The only Stone Show in Town
The 8th UK Natural Stone Show is being held at ExCe in that London, on 11th to13th of March 2008, and, according the the press blurb they've sent me, it has sold out its original floor space in record time resulting in the organisers having to book additional space to accommodate demand.
Show Director Richard Bradbury claims,
"The natural stone market in the UK has grown enormously over the past decade as architects, designers and clients have made stone the material of choice for cladding, paving, flooring, worktops and bathrooms. It's not surprising, therefore, that the UK's eighth Natural Stone Shows, all held in London at the industry's preferred frequency of two-yearly intervals, have also grown each time."
Official figures reveal the scale of the natural stone market in the UK has been in recent years with the level of imports into the UK between 2002 and 2006 increasing by 85 per cent in volume and the industry now worth over £1.15 billion per annum at retail prices.
So where has all this extra stone been used? First, there has been significant growth in the use of granite for both domestic and commercial properties, as paving and for items such as countertops, bathrooms, etc. Limestone sandstone and slate flooring have also become more popular in homes, shops and offices all over the country. Outdoors, limestone, granite and sandstone have become the materials of choice for hard landscaping and the conservation market has remained buoyant, making greater use of native British and Irish stone in particular.
Get a free ticket to the showcase event for the UK stone industry by registering online today at the official website
