Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024: this is how it went

Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024 - Ph. Alessandro Russotti

The 62nd edition of the event confirms its leading role on the international scene, with its combination of research, experimentation and innovation, and recording growth of +20,2% over the 2023 edition

The Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024 attracted participation by over 1,950 exhibitors from 35 countries. In terms of attendance, the event registered a record turnout: total attendance was 370.824 (+100,000 presences compared to 2022), totaling +20.2% over 2023. Excellent results in attendance by operators, which recorded +28,6%, with 65,6% from abroad.

In the top 15 of the market geographies, China recorded a great comeback, followed by Germany, Spain, Brazil, France, the United States, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, India, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan and Austria. An atlas that has opened up new business opportunities thanks to the numerous delegations from the United States, India, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia.

The presence of the press also grew significantly: there were 5.552 accredited journalists and communications experts for a total of 6.976 admissions (49,8 % from abroad). The numbers recorded on the days open to the public grew: 36.122. There was an increase in the number of Italian and foreign students, now standing at 14.683, of whom 9.066 were Italian (+35,9%), with an overall average growth of 28,6%. During the 25th anniversary of the SaloneSatellite, these young people accepted the invitation to discover the potential of a sector that generates significance and beauty with a mix of multidisciplinary skills, in line with the blue and green transition anticipating the future of the new generations.

The Salone del Mobile.Milano confirms its role as a landmark event in the sector, which this year featured the Biennial EuroCucina / FTK, Technology For the Kitchen and the International Bathroom Exhibition as key showcases. The Salone is a cultural event, as well as a venue for making business deals and networking, capable of attracting qualified operators including buyers, architects, interior designers and media from around the world. The week not only fostered professional interactions but also encounters focusing on the culture of the project, as shown by the rich program of events which included dissemination, training, debates and discussions. To these were added the installations “Interiors by David Lynch. A Thinking Room” by the famous American filmmaker, “Under the Surface” by Accurat, Design Group Italia and Emiliano Ponzi, and “All You Have Ever Wanted to Know About Food Design in Six Performances”, together with Design Kiosk: the temporary space of the Salone in the city.

Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, comments: “The 62nd Salone del Mobile.Milano has exceeded all expectations. It has been a record-breaking edition. We recorded exceptional results, thanks to the trust of an ecosystem that, once again, recognized the event’s international leadership. With 370.824 visitors, the Salone is once again a unique event worldwide, an essential bridge with the new geographies of markets: an intercontinental city open to innovation, where competition accelerates the competitiveness of a key sector for the country’s economy and beyond. A great factory of meaning and lasting value, products and employment, material and immaterial culture.”

A decisive contribution came from the ITA – Italian Trade Agency the Italian government agency that supports the economic and commercial development of Italian companies abroad, attracting foreign investments to Italy. Again this year, the ICE provided the Salone del Mobile.Milano with important support in drawing attention, bringing the largest number of qualified international operators to the fair, with invitations to over 220 buyers and 240 journalists from 64 countries who had the opportunity to meet the exhibiting companies. Also important was the close collaboration with Fiera Milano, which contributed to the production of the event.

Claudio Feltrin, President of FederlegnoArredo says: “It was a truly exceptional edition and rewarded the extraordinary work carried out by exhibitors in one year. Once again, the entrepreneurs accepted the challenge and after 62 years, we can say with certainty that we are the undisputed leaders, capable of attracting design worldwide to the pavilions at Fiera Milano, Rho, confirming the Salone di Milano as the most important international trade fair in the sector. The secret? Genius, vision, determination and that unrepeatable “industrial craftsmanship” that only our products can express. The companies and the wood-furniture supply chain are the economic driver of this umpteenth success, of which we are proud and which it is our duty to continue to enhance, as an expression of the great system that is Italian design. We have done so and will continue to do so, aware that the Salone del Mobile.Milano is first and foremost a business fair that allows even the youngest firms to exhibit their products to such a vast and specialized public, which they would hardly be able to reach individually.”

Great enthusiasm from the international design community. The success on a global scale is confirmed with a multi-channel live narrative of the main innovations at the 62nd edition of the event. The numbers reached by the digital resources exceed expectations: over 1 million interactions (+50% vs 2023) with an engagement rate of 60%, and 90 million impressions (+15% vs 2023). The app’s results in terms of service use were excellent, from matchmaking, which recorded a growth of over 40%, and interactive map navigation, with over 450,000 searches.