On the morning of July 21st, the second in a series of activities of the China Construction Expo (Guangzhou) Slate Pavilion jointly organized by the Ceramic Curtain Wall and Slate Slab Branch of the China Ceramic Industry Association, China Construction Expo (Guangzhou), and Huaxia Ceramics Network Field - The first Architectural Decorative Slate Conference 2021 was successfully held in the 18.2 Forum Area of Guangzhou Poly World Trade Expo Center.
Guo Cong, vice chairman of Huayan Pinzhi, Qin Haisheng, general manager of Bode Marketing Center, Nan Shunzhi, founder of Dajiulu Ceramics, Yang Qianxia, chief engineer of Green House Construction Technology, KIAI Golden Slate Marketing Center of Jinyitao Group Nearly 200 people attended, including Deputy General Manager Su Guangping, General Manager of Snow Wolf Slate Lin Zhijun, founder of Jianshe Slate Gu Zhongfei, Chief Editor of Huaxia Ceramics Network Lao Niu and elites from the industry.
▲Activity site
· Senior media person in the industry and editor-in-chief of China Ceramics Network Lao Niu
In the keynote speech session, Lao Niu first analyzed the definition and application scenarios of rock slabs in the field of architectural decoration based on "From Ceramic Slabs to Architectural Decorative Slate". Lao Niu believes that it is necessary to define architectural decorative slate, whether from the perspective of the media or the perspective of business operators. And the product must be a dimension-enhancing concept.
Because according to the current definition, the basis of rock slabs is large ceramic slabs. If there is no concept of dimensionality improvement, why should it be called "rock slabs"? How should architectural decorative rock slabs be defined?
He believes that the first thing is the upgrading of raw materials, equipment, and process technology; then the specifications should be considered from the perspectives of background walls, wainscoting, facades, ceilings, floors, etc.
Thinking from these aspects, the specifications of architectural decorative rock slabs should be: size ≥900×1800mm, 800×2600mm, 800×2700mm, 1000×2700m, 1200× 2800mm, 1600×3200mm (maximum), 1600×3600mm (symbol)... In other words, the biggest feature of architectural decorative slate is "big". The thickness should be 3mm, 6mm, 9mm, 12mm. It is not necessary if it is too thick.
In terms of design and construction, it can be installed one piece to the top, sealed and laid, freely connected, extending the atmosphere, making the space integrated, etc... These effects cannot be achieved with ceramic tiles in the past.
Usage scenarios are also the concept of dimensionality enhancement. Lao Niu said that architectural decorative slate should be used in some large high-end spaces, such as villas and mansions, hotel lobbies/aisles, high-end real estate elevator rooms/model rooms, commercial spaces, shopping mall facades and other scenes.
In terms of channels, slate cannot simply be "tiled" and compete with traditional tile channels for share. Otherwise, it will feel like killing itself. Because rock slabs should form an incremental market. "Tiling" is a form of laziness. Therefore, in terms of channels, we should seize the market share of traditional decorative materials such as wall coverings, wallpaper, wooden boards, artificial boards, paints, and stones. Although these channels were touched by ceramic tiles in the past but rarely, they can now be touched by architectural decorative slate.
He also mentioned a key area - prefabricated buildings, which need to be made into parts.
(PS: Related content will be presented in detail in the Discovery New World from Decoration Materials to Building Components • 2021 Rock Slab Prefabricated Interior Application Summit Forum series, please stay tuned to the WeChat official account of Huaxia Ceramics Network)
Lao Niu also believes that the current definition of architectural decorative slate must be distinguished from the ceramic slabs of the past, especially from the ceramic tiles of the past, otherwise ceramic tiles and slates will really be "the same pot of gruel". It may taste good, but it will lose its direction.
He also concluded:
1. The more aesthetic value the rock slab has, the more alternative it is;
2. It’s not that “the lower the price, the more substitutable rock slabs are” (Bao Jiejun);
3. Rock slabs should establish and enhance their substitution capabilities in the mid- to high-end slab market;
4. Yanban should establish channels and operate the brand with me as the main one.
Finally, he also reminded all stone slab companies that production companies should take control of channels and not be led by the orders in front of them, thus losing their way. Lao Niu believes that starting from the second half of 2021, rock slabs will enter an adjustment period. During the entire adjustment period, all aspects will need to be adjusted, the pace will need to be slowed down, and production capacity will need to be reduced. You need to be patient when developing channels, pay more attention to product design, and develop research and development to match the needs of each market segment. For leaders of rock slab companies, they must also solve the problem of product managersthinking.
Guo Cong:
We must first complete the original infrastructure
Only with slate can we set out to a broader field
· Guo Cong, Vice Chairman of Huayan Pinzhi< /span>
In his keynote speech on "Architectural Decorative Slate Products and Channels", Guo Cong said that the channel development of slate should go back to the source, start from the product itself, and focus on the fields and audiences of product application. We should also discuss the application of materials from the perspective of enterprise development and the development trend of the entire industry.
He said that product characteristics are often the key to determining the scope of product application. Rock slabs have better physical properties, such as being large, thin, load-bearing, and anti-slip; they are more cost-effective, with the texture of natural stone at the price of mid-range slabs; they have stronger design aesthetics, diverse textures, and more realistic textures... Therefore, slate is also worthy of the name "King of All Space Applications".
In this regard, Guo Cong took Huayan Pinzhi as an example and divided the application of rock slabs into five systems, namely wall system (background wall, wall panels, exterior wall dry hanging), floor system, and countertop system , cabinet door systems (cabinets, wine cabinets, bathroom cabinets, bath cabinets), slate finished furniture. Then he talked about the market development status of slate slabs at home and abroad. He said that the application of slate in indoor and outdoor scenes has been basically discovered, but the market has not yet been developed. Especially for outdoor applications, the outdoor use rate of slate is very high abroad, but there are not many cases in China. According to the indoor and outdoor applications in foreign markets, slate obviously occupies the main market share in the field of architectural decoration.
He also pointed out the crux of this embarrassing situation. Guo Cong believes that the application of domestic slate in the field of architectural decoration has not been rapidly expanded. In the final analysis, the complete process system, design system, service system, and business processes have not kept up. If we can establish a complete engineering technology system; comply with standardized installation methods, paving methods, quick installation systems, and mature supporting systems, we can improve delivery efficiency and reduce supporting costs, and then the market share will naturally increase. Therefore, before opening up channels, the company itself must first go back to its roots, start with basic research, and establish and consolidate the basic system.
This includesThe following five points:
1. The product development system is more focused, the categories are more segmented, the experience is more extreme, and product differentiation must be emphasized;
2. The design empowerment system is more complex and needs to be omni-channel, multi-dimensional, and based on diverse consumption scenarios to create diverse consumer experiences;
3. The business process system should be more standardized and should have follow-up standards;
4. The marketing & training system should also be paid attention to;
5. The implementation delivery system must be able to completely solve every link.
The key to rock slabs is not product standards, but application issues. For example, if you need to solve installation pain points and space design pain points, if these problems are solved, channels will naturally open up. He also mentioned a key issue: no matter what the product is, the final customer wants a finished product, so how to shorten the construction period and complete the delivery more conveniently is very critical. At this stage, slate companies should calm down and think about doing more pragmatic and open work.
Guo Cong believes that if every enterprise has determination, action, and a more inclusive attitude, a more collaborative and integrated spirit, it will definitely promote the cluster development of the entire industry and greatly expand channels and channels in the future. market share. Finally, he expressed the hope that the entire industry can work together to improve the infrastructure of the slate ecology and provide the market with more true, good and beautiful slate products. In this way, in the future, we can truly advance into the large home furnishing market and move towards a broader field.
B
Dialogue with celebrities
In the second round of dialogue, the organizer specially invited big names in the industry such as Qin Haisheng, Nan Shunzhi, Yang Qianxia, Su Guangping, Lin Zhijun, Gu Zhongfei to talk about architectural decorative slates and launched an in-depth dialogue on the definition and market direction.
01
How to define architectural decorative slate and where should it be used?
Lao Niu:
Slate has been fermented and heated for so long. Now let’s talk about slate. What new definition do you have for slate? If there is such a term as architectural decorative slate, how should it be defined?
@青海胜
I think architectural decorative slate refers more to specifications, but there is no good definition yet. In terms of application scenarios, such as interior walls, floors, and exterior walls, different scenarios must be distinguished from traditional ceramic products in the past. From the perspective of the entire construction and decoration industry, I think it may be more appropriate to call rock slabs with specifications above 900×1800mm.
@nanshunzhi
I don't understand the term "architectural decorative slate". When consumers decorate their homes, they either use ceramic tiles, natural marble, or slate. This is a process of material substitution. So why choose rock slabs? Is it that the size is larger, the decoration effect is better, or the price is cheaper? We need to understand slate from the perspective of decorative materials. In the entire ceramic tile evolution process, ceramic tile specifications are getting larger and larger, and the decorative effects are getting more and more.
@苏Spectrum
One of the problems of rock slab positioning is to define it from the performance and standards of the product itself. In addition, in terms of specifications, I personally think that 2000mm and above are defined as rock slabs. The other is that the processing performance must be better than traditional ceramic tiles. In the future, rock slabs will have to compete with mid-to-high-end stone and high-end ceramics to seize the market, rather than going all the way down to the low-end market. This is my understanding.
@林志君
I don’t think tiles are slate. From my heart, tiles are tiles and slate is slate. Ceramic tiles can be like steamed buns, and slate can be like bread. Bread can surpass steamed buns, but steamed buns are never bread. Personally, I understand that slate should surpass ceramic tiles. I believe that the industry must have a basic bottom line, especially as a manufacturer, the formula of slate is the production system of slate, and the production process of slate is the production standard of slate. As for decorative slate, it should be measured according to the decorator's standards or decorative style. It cannot be based on specifications or other traditional sayings, it must be based on the requirements of the designer or the requirements of consumers.
@Gu Zhongfei
There is definitely a difference between rock slabs and large slabs. To use my non-professional explanation, rock slabs are first of the same color and the same blank, because rock slabs need to be processed and edges need to be guided. Second, rock slabs require more processing, so they should have processing properties. Each company or brand should build products and build a service system based on the channels it is good at, otherwise a barrier lake will appear. The upstream manufacturing side is very busy, but the downstream side is not connected. We need to think about which channels the products are suitable for.
@Yang Qianxia
I am an engineering designer myself. From a design perspective, the difference between building slate and traditional ceramic tiles must be defined in terms of size and specifications. In terms of design, whether it is the integration of curtain wall decoration on the exterior facade or interior decoration, size may represent a sense of beauty to some extent. In my personal opinion, in terms of size, anything above 900×1800mm, regardless of thickness, can be defined as building rock slabs. In other words, rock slab is just a business term, but it is actually a large ceramic slab. Certain properties will have different requirements for different occasions. For example, when rock slabs are used in building curtain walls, we will put forward requirements such as bending strength and water absorption. If used indoors, such as prefabricated integrated wall panels, there will be more requirements for stain resistance and slip resistance, especially for public buildings, but not much for other mechanical properties.
02
How to solve processing and installation problems?
Lao Niu:
If the building decorative slate is defined as 900×1800mm, or 1200×2400mm or above, what problems will arise in application? How should we solve the problem of installing decorative slate slabs in buildings?
@杨千夏
Nowadays, the application of rock slabs is mainly in two aspects. According to the classification of buildings, the first is building facades, building curtain walls and building insulation and decorative integrated panels. For this piece of processing, Mona Lisa’s Green House Construction Co., Ltd. has always been thinking of making it into a component, and is doing engineering design and installation. Mona Lisa is also the first company in the industry to realize the construction and design of super high-rise curtain walls. In the interior area, we mainly work with customization companies in the decoration industry to make integrated wall panels.
@青海胜
When Bode was founded in 2002, it has been focusing on the research and development and production of fine jade. The implementation of fine jade requires that all customers must have processing capabilities. 100% of core customers have water jet processing plants. After the launch of rock slabs, we cooperated with external processing equipment companies and formed a system for rock slab processing. Our client's processing plant was also upgraded. Therefore, slate can be used with ease in the field of decoration, engineering, and home decoration, as well as in processing and application.
@namshunzhi
We are going to create a new specification to be released in August, this specification is most suitable for home decoration. There is no need to invest in a lot of processing and installation, and the processing is implemented from the product side.
@苏Spectrum
Jinyi Pottery Slabs now proposes three good things, to make "three good slates", good design, good texture, and easy to add.work. The good thing about processing is that we are now building a processing center of our own. In addition, when developing channels in the market in the future, there will also be a requirement for the dealer system to have a small local processing plant.
How to link? If it is batch or engineering type, it will be processed by the headquarters because it is efficient and fast. If the batch size is small or the difficulty is not that high, it will be processed locally. I think future business personnel will not only sell bricks, but also understand marketing, connecting channels, connecting with customers, processing, and even construction. Even if you can't get started, you should explain the theory clearly.
@林志君
Currently, Xuelang only recruits customers with processing plants and processing capabilities. The second step is to establish a processing demonstration site in key cities across the country.
@Gu Zhongfei
We made a case in which we were most afraid of encountering two problems: First, the owner required on-site construction and on-site cutting according to the on-site dimensions. Secondly, there are no acceptance standards for the construction of rock slabs, and Party A is afraid that Party A will eventually say that the standards are not good and require rework. Therefore, in order to solve these problems, we did several things. We cooperated with the professional paving team, and then cooperated with American professional accessories brands. At the same time, we arranged the factory after-sales R&D team and our own team to all be on site. Finally, the construction site was successfully delivered. We are also exploring urban operations centers, which may solve two problems. The first is to move the storage of rock slabs forward, and the second is to have simple processing capabilities. Then it is matched with the professional auxiliary material landing construction team we cooperate with, and that's basically it.
Lao Niu summary:
The rock slab “barrier lake” is temporary
Enterprises should develop according to their own endowments
Finally, let me summarize. I came here with a mission in mind, which was to find out whether there are architectural decorative slates, how to define architectural decorative slates, and what difficulties need to be solved.
In fact, I found that after communication, everyone still has great differences in their understanding of rock slabs.
For example, Mr. Mona Lisa Yang believes that slate is a marketing term, and Mr. Nan believes that slate is a marketing term. Slate is a typical example of perception being greater than fact. He believes that when consumers, channels and the entire industry call it slate, the first thing we have to do is adapt to it. But I found that Mr. Nan was accommodating, but he still followed his own logic of super wear-resistant ceramic tiles. He seemed to be very cautious. He did not lay out the rock slabs according to the logic that rock slabs are a blue ocean and they are omnipotent. . Some things may be said, and some things may be done. How to balance between saying and doing? Today, we are faced with such a problem in rock slabs.
As for the issue of processing implementation, Mr. Nan and Mr. Lin also mentioned an issue. The innate endowments of each enterprise are different. There is no problem with Bode processing.Mona Lisa has been working on many prefabricated parts since 2007, and Mr. Nan said that he controls it and does not allow the specifications to expand infinitely at once, thus ensuring that each rock slab can be laid by one or two people. Jinyitao can recruit better slate dealers through its brand influence. The same is true for Xuelang. It recruits people with processing capabilities and does not do education and training.
In the second half of 2021, we really have to have confidence in slate, because we have too many people in the ceramics industry, too many smart people, and too many masters, and they will definitely understand slate according to their own logic , and then push the rock slab forward step by step. Slate seems to have quickly changed from a blue ocean market to a red ocean market. In fact, this is not the case. The blue ocean market still exists. Slate's current "barrier lake" is temporary. The question is how do we do it, especially how to steadily promote innovation and research and development of floor-mounted installation technology. Only in this way can rock slabs be truly brought into a real blue ocean market.
Group
