Following its touchdown in Miami during international art week, the Salone del Mobile is
back in the United States with four new destinations in its sights. A fresh round of meetings, accompanied by digital insights, for an open dialogue with the entire design community in what is a key market for the sector. The roadshow is devised to share information on the upcoming edition – scheduled from 16th to 21st April 2024 in Milan – and also to discuss topics that represent the new frontier of home living, from sustainability to technological innovation, together with the entire American design community.
The United States is the second largest market for Italian furnishing: Made in Italy enjoys an excellent reputation and design products notched up a significant volume of sales even during the first 9 months of 2023 (albeit lower than in 2022), for a value of over 1.2 billion euros. In these areas, Italian product distribution channels – single brand and specialist shops, architecture, design and engineering practices, residential and contract construction companies - remain crucial, and have always been innovative, sustainable and attentive to detail and looks.
Therefore, the roadshow is a unique vehicle for promoting all the initiatives and sharing information on the format and content of the 62nd edition in Milan: the evolution of the layout and the exhibition pathways, the return of the biennial EuroCucina and International Bathroom exhibitions, the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of SaloneSatellite with a great exhibition at Triennale, and the installations and Talks designed to trigger open discussion between business and design culture in the trade fair pavilions.
It will also provide further opportunity for reflection on the challenges of home living, hospitality and the contract sector today and going forward, and on how architecture is made.
Following its two events in Miami – a meeting with industry professionals and an exclusive networking evening organised with the architecture magazine PIN UP – the tour kicked off at The Joule Hotel in Dallas (23rd January), with a meeting during which Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, chatted to the architect Adam D. Tihany, one of the pioneers of the international hospitality sector. This was followed by a presentation organised in partnership with AIA Dallas for the Texan trade sector, in which the dual value of the event had been illustrated: – the commercial value, produced by the more than 2,000 brands that showcase their top furnishing and design products, pushing the value of experimentation, technological and responsible innovation and research.
Yesterday, 25th January, it was the turn of New York with an exclusive press event at the iconic AKA Nomad Hotel, for a discussion between Michele De Lucchi, architect and founder of AMDL CIRCLE and the industrial designer Stephen Burks. A subsequent meeting at a prestigious Midtown restaurant, organised in collaboration with AIA (American Institute of Architects) NYC, featured again Michele De Lucchi, flanked by the Lombardini22 studio – specialising in the Office, Retail, Urban, Living, Hospitality, Education, Data Centre, ESG, and Neuroscience sectors – which heads Guamari’s Top 200 rankings of Italian architecture and design companies based on turnover, and which will again be responsible for the redesign of the visitor paths and layouts at the trade fair in 2024, putting the human experience at the centre and leveraging neuroscience.
February will see the next legs take place, first in Las Vegas (20th February) , then in Chicago (22nd February), where the meeting will be held in the White City Ball Room at the historic CAC Chicago Athletic Club building, where the special guest will be the renowned engineering, architecture and urban planning practice Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), invited to talk about their project for the Olympic Village for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics, an authentic laboratory of sustainable urban experimentation, thus bringing the lengthy Salone tour to a close with an “ideal” return to Milan.
Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano: 'The Salone is back on the road with the intention of presiding over an extremely important market, the American market, which, despite the reflections and economic complexities of the last year, is once again one of the main outlets for Made in Italy design products – the second most important after France, accounting for a value of just over 1.2 billion euros – as well being an incredible place of experimentation, not least in design terms. The Salone’s role is becoming increasingly important and strategic, geared to supporting, promoting and communicating the excellence of Italian furniture in this market.'
More information:
Salone del Mobile.Milano
www.salonemilano.it