Redesigning the future of the trade fair experience.

The Salone thus demonstrates that it is a global hub of experimentation andcross-pollination, a place where culture is created and thought generated, an inclusive space for interface and exchange and a producer of added value. 

With people firmly at the centre, be they visitors or exhibitors, and a top notch trade fair experience, the Salone is launching three major innovations: a single exhibition level, with the exhibitors from the upper pavilions (8-12, 16-20) moving into the lower ones, making for consistent aesthetic, narrative and reference target paths, increasingly enhancing the visitor experience and ramping up opportunities for the individual brands to meet and interact; a new Euroluce layout, boasting an urban, loop-shaped path so, rather than visitors being faced with innumerable choices of direction, allowing them to encounter all the exhibitors, within just a few hundred metres, avoiding the frustration of missing out of something; a wide-ranging cultural component in the lighting biennial spaces, consisting of multi-disciplinary content ranging from architecture to photography and art, with exhibitions, talks, workshops and site-specific installations curated and organised by curators of differing generations, spheres and provenance.

Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, had this to say: “What will fairs be like in the future The Salone del Mobile.Milano is attempting to respond to this question today. We are presenting a reworked 61st edition, fresher and more accessible, vital and vibrant, that looks to the future of the trade fair experience, underpinned by the confidence and the commitment of those who appreciate its value and are keen to preserve it. It will be a Salone packed with new things and open to cross-pollinations. Design and furnishing are fuelled by science, technological research, art, photography, digital communication, publishing and lots more besides. The new exhibition format will underscore this relationship in even greater depth. Being a positive and innovative catalyst for ideas, projects and relationships is what makes it an international focus of attraction: 34% of our exhibitors, a figure that has risen steadily year after year, are from different countries - we are expecting thousands of visitors from Europe, the United States and China, as well as from Saudi Arabia, India and the Far Eastern countries. We believe that the Salone should reflect the quality and excellence of an entire productive system, an event that act as a cultural bridge, an economic driver and an accelerator of virtuous environmental processes – in fact, the next few days will enable us to gauge the progress made towards ISO 20121 certification for sustainable events management. We also believe in an event in which tradition, rigour and seriousness are mixed with passion and an ability to anticipate and produce innovation. This is why design, and the entire design community, will continue to find an ideal home for living in and visiting at the Salone.” 

The 2023 events – the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition, Workplace3.0, S.Project, Euroluce and SaloneSatellite – encompass  a total of 2,000 exhibitors from 37 countries, including more than 550 talented designers under 35 from 31 countries, and 28 design schools from 18 different nations. All are expressing their identities to the best of their abilities, with full creative freedom, with stands that are both architectural and communicative elements. Spaces that welcome visitors in order to demonstrate the excellence of the new collections, the lifestyle concepts of the individual brands and the sustainable practices, processes and products engendered over the last year. An immersive and emotional visitor experience that sets the Salone del Mobile apart and renders it unique on the international trade fair scene. 

The Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition and Workplace3.0 have various design and aesthetic avenues to offer, in which the two keywords are wellbeing and environmental responsibility. Exercising caution over the origin of materials, production methods, durability and product end of life of is now unquestionable, no longer reiterated to excess -  design sends a very precise message:

“Take care of yourselves, of others and of the planet.” 

Thus it is committed to preserving beauty, well-being and that feeling of serenity we so badly need right now. Everything – forms, materials, colours, the reaffirmed importance of outdoors, the rediscovery of artisan traditions and know-how and quiet luxury – are testament to a commitment to a respectful approach to material and to the environment, regardless of aesthetic direction. What is also clear, moreover, is the rehabilitation of the narrative value of objects, of their storytelling ability, their gift for arousing emotions and allowing the space to resonate with the people who occupy it.  

S.Project, the exhibition devoted to design products and solutions is back, highlighting the most significant lines of contemporary research: the hybridisation of contexts and spaces and the shift from the design of individual pieces to that of the environment. Design and emotional stimuli, such as the need to build totally coordinating ‘nesting places’ capable of welcoming and comforting people, are its raison d'être.

Euroluce (Pavs. 9-11 and 13-15), now in its 31st edition, boasts a new exhibition layout rethought by the Lombardini22 studio, so as to guarantee better connectivity between the four pavilions, a simplified visitor path and increased exhibitor visibility. The City of Lights is the concept and the common thread running through the exhibition. Power of imagination and concrete vision characterise the interdisciplinary cultural content curated by Beppe Finessi. Thanks to Formafantasma’s intervention, the heart of the biennial is Aurore, a largeplaza and arena for immersive and reflective experiences and the venue for a number of talks. The studio was also responsible for the project for seven Constellations, architectural ‘intermezzos’ hosting exhibitions within the exhibition, lining the entire exhibition path. 

The specialist design, art and illustration bookshop is another important space, and a veritable ‘cultural garrison,’, also stocking literary tomes exploring the theme of light in different ways. The space was curated by Corraini Editori, while the project was devised by Formafantasma as an intimate, warm and welcoming space. The Euroluce pavilions are also home to Daniel Canzian’s bistro and Gennaro Esposito’s fine dining restaurant, designed by Piero Lissoni, to chime with the concept of space at the biennial. 

More than 550 aspiring designers are taking part in the 24th SaloneSatellite, in its new but entirely natural location inside the Euroluce pavilions (Pavs. 13-15), given that it represents the future of design par excellence. This year’s theme is  Design Schools – Universities / BUILDING THE (IM)POSSIBLE. Process, Progress, Practice. 28 design schools and universities are taking part this year, reflecting on the subject with an installation and presentation of the work of the student graduates-to-be. The SaloneSatellite Award is now in its 12th edition, and the exhibition SATE… LIGHT.1998-2022 SaloneSatellite Young Designers, set up on the boundary between the two areas, is showcasing most of the lamps by young designers that have gone into production thanks to collaborations with companies. For the first time, a Round Table, featuring five representatives of the participating schools,  taking stock of the theme launched by Marva Griffin. The group of five - ECAL (Switzerland), DESIGN SCHOOL / MILAN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY  (Italy), TONGJI UNIVERSITY (China), DESIGN ACADEMY EINDHOVEN (Holland), SCHOOL OF DESIGN / PRATT INSTITUTE (USA) – was selected according to geographical representation in order to have as wide-ranging a discussion as possible, and involving the institutes from which the greater part of the designers who have made their debut at SaloneSatellite over the years have come. Last but not least, the guest SaloneSatellite speaker Gaetano Pesce is giving a talk on Understandingthe Future: he was invited not just to discuss the fundamental steps in his lengthy career and his interdisciplinary contribution to the design world, but also to spark inspiration, energy and passion amongst the talented young designers in his audience. 

A fresh programme of Talks, curated by Annalisa Rosso, with a particular focus on lighting, technology and sustainability, is being held in Aurore, the Eurolucearena (Pav. 13), enriching the fair with conversations and debates involving some of the most brilliant figures on the contemporary lighting design scene. Shigeru Ban, Nao Tamura, Kjetil Trdal Thorsen and Marius Myking of Snhetta, and Andrea D’Antrassi of MAD Architects will be interviewed by an equal number of international journalists as the days go by. The focus of the conversations is sustainability and human-centricity in contemporary design, along with the importance of light –  both natural light and artificial,  and solutions for different spaces and function – which, with the latest technological innovations, have the power to improve our lives.  In addition to the Talks, there are two Round Tables on the evolutionary processes of contemporary architecture, providing crosscutting insight from leading figures in urban, sustainable, lighting and landscape design. Lastly, there’s a packed calendar of corporateworkshops, geared to trade professionals, architects, engineers, installers and technical promoters. A number of different topics will be addressed, with the aim of deepening technical knowledge around lighting design in order to come up with the necessary tools for combining functional and expressive choices in the interpretation and characterisation of spaces, thus meeting the needs of the most diverse design fields. 

“Experimental, innovative but also traditional. This is how the 61st edition of the Salone del Mobile is presenting itself to the public, the stakeholders and the institutions, confirming yet again all its power and its leadership as the most important sectoral fair in the world. I like to imagine that what is taking place in the Rho Fiera pavilions is a sort of dress rehearsal that has Euroluce as its maximum representation, and that progresses the path of change and evolution started with the Supersalone. It is still too early to say where this will take us, but I do think that Euroluce could provide the blueprint on which, along with associates and exhibitors, we could sketch out possible Salones of the future. The companies in the sector – and the final figures confirm this – have demonstrated versatility, resilience and a desire to reinvent themselves just like the Salone. The results for 2022 saw the wood-furniture supply chain up 12.7% with a turnover of 56.6 billion euros, exports up 13.3% and Italian sales up 12.3%. We are aware that 2023 will not be able to keep up with the double-digit results of the last two years, but we think that it could be the year of normalisation, the one in which raw material and energy costs finally seem to have taken a decisive downward turn, presaging a return to pre-Covid levels, and in which production really grows, not just turnover. For this to happen, companies must continue to invest in sustainability and training and look carefully at those countries in which Made in Italy design is gaining ground: India and the Arab Emirates first and foremost. The Salone del Mobile is the best opportunity to meet and introduce ourselves to new and old interlocutors. After all, this is precisely why the trade fair was set up and has confirmed its uniqueness and strength as an unparalleled multiplier of contacts and visibility for no less than 61 editions,” said Claudio Feltrin, President of FederlegnoArredo. 

Environmental, economic and social responsibility is again a priority at the 2023 edition of the Salone, which has embarked on the process that will lead it over these next few days, to achieve ISO 20121 certification for sustainable events management at the end of the event. In this regard, the Salone has considered the potential impact of building temporary spaces. To this end, for Euroluce, the Salone has worked with Formafantasma and Lombardini22 to build modular structures for Euroluce to ensure the continuity of the installation project, if inside the fairgrounds, then in other places, as was the case with Mario Cucinella’s Design with Nature. Furthermore, the Salone has involved suppliers of recycled, recyclable or reusable materials in building the common parts, and selected institutional partners whose strategies are built around genuine concern for people and the planet. It has already fleshed out the guidelines for sustainable trade fair installations, circulated amongst the exhibiting companies, and is taking steps to regenerate the resources consumed and absorb the waste produced. Testament to its commitment and to the importance of increasingly building sustainability into its strategic choices, the Salone has been a member of the United NationsGlobal Compact – the most extensive global business sustainability initiative – since 2022.

Another matter that the Salone holds dear is respect for intellectual property, in that safeguarding creativity and technical, technological and design innovation are fundamental considerations for the industry. This year, therefore, Federlegno Arredo Eventi S.p.A. is again ensuring that exhibitors at the Salone del Mobile.Milano are in a position to avail themselves of the Industrial Property Protection Service. This is designed to inform exhibitors about the content and characteristics of industrial property rights and the means available to protect them from potential infringements; providing information and technical and legal assistance in the case of suspected counterfeiting of industrial property rights and drawing up a report in the event of a product being exhibited at the event. Launched in 2015, the service aims to raise awareness among companies of the strategic importance of industrial property rights (covering models, trademarks, designs and patents), not least for the purposes of successful innovation and internationalisation. Furthermore, at this edition of the Salone, Federlegno Arredo Eventi S.p.A is allowing exhibitors an opportunity to obtain information relative to the services provided by EUIPO, the European Union Intellectual Property Office. 

Knowing how exhibitors, visitors and stakeholders experience and perceive the event, their expectations, the objectives and the desires, what motivates, interests them and what influences their decision to take part is crucial in order for the Salone to evolve in the right direction and structure content and proposals to the best of its ability, not least by looking ahead. The Salone therefore decided to avail itself again of the collaboration of LeoniCorporate Advisors, who contributed to putting the new Euroluce concept together, and who will be conducting 1,200 interviews with companies, designers, design lovers, key figures on the Italian and international cultural scene visiting the Salone. The outcome, along with the conclusions drawn by ad hoc working parties focusing on kitchen and bathroom furnishing set up over the last few weeks, will show us how to start pitching our efforts and scenarios for the next edition as of now.

One of the cornerstones of this edition is a perfect combination of digital and real, serving to exponentially enhance the experiences, the narrations and the content on a daily basis. This means the digital platform will be much busier over the next few days, thanks to our collaboration with the national and international sectoral press and with YesMilano, the city of Milan’s official promotion agency. Daily reports and interviews from the fair will feature on the different touch points – website, newsletter, app, and social networks; the new Tik Tok channel is being launched, with a special activation in collaboration with selected creators and engaging storytelling aimed at expanding the community. A new series of podcasts will narrate the protagonists of the event and all the latest product-wise; for the first time an entertaining and innovative contest, in augmented reality, dedicated to the visitors, will bring together the trade fair experience and the digital realm of the Salone; the official Salone del Mobile.Milano app has been updated with new functions and services, including augmented reality and wayfinding, a service devised in conjunction with Mazemap. Ticket purchases can now be made, details of products on exhibit can be accessed and the relative QR Codes scanned to find out all the technical details. Trade professionals can set up appointments with the companies in order to meet the interlocutors that interest them in person, while matchmaking will make it easier for the brands to make contact with visitors to their stands.  The official  Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023 hashtags are 

#salonedelmobile2023 and #euroluce2023. 

Testament to the Salone del Mobile.Milano’s ongoing commitment to inclusion, service and training, and as confirmation of its international role, the Welcome Project is up and running for the eighth year. It is the upshot of its collaboration with the Municipality of Milan, the Fondazione Fiera Milano and the city’s leading design schools - NABA, New Academy of Fine Arts, IED European Institute of Design, the Polytechnic University of Milan/Design School and Domus Academy – representing the excellence of education in the field of design and architecture. This collaboration is the cornerstone of a process of rapprochement between the worlds of school and work that is based on dialogue and the sharing of experiences and opportunities for growth. The Salone has organised welcome points at focal points throughout the city, manned by a hundred or so students, on hand to provide the public with information on navigating the city, on the fair itself and on the main events taking place in Milan this week. 

“The Salone del Mobile is back, after four years, to reclaim its normal April slot, a sign of the definitive return of the most important and prestigious trade fair event at international level. Thus, historical tradition is resumed, enriched by major new changes  on the installation front, as well as a reworked Euroluce. This shows that innovation is a crosscutting process, capable of capturing the spirit of the Lombard companies and enhancing them at the most important opportunity for  global visibility hosted by Milan - and Lombardy. This confirms the role of design as a driver of innovation and progress, and of a sector - that of wood furniture - which is the jewel in the crown of our region, and shows positive and growing returns, in terms of turnover and exports. Despite a context complicated by so many variables, first the pandemic and then the conflict, the Lombard companies are always pure avant-garde," commented Attilio Fontana, President of the Lombard Region. 

In the spirit of increasing openness to the exchange and circulation of ideas, culture and creativity, and to underscore the strength and importance of the Salone’s powerful ties with the city of Milan for the third year running, the Salone celebrated its 61st edition with a fascinating evening at La Scala. The inspiration for both the music programme and the ballet was light, which also formed their leitmotiv. In particular, it marked a world première for Andrea Crescenzi’s choreography of The Light by Philip Glass, designed and created ad hoc for the Salone and its biennial exhibition, performed by Linda Giubelli, Navrin Turnbull and Domenico Di Cristo. The event opened with Luminous, with choreography, scenery and costumes by András Lukács set to music by Max Richter, and a splendid performance by Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko, followed by The Labyrinth of Solitude, with choreography, scenery and costumes by Patrick de Bana, music by Tomaso Antonio Vitali and performed by Mattia Semperboni. Light and  20th century America provided the theme for the second half, with a programme performed by the Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Carlo Boccadoro, one of the most renowned Italian contemporary composers, and featuring the soprano Lauren Michelle. Our partnership with the Teatro alla Scala Foundation stems from the desire to marry the values common to both institutions, as well as to promote and valorise the talent of its Philharmonic Orchestra and, equally, to give the design community an opportunity to experience a unique occasion. 

“The ties between the Salone and Milan grow stronger from one edition to the next. To the extent that, over the trade fair period, the city and the event become a seamless part of each other: Milan is the Salone and the Salone is Milan. Inside and outside the exhibition spaces, there is an air of innovation, creativity, research, attention to materials, to the beautiful and the useful. The 61st edition of the Salone will amaze and fascinate visitors and tourists from all over the world. As always it will be, and is, an honour to welcome them and all the designers, architects and manufacturers of furniture and furnishing accessories coming to the city: their presence and constructive participation confirm Milan and the Salone as perfect places in which to find stimuli and inspiration and in which to narrate and give substance to ideas and projects,” 

Giuseppe Sala concluded.

The  institutional partnership between Intesa Sanpaolo and the Salone which began in 2017 continues, following a long-standing affiliation that has seen the bank committed to sectors such as design and furniture, the jewels in the crown  of Made in Italy. Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy's leading bank, is thus renewing its support for the Italian furniture, furnishings and design sector, geared to supporting companies in their efforts to reduce their environmental impact and develop their activities abroad. To reaffirm its commitment and expertise in this sector, as well as to share particularly interesting insights, Banca Intesa has organised a talk, Trends and Sustainable Perspectives of Lighting in Design, which will be held in Aurore, the Euroluce arena (Pav. 13, 12.30 pm, Thursday 20th April). Development scenarios in the lighting sector within the current context of sustainable transition will be illustrated during the session, with a focus on future design trends. 

The Salone’s partnership with Radio Deejay, Radio Capital and Radio m2o continues at the 61st edition, again providing the soundtrack – amongst other things – to the design for the whole week. The radio truck will be parked outside Pavilion 22 in Corso Italia, at Fiera Milano Rho throughout the event, broadcasting live some of the programmes in the palimpsest: music, entertainment, and information will alternate with the voices of brands, designers, architects and visitors that the DJs and hosts will bring in to provide a live narration of what’s going on and how things are at the Salone. 

The Salone del Mobile.Milano sees Federlegno Arredo Eventi and the Italian Trade Agency ICE - the government body that underpins the economic and commercial development of Italian businesses abroad and works to attract foreign investment in Italy - working closely together to devise a raft of strategic activities designed to pique the interest and encourage the participation of foreign professionals, buyers, architects, interior designers and journalists in the various editions of the Salone in particular. Again this year, ICE has lent invaluable and greatly-appreciated support to the Salone del Mobile.Milano, with a view to bringing as many skilled foreign professionals as possible to Milan, as a testament to the country’s ability to build a system that benefits businesses and regions alike.  

“The 2023 edition of the Salone is being held against a positive backdrop for Italian  furnishing exports. Accounting for more than 15 billion euros in 2022, furnishing closed 12.5% up on the previous year. The Italian Trade Agency ICE supports and assists Italian businesses with a widespread communication and internationalisation campaign, organising incoming delegations involving over 400 potential  buyers and specialist journalists from more than 80 different countries. The aim is to promote our companies’ business and make known the excellence of Italian furnishing, which combines tradition and innovation, reacting to the great societal changes, and showcasing not just furniture but also art, culture and respect for the environment,” said Matteo Zoppas, President of the ICE Agency.

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All Photo by Andrea Mariani

Salone del Mobile. Milano