From 22nd to 27th April 2009, for the fourth time, the extremely functional and exceptionally visitor-friendly layout of the exhibition space at the Milan Fairgrounds at Rho will play host to the Saloni, which is being organised by Federlegno-Arredo and Cosmit. This year will comprise the 48th edition of the Salone internazionale del mobile, the 25th of Euroluce, the 23rd of the International furnishing accessories exhibition, and it will also mark the 12th anniversary of SaloneSatellite.
Great projects, great displays and great crowds will form the basic ingredients of what is universally recognised as the key event per excellence at global level in the home furnishing /contract sector: the Saloni, which will occupy over 220,000 square metres of exhibition space at the Rho fairgrounds – which, during the previous edition of the Saloni, played host to 348,452 sectorial operators of whom over 210,000 came from 160 foreign countries, 30,373 visitors who attended on the Sunday when the exhibition was open to the public, 4,968 journalists from 69 countries and 2,659 exhibitors. The publicity page for the forthcoming 2009 edition proudly bears the masthead “The Event” embracing the I Saloni logo.
The prevailing atmosphere is one of optimism, therefore, despite the challenging global economic situation. Carlo Guglielmi, the newly-elected president of Cosmit has this to say “I believe that our duty is one of reassurance and of creating new stimuli that will lead to renewed consumer demand in both Italy and abroad. Our businesses and the small and medium-sized ones in particular, need to be able to engage with a positive and receptive market and one that is open to stimuli for on-going research, continual product and marketing innovation.”
As always, there will be an infinite range of offerings, showcasing every possible type of domestic furnishing, from stand-alone pieces to coordinates, and every possible style, from classical to design to modern, not to mention trendsetting. The all-encompassing range of top quality goods on display at Euroluce, the International Lighting Exhibition. SaloneSatellite, will be held again this year, with its line-up of creative young talent at the service of businesses.
The two worlds of furnishing and Light will also be the protagonists for the two collateral events that have been the hallmark adjuncts of the Saloni for many years, events that transcend the physical boundaries of the exhibition space, and are traditionally held in Milan’s most prestigious locations, with their bold fusions of design, art, fashion and food, and explorations of their tangential connections. A major exhibition – conceived and overseen by Luigi Settembrini − will be devoted to modern and antique furnishing, tying them in with a special pedigree mapping out the origins of Made in Italy. Again this year we will be working in partnership with the Municipality of Milan which, for the third time, has offered us its prestigious headquarters at the Palazzo Reale as a venue for the exhibition.
Light in all its infinite and spectacular variations will be the focus for the other event, which will be held against the backdrop of Milan, a veritable homage by the Saloni to the city itself, underlining the close link between the exhibition proper and the urban fabric.
