Brazil makes history at Marmomac Italy 2025 with an exclusive hall and a strong institutional presence

For the first time in Marmomac’s 59 years of history, a country had an exclusive hall. Brazil achieved this feat and strengthened its presence with business deals, innovation, sustainability, and design, generating projected sales of over US$141 million over the next 12 months.

Marmomac Italy 2025 made history with Brazil’s unprecedented presence as the leading character. For the first time in nearly six decades, a country occupied an entire hall of the fair by itself, reaffirming the international relevance of Brazilian natural stones.

The Brazilian Pavilion took up the entire Hall 1, bringing together 41 companies. Space It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone was at the center of the area. It featured 31 companies from four states: Espírito Santo (26), Ceará (2), Minas Gerais (2), and Rio de Janeiro (1). The initiative was carried out by the Brazilian Natural Stone Association (Centrorochas) in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

The space, marked by passages covered by hanging gardens designed by architect Rômulo Pegoretti (from the state of Espírito Santo), stood out for its distinctive architecture and the intense flow of visitors of various nationalities. Besides European countries, Saudi Arabia, Australia, China, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, India, Mexico, and Poland stood out.

The significant presence produced concrete results: the companies at Space It’s Natural registered more than US$8 million in immediate business deals and a projection of more than US$141 million over the next 12 months, highlighting the impact of the Brazilian participation in the largest global event in the natural stone industry.

For Tales Machado, the president of Centrorochas, this achievement reaffirms Brazil’s place on the world stage: “We were in the spotlight on all fronts: business, innovation, sustainability, and design. Brazil leaves this fair stronger and with the certainty that its natural stone is known as a material of excellence in the global market.”

Diplomacy and international affairs

The official opening ceremony of the Space It’s Natural, held on the first day of the fair, was attended by Hadil da Rocha Vianna, the Brazilian ambassador in Milan; Paulo Silva, the Industry and Services Coordinator at ApexBrasil; Federico Bricolo, the CEO of VeronaFiere; Flávia Milaneze, the CEO of Milanez & Milaneze, the branch of the VeronaFiere Group in Brazil; Giovanni Francischetto, the superintendent of Centrorochas; and Thiago Fukuda, the manager of the sectoral project carried out by the association in partnership with ApexBrasil. All of them emphasized the historic significance of this achievement and the positive impact it represents for Brazil’s image in the global sector.

Another high-profile occasion for the country during the fair was the first official meeting of the Natural Stone Strategic Alliance (NSSA), a newly created international federation comprising six founding countries: Brazil, the United States, Italy, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Portugal. It aims to promote the use of natural stone as a sustainable building material on a global scale. During the gathering, Brazil introduced a digital platform developed by the Cachoeiro de Itapemirim campus of Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo – IFES [Federal Institute of Espírito Santo]. The tool will be used to collect environmental data for the project EPD Global. The adoption of the Brazilian system by member countries reaffirms the country’s role as an international benchmark for sustainability and innovation in the natural stone industry.

Content and digital innovation

Besides Space It’s Natural, which covered an area of 864 square meters, 10 other Brazilian companies were present in Hall 1 individually, rounding off the national participation. The space was structured beyond the exhibition; it also featured a restaurant that provided visitors with an authentic and welcoming experience and an exclusive auditorium for lectures.

And it was in this space that architects and designers of various nationalities had the opportunity to attend the talk “Brazilian Natural Stones: Inspirational Versatility,” given by Fábio Cruz, the vice president of Centrorochas, and Amanda Ferber, the founder of Architecture Hunter. The event was simultaneously broadcast to the Archi-Hunters Community, a platform that connects more than 17 thousand architecture and design professionals in several countries.

During the presentation, participants learned about the richness of the more than 1,200 varieties of Brazilian natural stones, whose unique colors, textures, and shapes inspire projects that combine beauty, identity, and environmental awareness, becoming authentic materials aligned with the innovation sought by contemporary design.

Recognition and awards

Individual initiatives were also a momentous part of the Brazilian participation. Designer Ludson Zampirolli (from the state of Espírito Santo) was one of four professionals from around the world invited to participate in the Epiphanies exhibition, curated by Italian Raffaello Galiotto. His work “Araçari,” sculpted in Capolavoro Picasso, a new product launched by the Brazilian company Granistone, symbolized movement and celebration, projecting Brazilian design onto the international stage.

The company Verzu, a newcomer to Marmomac, won the Best Communicator of 2025 | Forbes Selection award in the Visions category, for the impact of its booth for the brand launch.

Brazil’s numbers at Marmomac Italy

31 companies

Business contacts: 3,043 made – 1,951 new

Visitors from all European countries, plus Saudi Arabia, Australia, China, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, India, Mexico, and Poland.

Immediate business deals: over US$8 million

Projected deals over the next 12 months: over US$141 million

About It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone

It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone is an export promotion program developed by the Brazilian Natural Stone Association (Centrorochas) in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). The program, which currently supports 226 companies, aims to encourage and increase exports of Brazilian natural stones, through a set of strategic internationalization actions geared towards promotion, strengthening of the image, and development of the industry in the global market. Companies interested in being part of the project must visit https://podio.com/webforms/26378838/1995038 to register for free.

About Centrorochas

The Brazilian Natural Stone Association is active in all national demands to increase the competitiveness of the natural stone industry. The organization acts directly by providing support in the procedures related to the presence of Brazilian entrepreneurs abroad, along with commercial and operational activities for the development and evolution of Brazilian companies.

About ApexBrasil

The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and to attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. To achieve these objectives, the Agency carries out several trade promotion activities aimed at promoting exports and valuing Brazilian products and services abroad. They include prospective and trade missions, rounds of negotiations, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, and visits of foreign buyers and opinion formers to learn about the Brazilian production structure, among other business platforms that also aim to strengthen the Brazil brand. The Agency also works in coordination with public and private actors to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, focusing on strategic sectors, aiming at the development of competitiveness of Brazilian companies and of the country.

Information to the press

Karina Porto Firme

Head of Communications for Centrorochas and It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone

+55 27 99705-5705

comunicacao@centrorochas.org.br

Website: www.braziliannaturalstone.com

Instagram: @braziliannaturalstone @centrorochas

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/braziliannaturalstone/