Road to Salone 2024: networking, promotion and meetings with the foreign press

The first part of the Road to Salone 2024, the international tour devoted to promoting the 62nd edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, has reached its objective. Sharing the first information about the next edition, scheduled from 16 to 21 April 2024, meeting the leading journalists experts in the culture of home living, expanding the network by discovering and inviting new publications, establishing the trust of the media by the side the Salone for many years, and starting to build the narrative of the Salone as it evolves: from the transformation of the layout and exhibition routes to new digital services and content, passing through the return of the biennials of EuroCucina with FTK – Technology For the Kitchen and the International Bathroom Exhibition, all the way to celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the SaloneSatellite.  

The first stopover was Paris, where the press conference garnered great interest and media participation, thanks also to the talk by Patrick Jouin, an acclaimed designer as well as one of the first participants in the SaloneSatellite. Without concealing his excitement and gratitude, he recalled his first steps and the meeting with the founder and curator of the event Marva Griffin Wilshire, as an irreplaceable opportunity for a young designer. In conversation with the public, he then explored the concept of home living, which is constantly evolving, in step with unstoppable technological development. The event involved the most important editors-in-chief and design editors, from more than 20 different publications, ranging from the notable French newspapers and weekly specials (Le Figaro, Le Monde, Les Echos, Madame Figaro) to the most popular design and architecture monthlies (AD France, AD China, Art&Decoration, Elle Decoration, Intramuros, Marie Claire Maison, Numero). Fundamental for the focus sectors of the 2024 edition, bathroom furnishings and kitchen furnishings, the participation of Cuisines & Bains Magazine and Concept Bains, trade magazines with a wealth of insights into the French market and trends in the two sectors. Also bringing added value are the digital magazines Milk Decoration and Home Fashion News by their ability to share content wider and faster through the social channels. The international presence was further underlined by the participation of guest magazines from Belgium, Feeling Wonen, Gael Maison, Eigen Huis&Interieur and Switzerland’s Espaces Contemporains.  

The tour then made a stop in London in a more intimate and exclusive location, hosting the editors of 15 notable publications, namely The Financial Times, The New York Times, Ming Pao, The Wall Street Journal, Design Anthology, Disegno Magazine, ELLE Decoration, Anima, Wallpaper*, Dezeen, Cent Magazine, Jing Daily and Hypebeast. The event was also attended by representatives of the two Italian publications, the Corriere della Sera and INTERNI, as well as several freelance journalists who added prestige to the event. This special atmosphere fostered more in-depth discussions and direct relationships. The talented British designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, invited as special guests, highlighted the importance of experimenting, looking for new solutions and embracing innovation. Essential concepts always at the heart of their vision and a way of approaching design, just as happens in the broader context of the Salone del Mobile. 

More than 200 journalists from Germany were registered at the last edition of the Salone, with the country in third place as a destination for Italian furniture exports in 2022. Hence the natural choice of Berlin for the third stopover, to meet the German and German-Swiss press and share the first previews of the next edition of the fair. The meeting in Berlin enthralled a large audience of more than 40 journalists from 35 different publications. The attendance included representatives of the daily and weekly press (Tagesspiegel, Welt am Sonntag, Zeit Magazin), as well as significant participation by leading magazines in the home living and architecture sector, including AD, H.O.M.E., ARCH+, Bauwelt, Detail, Jalag, Häuser, ICON, IDEAT, Good Life, Inside, Falstaff, RTL Living, Schöner Wohnen, together with the Austrian Architektur.aktuell and Archi: Talk. The kitchen and bathroom sector, which is attracting strong participation by German companies at the upcoming biennial EuroCucina and the International Bathroom Exhibition, was also well represented with the participation of specialist magazines such as Küche & Bad Forum and Küchenhandel, Küchen News. Equally important for their capacity for coverage were the online newspapers that attended, such as baunetz-id, Herzundblut, Journelles, Maison Palme and Stylepark. The designer Konstantin Grcic’s generous participation brought warmth and passion, while stressing the importance of human design and the Salone’s commitment to sustainability. The encounter in the German capital confirmed the media’s considerable knowledge of the Salone del Mobile and their eagerness to experience the next edition of the fair. 

It is no coincidence that the journey through the four capitals of the old continent ended in Copenhagen, designated Capital of Architecture 2023, as well as the cradle of Scandinavian and world design, as Maria Porro emphasized in her speech to the press, gathered in a place rich in history and modernity. This choice was intended to bring out the awareness and commitment of the Salone del Mobile.Milano to the transition towards a more sustainable and ecological management of the trade fair, which is already ISO 20121 certified. The Copenhagen leg of the Road to Salone 2024 was a first for the Scandinavian countries, representing a unique moment of presentation of the trade fair to a group of 25 journalists from 20 different publications. Among those present were the newspapers Børsen and Sjællandske Nyheder Magazine, and specialist interior design and Scandinavian lifestyle magazines, including Eurowoman, Luxury Aficionados Ark Journal, BO BEDRE, Bolig Magasinet, Byggeri + Arkitektur, RUM International, Tiny Atlas Quarterly, designbase.dk, and Kinfolk. The event was also an opportunity to involve trade publications from neighboring countries. The editors and journalists of the Dutch bathroom and kitchen magazines Keuken & Interieur Magazine and Keuken&Design, the Finnish Asum, the Norwegian edition of BO BEDRE, the Swedish Nya Rum, Rum Hemma and Plaza, and crossing the bridge that connects it to Denmark, the representatives of the Swedish media Göteborgsposten, Sydsvenska Dagbladet and Form. Designers Luca Nichetto and Felicia Arvid, special guests in this stage, infused warmth and inspiration by talking about hybridization, mobility and nomadism in the context of design.  

On all the various legs of the journey, the enthusiasm generated by the presence and active participation of world-famous journalists and designers highlighted the leading role of the Salone del Mobile.Milano in the world of design and furnishings. Its extraordinary ability to inspire, innovate and generate connections globally is clearly recognized by the large design community that returns to visit its pavilions in Rho each year. The Salone therefore looks ahead, well aware that it represents an unmissable event on the international design scene and anticipating great future developments. 

The tour will continue in 2024 to take in the United States, visiting Dallas (23 January), New York (25 January), Las Vegas (20 February) and Chicago (22 February). The North American legs were planned and coordinated with the support of ITA – Italian Trade Agency, and in collaboration with the local branches of AIA (American Institute of Architects).