ROME: Italy’s furniture manufacturers are in an upbeat mood as they look forward to the 56th edition of the Milan Furniture Fair from April 4-9, 2017.
There will be more than 2,000 exhibitors (of which 30% are foreign), occupying over 200,000 square meters of display space, bringing in more than 300,000 expected visitors from 165 countries.
The 2017 edition will center around the Euroluce biennial (dedicated to lighting), and Workplace 3.0, which will host furniture and office systems companies and which (since 2013) has offered an improved concept, designed to respond to changes in the working world.
With around 10,000 square meters of space and exhibitions from 92 companies, Workplace 3.0 will be a testament to the sector’s recovery, explained Assufficio President Marco Predari.
This sector in particular, as a part of the interior design division, has suffered the most from the crisis over the past few years: “Production is back above €1 billion in turnover,” states Predari, “thanks above all to exports, which have shown upwards of 30% increases in the USA and the United Kingdom, crucial markets for capturing large international commission contracts.”
Sales in France have also performed well, confirming Italy’s neighbors as the number one partner for Italian companies.
This year, the Fair will be the main course in a springtime smorgasbord, packed full of events around Milan. Mayor Giuseppe Sala elaborated the details: it starts with MiArt and Art Week, leading into the Furniture Fair, the International Travel Exhibition, the new “Tempo di Libri” book show, and ends (in May) with Food Week—following the strategy of having the normal Fair and a “Fuorisalone” (fringe fair), which has greatly contributed to the success of Design Week.
The idea is an “open city,” explained the mayor, which promotes its excellence (above all, in design, fashion, and food) and creates a positive effect on the city’s image—and its tourism numbers, as well. In 2016, the number of visitors didn’t just hold steady—it increased, even in comparison with the Expo Milano 2015 year: a 2% growth which, for the months of November and December, skyrocketed to +20%.
