Some companies in the Brianza area (very few but very important) and some other leading Italian producers (but financially unstable) have declared that they not wanting to participate in the Salone del Mobile in Milan, which should take place in September from 5 to 10 September. These surprising refusals – without the Salone del Mobile the worldwide success of the made in Italy of the house would not exist – have caused, together with other problems, the resignation of the president of the Salone Claudio Luti. But many in Milan in the environment of designers, furniture makers themselves and companies that rotate in a very rich related industry are betting instead on its development. “The Salone del Mobile cannot absolutely miss the appointment – confirmed a design guru, Anty Pansera, Compasso d'Oro Lifetime Achievement Award and cultural reference in the sector -, controversies can only make the path for a recovery of what is the global event par excellence, the very symbol of our creativity and of an incontestable leading sector”.
But confirming that the Salone par excellence - they call it that abroad - will also be held, indirectly but with unusual firmness, the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella with a letter made known by the mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala. After all, Mattarella wanted with an unexpected stance to confirm the centrality for the Italian economy of an event that decides the exports of the entire sector, of the gigantic related industries, including the billions that enter the pockets of the tourism operators of business. Who are the companies that refuse to participate in the Show? It would seem that the very small group of furniture makers from the Italian Vendée, Brianza, of the "no" is the Poliform group. a real giant. However, through a statement from the top management of the company expressed by Giuseppe Anzani, months ago he had expressed a decidedly favorable judgment on the Show and on the presence of the group at the event. Not only Poliform but – it seems – also Poltrona Frau, which represents one of the best-known brands abroad of the best leather processing, would have denied consent to the presence in September.
But there is more behind the widespread malaise that seems to paralyze the preparations for September and that is the grumblings of many exhibitors that they would have asked the Exhibition management to return the substantial deposit for the usual reservation of the stand space. Deposit paid for the 2020 edition but which would not have been returned at all with an answer that seems to have been almost an ultimatum, sounding something like this: "If you don't participate in the September edition, you have no right to a refund". The fight was very hard and the reactions too. That of hoteliers, restaurateurs and the entire induced not only Lombard but Italian arrived immediately. And after all, the Salone is an event that every year generates well over two billion for the Lombard related industries and which over the decades has determined a value that in 2019 it surpassed with companies in the sector and related industries, over 40 billion. Lombardy and Milanese hoteliers already have numerous reservations for September and threaten very expensive retaliation if the Salone were to be cancelled.
Yet, according to sector journalists and according to the fears expressed by many trade fair operators and by Sala himself, a double danger looms on the horizon, closely linked to the fact that a large part of Italian furniture production has been taking the path of world markets on all continents, including Africa where the desire for made in Italy is growing. All this makes it much more interesting and "convenient" to participate in foreign exhibitions, in China for example, in the USA and in Europe itself. There are three competitors of the Milan Show according to gossip and fears: the German and Chinese exhibitions. Messe Berlin, for example, which has a gigantic and renewed exhibition area in the heart of the city, an enormous hotel-accommodation capacity (as opposed to Milan, which is very expensive and inadequate), three airports, very very convenient and not too long flights (around an hour, less than by car to and from Milan from Brianza, Veneto or the rest of Italy). And KölnMesse which already organizes one of the most historic exhibitions in the sector, the Möbelmesse in January, once a very strong competitor of the Milanese fair, which has since become less important.
However, Cologne has some handicaps: it is quite far from Milan, few and expensive flights as well as insufficient hotel capacity. Then there is Frankfurt with its fair in the heart of the richest city in Europe, very close to Milan (45 minutes by flight) and already strong in fairs dedicated to the home such as Ambiente, objects and ISH, plumbing and heating, bathroom and air conditioning. La China: it is becoming the most promising market for our made in Italy with a growing number of rich and very rich, in adoration of the authentic product made in Italy, it has three very important fairs dedicated to design: one in Beijing, one, the most important, in Shanghai and a very trendy one, in Shenzen, which in some ways resembles Milan as a city of cultural reference and hi-tech innovation. Were there any real offers to try to take your jewel away from Milan? Certain. And until now, the Milanese organizers have been able to act in advance by organizing a very selected copy of the Milan Show in China and other countries for some years now. What is missing from all these events? The city, Milan, with its unique mood, the proximity of the factories, e the legendary Fuorisalone.
This is what international visitors want, not just a beautiful fair: a context that enriches, electrifies and makes the days, evenings and events that revolve around the Milan Show unique. And those who owe 90 percent of the construction of a myth, good Italian design, flourishing balance sheets even with Covid and high export quotas to the Salone and to Milan, like the people of Brianza, should perhaps remember this.
