The Italian Lounge successfully concluded its second edition at the 56th CIFF Shanghai, establishing itself as the premier experiential platform celebrating the distinctive value of Italian design and lifestyle. Transcending traditional exhibition formats, the space emerged as a refined "bleisure" environment where Italian design products created scenarios of hospitality and sharing. Immersive sensory experiences merged with a rich program of forums and talks, giving life to a fruitful dialogue between Italian excellence and the dynamics of the Chinese market.
© CIFF
Conceived and organised by Edimotion, a company specialising in international communication and marketing for the design and furniture sector, with the valuable support of CIFF Shanghai, the space became a strategic meeting point where prestigious Italian brands, professionals, and institutions engaged in dialogue with key players in the dynamic Chinese market. The project successfully explored the potential of Italian excellence in elevating the quality standards of Chinese interiors, generating a virtuous cross-cultural exchange of mutual value.
The exhibition space, designed by Davide Pavanello Lab, offered visitors a complete multisensory experience, sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, creating a profound empathy between the stand design and the products on display. This approach infused life and distinctive character into every element, challenging impersonal contemporary design through a welcoming environment where hospitality became the common thread weaving an authentic connection between visitors and Italian excellence.
Under the artistic direction of Vudafieri Saverino Partners, an architecture and interior design studio with offices in Milan and Shanghai, The Italian Lounge established itself as the nerve centre of creative exchange between Italy and China, harmoniously uniting Italian taste with the needs of the Chinese market.
With the patronage of Politecnico di Milano - School of Design, the initiative presented an extensive program of forums, talks, and networking that garnered strong participation. Activities were coordinated by Prof. Francesco Scullica, scientific director who ensured the right balance between academic rigor and commercial opportunities.
The program revolved around the concept of "bleisure", where business and leisure merge—celebrating Italian rituals of conviviality. The opening on September 9th, titled "A toast to Italian Design", featured Prof. Scullica's keynote speech exploring the Italian approach through hospitality design, highlighting how spaces of welcome perfectly embody the relationship between design and lifestyle.
On September 10th, the "Voices of Design" forum brought together architects, designers, university professors, brands, communicators, and Italian and Chinese opinion leaders in a panel that analysed the evolution of Sino-Italian design relations. The debate moved beyond established stereotypes, exploring new dynamics in development, production, distribution, and communication, with particular attention to the strategic role of education and research.
On September 11th, the "Let's take a coffee with" talks deepened the design dimension through presentations by Vudafieri Saverino Partners and Mauricio Cardenas Laverde studios, followed by testimony from Laminam, a brand that has conquered the Chinese market with the excellence of its interior solutions.
The Italian Lounge hosted prestigious Italian brands: Laminam, Kartell, Natuzzi Italia, Delvis, L&G, Oluce, Dedar, Opinion Ciatti, and Slide with carefully selected product collections that captivated and engaged visitors. Each piece expressed the authenticity and warmth of Italian style, interpreting the values of hospitality and welcome that characterized the entire experience. A strategy that united emotional appeal with commercial substance.
The project leveraged strategic partners of excellence. CSIL, a world leader in furniture market research, provided analysis on international trends and economic dynamics. GWA, with over twenty years of experience assisting Italian companies in China, managed business development and relations. Itonica ensured a winning positioning in the Chinese market.
The positive response to The Italian Lounge lays the foundation for consolidating this platform as a strategic tool to promote Italian companies, products, professionals, and values in China in an innovative, effective, and synergistic way. The goal is to collectively disseminate—each with their own identity and potential—the values of Italian Lifestyle, developing the dialogue between Italian design and the Chinese market at future editions of CIFF and through new initiatives.
More information:
CIFF Shanghai
www.ciff.furniture
