A fresh year sees another CEVISAMA open its doors. The fair takes place from 28th January to 1st February at the Feria Valencia exhibition centre, with this year’s event the 37th edition of Spain’s foremost event for the ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings sectors. Cevisama 2019 brings together more than 200 Spanish exhibitors representing almost the entire offering of finished products and is thus an exceptional showcase for the country’s ceramic tile industry. Through ASCER, the Spanish Association of Ceramic Floor and Wall Tile Manufacturers, ICEX is supporting an inbound mission of over 100 journalists and architects from 27 countries, who are being given the opportunity to explore the great range of products available from Spain in Valencia.
The initiative is part of the Tile of Spain campaign being rolled out by ICEX and ASCER and that aims to promote Spanish ceramic tiles beyond Spain’s borders. The countries represented in this mission include Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
ICEX Spain Trade and Investment has been running this kind of programme for more than twenty years, with a high degree of success. The missions involve the world’s top architecture magazines, giving them the opportunity to gain an in-depth insight into the innovations and features that constitute the Spanish ceramic tile industry’s point of difference. It is hardly surprising, then, that the international specifier community considers this particular promotional tool to be one of the most effective.
A digital app has been developed as a complement to the inbound mission for specifiers. The app is a form of promotional catalogue and features information on the Spanish exhibitors. It will also include other functionalities such as location, contacts and links and will be promoted through social networks and google adwords.
A Tile of Spain international press conference is set to take place on 29th January, at which performance figures for the tile industry will be announced along with its future plans. The event will also host the award ceremony for the 17th edition of the Ceramic Tile in Interior Design competition organised by ASCER, which features separate awards for Architecture, Interior Design, Degree Projects and Journalism.
ICEX is also supporting an inbound mission for specifiers, who will be visiting companies in the Bathroom Furnishings sector that are exhibiting at the fair. Around ten architects and interior designers from the USA, Mexico, Poland, the UK and Ghana will have the opportunity to see the latest trends and innovations that the industry is showcasing at Cevisama. The mission is part of a series of initiatives that comprise a Bathroom Furnishings Promotion Programme being coordinated by trade association Amec Ascon.
A sector in growth
Spain’s ceramic tile manufacturing sector is one of the most dynamic and innovative in the country and one of the most vibrant and ground-breaking tile industries in the world, a leader in technological development, design and quality of service.
Approximately 80% of turnover comes from exports, with the rest of sales being made on the domestic market.
According to the latest figures available, the sector’s exports rose to 2,098 million euros in the period January-September 2018, a 1.6% increase over the same period in 2017.
Up until September 2017, the main export markets for Spanish tiles were France (230.4 million euros), the USA (197.6 million euros, +14%), the United Kingdom (128.2 million), Italy (83 million) and Germany (79.5 million euros).
Every year ICEX y ASCER devise a sectoral plan to boost the industry’s image and the positioning of the Tile of Spain brand. The main elements are the Country Plans – programmes designed specifically for the United States, Canada, Germany, the UK, France, Russia and Italy that are delivered in collaboration with Spain’s Economic and Commercial Offices abroad – and the Official Stands at Batimat Russia, Coverings and Big 5.