| Introduction |
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| A little bit of history (continued) |
More than 30,000 individual invitations, addressed to people interested in minerals and fossils, as well as post cards, posters, calendars, repeated advertising in the appropriate international press, articles in newspapers and periodicals, radio and television features, and significant word-of-mouth promotion bring in thousands of collectors, hobbyists, and professionals from around the world.
Among the thousands of buyers for public and private collections who gather at the Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines exhibition are several well known scientists, artists and politicians from every point of the compass who meet here to share their common passion.
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The Theater.
Photo C.Pélisson © |
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The show : Rue Kroeber
Photo : C.Pélisson © |
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The show
Photo : C.Pélisson © |
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Familiar with the selective nature of our visitors, we have been trying for several years to make the fair more interesting to the general public. This is why showcases and various other attractions have also been a part of the exhibition since 1988.
In 1999 we created Student Days, to drive interest in the earth sciences among children, through themed activities spread throughout the day. Since then, nearly 1,000 children participate each year.
The 2005 birth of EURO GEM (250 exhibitors) on it’s own site 300 meters from EURO MINERAL (650 exhibitors) brought together activities surrounding the trade of gems and jewelry, allowing a better dispersion of the ever-increasing flow of visitors.
In 2006, VAL EXPO opened on 2400m2 spread among two halls and a forum, allowing us to remove the big top tents in favor of individual tents.
At Saint-Marie-aux-Mines, les Amis des Anciennes Mines (Friends of the Ancient Mines) opened a museum devoted to local mining heritage and mineralogy in1972. In 1991, it was moved to " La Maison de Pays " in the Val d'Argent. The Gabe-Gottes mine, whose restoration was financed by the exhibition, was entrusted to the Archeomine Association, and has been partly accessible to the public since 2002, from the “Maison de Pays” on the Prensureax square.
Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, ranked as a “station verte” (natural tourist area), is located on the “Route d’Argent” (the silver road) at the heart of the Lièpvre Valley, between Strasbourg and Colmar, 20km west of Sélestat, 20km east of Saint-Dié, in the heart of the Vosges mountains.
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| Last update : 06.03.2007 |
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