The Salone del Mobile.Milano Shanghai has shown itself yet again to be the unrivalled showcase for Italian brands looking to the East. The plentiful, enticing and multifaceted array of goods was much appreciated by cultured, perceptive visitors who recognise and understand the value of our manufacturing quality of made in Italy.

Now into its fourth edition, the Salone del Mobile.Milano Shanghai brought the very best of Italian manufacturing and design to the SEC – Shanghai Exhibition Centre.

The event boasted a packed and wide-ranging programme of business and cultural debate, valorising the offerings from the 127 exhibiting companies, including 25 new brands, with their blend of quality, craftsmanship and technological innovation, responding to demand from the new Chinese generation of globalised and hyper-digital under-40s, who are redrawing their own cultural references and driving the high-end market. It is a growing generation, interested both in tradition and in experimenting with different scales and different sectors, and all the various forms of design that incorporate the value “of originality.”

Visitor numbers of over 20.000 testified to the marked increase in extremely select professional attendees and to substantial and concrete interest in an event that has become increasingly recognised throughout China. The development potential is encouraging: the Italian brands have shown themselves capable of identifying appropriate sectors and channels for pursual, and are positioning themselves on the market with a precise and powerful identity.

Claudio Luti, President of the Salone del Mobile, had this to say: “We are closing the fourth edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano Shanghai with a great deal of satisfaction. The buzz and palpable optimism of the last three days have validated our instincts. China has reached a historic point at which it can embrace innovation, quality and beauty.  Italian products, in other words, whose intrinsic value they now recognise. What now remains for us entrepreneurs is to continue along the path of interface and dialogue with a great deal of realism, perseverance and a pinch of Italian creativity, while maintaining this cohesion, which means working together and with the institutions in order to boost our credibility and achieve real results. I believe this formula does represent the bedrock of our ability to create interesting business opportunities for Made in Italy as a whole.”

Italy is the leading furnishing supplier to the Chinese market. Conscious that maintaining this pole position can never be taken for granted, the Salone del Mobile.Milano Shanghai continues to invest energy and resources in order to come up with products and projects tailored to the dynamic demands of this country.

The huge volume of positive feedback from the companies, the public and the stakeholders is confirmation that the Salone del Mobile.Milano Shanghai’s strategy,  which is also geared to presenting the event as an opportunity for experiences, meetings and cultural exchange, is a key component of its “winning formula,” successfully condensing goods, protagonists and energy from East to West into a relatively small space, underpinning the commercial and cultural bridge between Italy and China with its great potential benefits for both sides.

The three Master Classes organised by the Salone are also testament to this, all packed out with over 2,000 Chinese attendees: three leading exponents of international architecture and design – Rodolfo Dordoni, Patricia Urquiola and Ferruccio Laviani – matched by an equal number of gifted Chinese designers – Li Hu, Zhao Yang and Chen Fei Bo – shared their professional and design experiences, taking stock of the current situation within the sector.

This year also marked the fourth edition of SaloneSatellite Shanghai, involving 53 young designers, confirmation of the fact that China is a true hub of opportunity, research, ideas and experimentation. The award-winners will be invited to the next edition of SaloneSatellite, held as part of the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2020.

The next appointment with the Salone del Mobile.Milano Shanghai is in November 2020.