the use of 35-45% recycled materials and 100% re-use of water in their manufacture, saving up to 10million litres of it a year (compared with using it once only). Nearly all the waste minerals from the manufacturing process are also recycled.

Inalco is in Alcora, a Spanish town with a long tradition of making pottery. It became particularly famous in Britain thanks to the Royal Porcelain & Pottery Factory that opened there in the 18th century.

The body of the MDi material colour matches the surface decoration to provide visual continuity, while the veining is printed on the sides as well as the surfaces.

CRL Stone says these new products, produced exclusively for it by Inalco, respond to the trend for nature-inspired surfaces in kitchen design with bold patterning that exudes a timeless elegance fitting into any setting.

In fact, says CRL, all the advantages that make the surface so suitable for use in the kitchen also make it ideal for use in bathrooms and outside.

The intense white background with contrasting veining looks stunning over large areas of worktops and splashbacks, but can also be used in conjunction with contrasting shades to move up a gear.

The Natural Stone Show returns to ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London on 6-8 June this year, once again co-locating with Hard Surfaces. Stone Specialist takes a first look at the exhibitions.

With the previous editions of the Natural Stone Show and Hard Surfaces exhibitions having to be cancelled because of the Covid pandemic, there’s even more reason to make the most of the return of the shows to London this year after a four year gap.

The combination of the two exhibitions, which came together for the first time at the previous event in 2019, gives you a chance to see the latest developments from suppliers covering the full range of products the industry uses.

Since 2019 the new Elizabeth Line rail link has opened, reducing the travelling time to just 12 minutes from the centre of London to ExCeL.

If you’re driving, there’s more than enough easily accessible parking at ExCeL, and if you’re flying in from Ireland or mainland Europe, London City Airport is just five minutes away, serving more than 30 European hubs.

And with the UK now having fully left the European Union, there’s more reason than ever for UK and international stone  companies to build relationships that start at the Natural Stone Show.

So what has the Stone Show got for you this year? Read on to find out.

Face-to-face with the UK stone industry

Brachot, with 20 of its own quarries around the world and two large depots in the UK, offers 800 products from its extensive collection of natural stone and blended materials. Fontanili Marble UK returns to the show to present its extensive range of exotic slabs processed at its factories in Carrara, Italy.

With a reputation for quality, BloomStones London has been supplying fine marbles, granites, quartz and quartzite from around the world for more than 25 years and has just moved into new headquarters (you can read more about BloomStones here in David Coster’s Brief In Counters column where he is in conversation with BloomStone’s Adam Reuvany). The wholesaler is debuting at the show this year.

Other stone suppliers exhibiting for the first time include Mainstream Granite from Sudbury,  now sole UK agent for Diresco quartz; Terra Natural; stone tile specialist Authentic Stone; and UK Solmar.

(A full list of exhibitors with product information and contact details will be published in the May/June edition of Natural Stone Specialist and will be available on the StoneShow.co.uk website, giving you time to plan your visit to the Natural Stone Show.)

Get expert guidance in the Stone Federation Village

The Stone Federation Village returns in its central location at the exhibition, celebrating the renaissance of the British stone industry over the past 25 years.

In the Village you will find Federation members that represent the full spectrum of the stone industry in the UK – companies such as Johnston Quarry Group, Doulting stone quarry, Polycor France, The Bath Stone Group, Sandberg, Harrison Goldman, SCS, Fila Solutions, Advanced Stone & Masonry Suppliers and Lithofin.

Architects, designers and specifiers can visit the Stone Village to receive free technical advice on a one-to-one basis from some of the industry’s leading experts.

Technical, ethical sourcing, health & safety and local authority planning... these are just some of the subjects covered by the Federation’s experts. No appointment is necessary, simply introduce yourself at stand E30 and ask the Stone Federation team to match your query to one of the available experts.

As part of the Stone Show programme, Stone Federation Great Britain will also be promoting a number of industry initiatives at the Show, including The Stone Academy and Women In Natural Stone (WINS), as well as leading the debate on the role of stone in sustainability and the value of EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) .  

Stone from around the world

The stone industry is international and the majority of stone used in the UK is imported, which is why the Natural Stone Show has always been the place where overseas producers have introduced their materials to the UK and Ireland.

This time, Portugal, Turkey, China and India are exhibiting with their own pavilions, and individual companies from a plethora of other nations (including Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, the United States, Belgium, Holland and France) have stands of their own. 

Find solutions for processing and maintaining stone

One of the reasons both natural and engineered stone continues to grow in popularity is that it is more feasible now to use it in innovative and exciting ways, making the processing of it into usable construction products ever more efficient.

That has happened because the machinery, tools and consumables used by the stone industry become ever more sophisticated, thanks in no small measure to the digital revolution.

Once, stone saws cut in straight lines and stonemasons shaped the masonry. Today, five, six, even seven interpolated axes machines work at incredible speeds, controlled by computers, to a high degree of accuracy, making even complex shapes not only achievable but affordable. 

As the industry has grown and more machines are used, so the price of the diamond tooling the machines use has fallen. It is not only the purchase price that is lower, but the tools last longer and produce better finishes, producing compound economies.

If you want to make your workshop more productive, efficient and profitable, see the latest stone processing machinery, digital templating, high speed CNC tooling, water treatment and dust extraction systems, specialist software, lifting solutions and all the other latest technical developments that will be displayed at ExCeL.

Leading players will be there, from Breton to Donatoni; Comandulli to Thibaut; Achilli to Terzago; Omag to Denver; Diatex to Wodiam; Prodim to LPE;  ECS Eich to Optidrive; Ferrari & Cigarini to Gestra;  Slabsmith to Omni Cubed Europe; Emmedue and many more. 

Speak to their UK representatives for expert advice – D Zambelis, Vetro Tooling, LPE Group, On Point Engineering, Stone Automation... they can all provide a ‘one stop shop’ solution for your business, helping you select the right machine, optimise its set up, provide maintenance schedules, and carefully choosing the correct attachments and consumables to ensure you can deliver a competitive and comprehensive service to your customers. 

Industry stalwarts Stonegate Precision Tooling, The Waters Group and Vetro tooling will also be on hand to provide high speed tooling and ancillary solutions.

Then there are the developments of new materials and processes for fixing, installing and laying stone, sealing it, cleaning and maintaining it, making it easier to use for the processor, installer and end user. 

Integra adhesives can provide more than 400 adhesive colours to match 10,000 surfaces in natural stone, quartz, solid surfaces and sintered stone.

Lithofin UK, Fila Surface Care Solutions, Stone Care Europe, Tenax, Dry Treat (ASM) and MP Treatment are among the leading brands that will be back at the Stone Show with increasingly eco-friendly cleaning, protecting and maintenance products. 

Joining them this time is Tiling Logistics, with a  portfolio of  Faber and LTP products. It will also showcase the Klindex floor cleaning and polishing machines it sells.

Get your CPD up-to-date at the Natural Stone & Building Conservation Conference

Enhance your knowledge with free CPD-accredited seminars supported by Stone Federation Great Britain, Historic England and RIBA. 

The seminars take place in the main exhibition area this time in a dedicated seminar theatre. There will be three sessions on each of the days of the Show, starting at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Each session will conclude with a panel of experts taking questions from the audience.    

The full programme will be released in the spring. It will include a dedicated ‘architects day’ on the Tuesday; an ‘industry day’ on the Wednesday; and a ‘conservation day’ on the Thursday. (Pre-registration will be necessary for some of the seminars).

Cast your vote for the ‘Industry Choice Award’

The Industry Choice Award will be presented to one of the Award winners in the different categories of the Stone Federation Natural Stone Awards, presented in December.

Everyone who pre-registers to visit the Show will be invited to cast a vote for their favourite project ahead of the exhibition itself (to vote, click here).

The winning project will be announced during the Stone Show on Tuesday 6 June as part of Architects’ Day. The award will be presented following a series of rapid PechaKucha-style presentations of the award-winning projects. This will be followed by an invitation-only drinks and networking lunch in the nearby North Gallery Room.

Visitors will also be able to admire the inspirational award-winning projects in a photographic gallery adjacent to the seminar theatre.

Emerging Talent Award

On Wednesday 7 June, ‘industry day’, the seminar theatre will be the venue for a celebration of Emerging Talent in the stone industry, with 10 individuals who have made a positive contribution to the stone industry each being presented with an award and a £250 voucher.

Companies are invited to nominate members of staff for the Award who are emerging as exemplary individuals in their team.

There will be just as much to enjoy at the Hard Surfaces exhibition running alongside the Natural Stone Show.  

Ceramic, engineered quartz, porcelain, sintered stone, ultra-compact surfaces, terrazzo, polished concrete, glass and mosaics... they are all included and you will be able to see the latest innovations for vertical and horizontal surfaces. 

From lightweight façades to 3D printed tiles; interior floors that extend seamlessly on to patios; kitchen worktops with matching cabinets. Sizes, colours, textures combine to extend the scope of architecture and design to any level of individual expression.

Come and be inspired by the latest products being promoted by exhibitors and get a fresh insight into all the latest trends driving the industry at the dedicated seminar programme and curated ‘sustainability meets design’ materials gallery.

Exhibitor highlights

Hard Surfaces will host a range of market leading ‘Made in Italy’ ceramic and porcelain suppliers, such as Ceramiche Keope, the producer of porcelain stoneware wall and floor tiles for indoors and outdoors use in commercial, public and residential spaces.

Big Slabs by Nuovocorso sees porcelain stoneware in 160 x 320cm format, in a wide variety of textures and thicknesses for the furniture market (countertops, tables, sinks), traditional ceramic sector (floor and wall coverings) and ventilated façades.

Ceramiche Caesar personifies high end design with its Prima range,  an eclectic palette of harmonious, warm and soft tones. View Ceramiche (Archi-porcelain) will display an impressive range of floor designs for flowing from indoor to outdoor living areas.

Engineered Stone, with an extensive selection of quartz brands, will showcase new colours, textures and larger formats. Stone Italiana is represented in the UK by Italian Luxury Surfaces, which holds large stocks ranges from Arabesque to Virgo, and Bianco Artico to Brillante Nero. Artemis Stone will present its 2023 Collection, ‘Art in Light’. Quartz Hub is a supplier of quartz slabs to the trade throughout mainland UK, drawing  on 30 years of experience in the industry. Noble Stone is another large quartz distributor based in London. Clay International supplies large-scale engineered surface slabs by Infinity in sizes up to 324cm x 162cm and thicknesses of 6mm, 12mm and 20mm. And Spectra Stone sources, finishes and fits engineered, natural and semi-precious stone to luxury commercial and residential projects.  

BBS Brick & Stone will be showcasing hard landscaping materials for the public realm, streetscapes and environmental improvements and specialist house-building products. 

All kinds of solutions for fixing, installing and maintaining hard surfaces will be exhibited, including the concealed, quick assembly fastening system Fast-Con from Northern Precision.

MaterialDistrict – Sustainability meets design

As well as the exhibitors, Hard Surfaces offers a peek at the innovations that might be making their way on to the CNC machinery of fabricators in years to come in an exhibition within the exhibition curated by MaterialDistrict, a Dutch materials match-making platform that specialises in identifying the potential of the latest developments.

MaterialDistrict will be showing more than 100 internationally-sourced surfaces at this year’s exhibition.

Unexpected performance and innovative aesthetics will be found in materials featured for their lightweight, sustainable and recycled  content, their durability and other distinct properties and visual appeal.

There are products for exterior and interior use created to satisfy both form and function.

Hard Surfaces is all about new surfaces, meeting sustainable challenges, and the creative use of digital techniques for smarter ways to add that wow-factor to construction.

As well as materials already familiar to the sector (sintered, solid surfaces and quartz) how about cast basalt, industrial metallics, acoustic lightweight concrete, curvy natural stone paper, 3D printed structural support beams, recycled trash terrazzo, or products that absorb CO2. There are smart composites, including one that combines stone and wood, and water-absorbing tiles. In fact, there’s so much you’ve just got to see it and touch it to believe it! Come and be inspired.

Comprehensive seminar programme

Hard Surfaces has its own seminar theatre on the exhibition floor where there will be nine sessions, three each day,  chaired by journalist, blogger, influencer and self-confessed tile addict Joe Simpson.

The full programme will be published on HardSurfaces.co.uk and in Stone Specialist magazine in the spring, but here’s a quick look at subjects being covered:  

Global Tile Trends for 2023/24 in wall tiles, floor tiles, and hard surfaces will be discussed by Canadian tile guru Ryan Fasan. There will be an exploration of how advanced decorating technologies such as digital inkjet printing and dry dust deposition have reinvigorated the market for traditional artisan tiles and created an emerging market for short-run, bespoke tiles

There will be a detailed analysis of the green credentials of ceramics, especially porcelain, covering water re-use, embodied energy & co-generation, recycled content, raw material sourcing, transport & logistics, installation, durability, maintenance, and end-of-life options.

There will be discussion of augmented surfaces for photocatalytic, hydrophobic, photoluminescent and self-cleaning tiles, and a look at the explosion in the use of 20mm and 30mm porcelains in landscaping. Dry, pedestal, and adhesive laying systems, inside-out living, slip-resistance, sealing & maintenance, patterns and decoration will all be explored.

Large format porcelains, or sintered stones are also seeing exponential growth in ventilated façades, especially since the Grenfell Tower fire. Stone-effects, metallic-effects, concrete-effects, timber effects, textures and tints, visible and invisible framing, XXL panels and smaller formats, gel adhesives and more will all be discussed.

Meet the Stone Show and Hard Surfaces organising team below. They are (left to right) Dave Wright – Marketing & Social Media; Abi Smith – Assistant Event Manager; Charlotte Stacey – Exhibition Account Manager; Richard Bradbury – Show Director; David Fisher – Head of Exhibition Sales; Harvey Sugden – Event Manager. There are still a few stands left for the June exhibitions. To book a stand at either, call Charlotte on +44 (0)115 945 4376 (charlotte.stacey@qmj.co.uk) or David +44 (0)115 865 8283 (david.fisher@qmj.co.uk) or go online to StoneShow.co.uk or HardSurfaces.co.uk.