Valencia, Spain, Feb 28--Cevisama, the ceramics trade fair in Spain, is expecting the same turnover as last year, namely 721 million euros, ($77.5 million) as long as there is not a war, according to Armando Ibáñez, president of the Cevisama organizing committee.
Ibáñez noted that the figure was only an estimate given the impossibility of accurately assessing the sales taking place during the show. He went on to explain that "this figure is estimated from the results of a survey we carried out, and it includes orders during the fair plus sales formalized within a period of 15 days following the event."
The 721 million euros is approximately 10% of the annual turnover of 7.813 billion euros ($8.4 billion) of the sectors participating in Cevisama, including ceramic tiles, sanitary and fittings, frits and glazes and roofing tiles and bricks.
At the show this year will be 1,193 exhibitors, up 23%, thanks to the refurbishment of the exhibition area, the surface area of which was increased by 13%.
The organizers are expecting the same number of visitors, 84,000, as last year. There are 338 overseas companies, up 40%, from 43 countries. Ibáñez said he expects the slowdown that started in the ceramics sector in 2001 to last for the next few years. He expects maximum growth rates of 2%.
The fair, which occupies the entire 166,000 square meters currently available at the trade fair center, is divided into sectors including ceramic tiles, sanitary and fittings and valves, frits, glazes and ceramic colors, roofing tiles and bricks, placement materials and tools.
