End of an Era for Independent Cevisama Trade Fair

From September 2026, the exhibition will be replaced by “Cevisama Contract,” held as part of the Habitat Valencia furniture fair.

After more than 40 years, Cevisama, the independent international exhibition for ceramics, tiles, and bathroom furnishings, is coming to an end. This marks the close of its long-standing role as the most significant event for the Spanish ceramic industry, held annually in February in Valencia.

The announcement was made on June 5th by Feria Valencia, the organizing body. Effective February 2026, Cevisama will no longer be held independently. Instead, under the revived brand “Cevisama Contract,” it will join the Habitat furniture fair, which takes place every September in Valencia, concurrently with the Textilhogar (home textiles) and Espacio Cocina (kitchen furniture) exhibitions.

Undoubtedly, this wasn’t an easy decision for Feria Valencia. However, recognizing that Cevisama was no longer viable as an independent event, the organization aims to strengthen its portfolio of interior design exhibitions by incorporating traditional Cevisama Contract segments such as bathroom products and accessories, ceramics, natural stone, and other surface coverings.

 

Cevisama’s Problems Began in 2022

 

Although the news caused some reactions in the Castellón ceramic region, Feria Valencia’s decision was not entirely unexpected. The gradual decline of Cevisama over the past three to four years had become quite evident. The progressive withdrawal of exhibitors, who preferred to invest their capital in private events at their showrooms in Castellón (Pamesa’s exit in 2022 initiated this trend, followed by many ceramic manufacturers, and from 2023, frit and glaze producers also completely pulled out of Cevisama), ultimately led to a disappointing 2025 edition.

This edition saw only four half-filled halls, around forty Spanish ceramic companies, and 59,695 visitors—a 15% decrease from 2024 and far from the more than 90,000 visitors of pre-COVID editions. With more withdrawals anticipated, the 2026 edition was projected to be significantly worse. In these circumstances, Feria Valencia’s decision to discontinue Cevisama was inevitable and understandable—or, as Alberto Echavarría, director of ASCER, put it on LinkedIn: “An honest decision, given the impossibility of guaranteeing a successful or at least profitable event for the remaining exhibitors.”

 

What Will Happen Next?

 

It’s clear that Cevisama Contract, which targets architects more than distributors, cannot serve as an adequate platform for the entire Spanish ceramic industry. In such international events, the presence of ceramic products is usually limited to a few companies and specialized, high-value materials designed to meet the custom needs of architects.

As Echavarría rightly points out, Cevisama Contract:

“May be interesting for some Spanish manufacturers—those who already participate in Habitat, especially in the area of furniture slabs—but it doesn’t meet the needs of those who work with distributors and retailers and have high sales volumes, especially in international markets.”

These companies will undoubtedly shift their focus to the Cersaie exhibition in Bologna in September 2026.

However, ASCER’s stance remains clear. According to Echavarría:

“Even in its weakest edition (Editor’s note: the 2025 edition), Cevisama hosted 60,000 visitors, nearly 15,000 of whom were international. The majority of our members still believe that a national fair is essential to support the Tile of Spain brand. As an association, we will continue to strive to create such an event.”