How did the Cachoeiro Stone Fair begin? How has the fair contributed to the natural stone sector and the growth of companies in the segment? What’s the event’s impact on the municipality and areas such as tourism, commerce, and services? The documentary “35 Years, ahead” produced by Milanez & Milaneze, brings these stories and other curiosities, behind-the-scenes information, and memories of the early actions of this event, which is one of the main business showcases in Latin America and has its next edition scheduled for August 27 to 30.
In a series of episodes, the material recounts significant moments, such as that of Victor Pizetta David, from Aço Art, who recalls that the Cachoeiro Stone Fair caught his attention when he was a teenager.
“I saw all those machines, and stones, and didn’t understand what was happening, but I knew, even as a child, that it was a very serious event because my parents always treated it that way. I remember an image that stuck in my mind: I was sitting on top of a bridge saw, a very large machine, and my father said that one day he would buy that machine. Two years later, at the same fair, he bought it. For us, as manufacturers, it’s an excellent fair because customers come to buy, and close deals. The impact is significant and positive. It’s an event focused on the domestic market, on the marble worker, and therefore very interesting. You can’t miss it.”
His father, Rayner David, adds: “My memory of the first Cachoeiro Stone Fair is having several customers and one or two competitors who were exhibiting, and I wasn’t. I realized I had to participate somehow. And I did because I saw that the fair had potential. In the second edition, I already participated and have been present every year since then. We started very small, with the help of Sebrae. Today, it’s a different world. We exhibit nine to ten machines. The last fairs had a lot of repercussions and an excellent return. I feel very proud, happy, and fulfilled.”
Marbrasa is also a company that has been part of the Cachoeiro Stone Fair for 25 editions. Adriana Alemães, the company’s sales coordinator, says that when the fair began, the marble and granite sector did not have much participation in major events, so it was a big novelty.
“We’ve seen a change over all these years, how we’ve grown together with the sector. It’s been very positive each year, and the influence is quite positive. The whole city gets involved during the event. We start the preparation months before, involving our technical department, marketing, and several other areas of the company in the event’s preparation. And what we always expect is that more people in the sector get involved too,” she commented.
But how did it all begin? With a red carpet! And this unusual story is told by Cecília Milaneze herself, the creator of the fair. “I was invited to help organize an event at Ufes (Federal University of Espírito Santo). When the fair opened and I saw that red carpet, I said: ‘This is what I want for my life and nothing else. I want to be a queen on a red carpet!’ What won me over to create the fair was precisely that red carpet. Then I saw the opportunity to create a fair for the marble and granite sector. In the first edition, the governor came to inaugurate it, the electrical load couldn’t handle it, it rained, and the parking gate was congested. The operational part was quite complicated. But it was also an achievement, and we fulfilled an important role. It’s a sector that employs many people and develops the city.”
For Ed Martins, president of Sindirochas, the Cachoeiro Stone Fair was a turning point. “The fair was an awakening. I can’t see the sector, where it is today, without the fair. The feeling is one of joy and satisfaction in seeing our sector growing.”
These and other stories, which encapsulate the 35 years of the Cachoeiro Stone Fair and reflect the history of the natural stone sector, can be found on the event’s social media. The event takes place at the end of next month at the Carlos Caiado Barbosa Exhibition Park in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, bringing together, over four days, qualified buyers from over 600 Brazilian cities and more than 28 countries in the world marble capital.
The projection is to attract 18,000 visitors, who will be able to see 200 exhibiting brands showcasing the potential of the entire production chain, from extraction to processing. The Cachoeiro Stone Fair is organized by Milanez & Milaneze, a company of the Veronafiere Group, with promotion by Sindirochas, Cetemag, and Centrorochas. Registration is now open and is exclusively online at www.cachoeirostonefair.com.br.
Event Information
Date: August 27 to 30, from 2 PM to 8 PM (Tuesday to Friday). Access until 7 PM.
Location: Carlos Caiado Barbosa Exhibition Park, in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim
Target audience: industry professionals, such as marble workers, architects, designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, managers, distributors, buyers, and others.
Registration: available for industry professionals at www.cachoeirostonefair.com.br.. No on-site registration.
Organization: the Cachoeiro Stone Fair is organized by Milanez & Milaneze, a company of the Veronafiere Group, with promotion by Sindirochas, Cetemag, and Centrorochas
