The 61st edition of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile took place in Milan not so long ago – the exhibition was closed on April 23, 2023.
This trade fair has a long history that started back in 1961, when it was organized to promote Italian luxury furniture and boost its exports. Over the years, the Salone del Mobile has evolved into a well-known and influential trade exhibition, with a number collateral events, such as those devoted to kitchen furniture and equipment, lighting fixtures, workplace environment, bathrooms, and various accessories related to interior design. The Salone also features SaloneSatellite, which allows young designers to showcase their innovations.
The statistics are already available, and these numbers show that this year’s Salone scored a great success.
For the six days of the 61st edition, from 18 to 23 of April, as many as 307,418 people from 181 countries attended the fairgrounds of Fiera Milano Rho. Compared with the last year’s edition, it is 15% more.
About 2,000 brands exhibited their products. 34% of the exhibitors were from 37 countries other than Italy. So were 65% of the visitors, many of whom were trade professionals and bulk buyers.
Almost a half of 5,400 accredited journalists, who covered the event, were from abroad, which proves how important and influential Salone del Mobile is.
The Salone Satellite, the collateral event intended for emerging talents, this year attracted 550 young designers all over the world.
As you see, now the Salone del Mobile is a global event, in all senses of this word. No wonder that Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, noted: “The 61st edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano was an international success and we are really delighted that it exceeded expectations.”
The Digital Opportunities
What is more, the number of visitors to the live event actually is the tip of the iceberg. Let’s not forget about the Salone’s digital platform. It was launched on 30 June 2021 and quickly became indispensable. The platform showed itself extremely well at 2022 event, and in 2023 its services became an inseparable part of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile. And that’s not to mention that the platform has already become a user-friendly meeting place for members of the global design and business communities could communicate all year round.
The platform gives its registered users, who mostly are brand representatives, individual designers, and businesspeople, free access to a number of amenities that greatly expand their possibilities. Between exhibitions, users can introduce themselves, pre-arrange future live appointments, and communicate with one another online. Brands can announce their collections and get feedback well before the exhibition.
During the event itself, users can save plenty of precious time and get useful information, such as news in real time, as well as announces of, say, workshops and other activities, to name a few.
Along with the platform, there were applications, newsletters, push notifications and social networks that covered every minute of the event in real time from lots of points.
During the Salone del Mobile.Milano, about a million unique visitors accessed the website, with the total number of page views exceeding seven million. The recently updated Salone’s application, featuring a handy interactive mapping service, registered about 350,000 sessions during the six days of the event.
Bellavista Collection at the Salone 2023: Years-Old Bestsellers Next to Novelties
According to its long-standing tradition, Bellavista Collection brand groups its showpieces, so that they formed several complete interiors: a dining-room, a living-room, a bedroom, etc. It means that the brand’s exhibitor booth looked and felt like an apartment, furnished in Bellavista style.
Year after year, each of the brand’s collections, prepared for a particular trade event, has a general idea that united all the exhibits. For example, last year’s display was devoted to Beauty of Nature. The concept of this year’s collection could be formulated as ‘The Excellence of Minimalism’ or ‘Less is More’. Strict lines and shapes, no excessive decorations, well-though-out simplicity – that’s what Bellavista’s new designs are all about. Recently created pieces, such as DOMINO coffee table, DIONISO bed, GEISHA bench, or MARGARETH bookcase perfectly illustrate it.
What is also special about Bellavista Collection’s display at the Salone 2023 is that the complete novelties and years-old bestsellers are mixed up, forming exciting ensembles. The items harmonize with one another remarkably well: in fact, you’ll never tell that, say, JOSEPHINE sofa and CAROL floor lamp were designed as long ago as in 2013.
FILIPPO sofa, initially created in 2015, was revamped specially for the event. It became even more comfy, and its size was better adapted to its future owners’ needs. IGNIS sconce was first showcased in 2017; ISABELLA floor belongs to Dulcechina Collection, created in 2018; ADALPINA floor lamp with a pivoting tray was designed in 2019… If you take a closer look at them, you’ll have no chance of guessing it, and for a good reason.
Attilio Zanni, one of the two brothers who founded the brand back in 2010, is a brilliant designer with a unique talent. All the pieces he creates will never go out of fashion, because he doesn’t follow its trends – he creates timeless beauty. That is why, Bellavista Collection can freely combine dozen-year-old bestsellers with brand-new pieces, creating irresistibly beautiful ensembles, where each item is on its proper place. The fact that some of Bellavista’s pieces shown this year already turned heads at some previous edition of the Salone, doesn’t matter much: each time such a showpiece feels differently indeed.
The Salone Internazionale del Mobile proves how creative energy of people, their aspiration, and faith in victory can help accomplish seemingly impossible things. Now that the 61st edition is over, its participants don’t rest on their laurels: they continue the ever-lasting process of creating new beautiful things that bring beauty and comfort to people’s life. And, of course, many of these people are already looking to the next edition of the Salone, which will take place from 16th to 21st of April, 2024.