Wine, opera, and motor scooters are among the exports most North Americans associate with Italy. But if you have attended the annual CERSAIE trade fair in Bologna, you understand the extent to which Italy is also the land of ceramic tile. In late September, CERSAIE 2017?s 869 exhibitors and more than 111,600 visitors transacted innumerable deals in 156,000 square metres of exhibit space. While there is also a significant bathroom fixtures component to CERSAIE, ceramic tile takes centre stage at this show.
In monetary terms, Italy remains the product category?s leading exporter, with 32 per cent of the global market; China (26 per cent) and Spain (15 per cent) rank second and third. However, China now exports twice as much tile as Italy does, accounting for 32 per cent of the volume, compared with Italy?s 16 per cent and Spain?s 15 per cent. In this increasingly competitive market, Italians are investing heavily in technology to manufacture innovative higher-end products. Several North American architects and interior designers I spoke with at the show said they specify a lot of Italian ceramic tile because it convincingly emulates the look of materials such as stone, wood, and concrete, while offering impressive durability and ease of maintenance. Tile can offer weight and savings as well. But in all applications, aesthetics is a huge factor, including for these following trends at CERSAIE 2017. THICK AND THIN
A major recent development has been the introduction of very lar...