At its half way point all the indicators are that Cevisama 2018 will have been a great success, not just because there are more products to see but also because there has been a marked increase in demand. The figures may be provisional but the organizers are confident that by the end of the week they will have exceeded last year’s record, when more than 80,000 professionals flocked to Feria Valencia, including 16,700 foreign buyers.
From first thing today the massive influx of visitors and the expectation that significant amounts of business will be done have set a positive mood. Large international groups have visited Cevisama to see the very latest propositions in ceramic floor and wall tiles, frits, glazes and colours, machinery for the ceramic industry, bathroom furnishings, natural stone, fixing devices and tools. There have been two groups of particular note: one from Germany, consisting of the country’s 50 top distributors, and another, formed of ceramic tile and bathroom distributors from the United States – a delegation comprised of more than 60 leading businesses.
Spanish buying power gathered at Cevisama today as well, with “Retailer day” taking place – a tribute that the fair felt should be paid to this particular group of visitors and took the form of a seminar specially designed for them. The event began with a presentation by Andimac (the Spanish National Association of Retailers Ceramic Tile and Construction Materials) titled “Retailing Ceramic Tiles in the Digital Era”. This was followed by the awardingof the 1st Cevisama Prizes for Retailers, which were won by Azulejos Peña and Materiales Brecor – for the best corporate history and the best in-store display respectively – with Discesur, Amado Salvador, Jodul and Quimera Renovación –each winning runner-up prizes.
Other awards handed out today included the Som Ceràmica Prizes, awarded by the Diputación de Castellón to the municipalities of Vila-real, Alcora and Coves de Vinromà for promoting the use of ceramic. Also, the Valencia Basketball Team visited manufacturer Pamesa Cerámica’s stand, where it showed off its latest trophies.
Schedule for tomorrow
Greater numbers of specifiers are expected to visit from tomorrow onwards, especially architects, interior designers and designers. In fact, the General Council of Guilds of Decorators and Interior Designers is holding its annual general assembly at Cevisama.
Equally, the Conselleria d´Habitatge, Obres Públiques y Vertebració del Territori (Ministry for Housing, Public Works and Transport & Communications) will be revealing new support schemes for home renovation and refurbishment as well as new tools for urban regeneration. This session is being held in the venue’s Salón de Actos (Function Room) and will be opened at 10.30 by minister María José Salvador; el Feria Valencia president José Vicente González; Ascer president Vicente Nomdedeu and Cevisama president Manuel Rubert.
