The 57th edition of the Salone del Mobile at Fiera Milano Rho will take place from 17th to 22nd April.

I'll try to help you to organize your stay if you are planning to visit this event.

Why to visit Salone Del Mobile?

If you ask me why to visit Salone Del Mobile I will list several reasons. Here are some of them:

• It is reference International event in the sector
• It is meeting place for business
• It is appointment for creative people
• It is the best place for presenting newly designed product
• It is platform for young designers all over the world
• It is connection point of business and design
• It is showcase of technological innovations
• It is a laboratory for experimentation and research
• It is a place for promotion of the new trends
• It is a place with many parallel design events
• It is the best concept for design promotion and growth

All stated above are facts, but for me, the atmosphere in Milan during the Fair is very important. It is something you must experience yourself because it is hard to describe.

The spirit of Design gathers around different events so many people: professionals, architects, designers, design lovers…from different countries…under Rho Fiera, in Milan downtown or in different Milan’s suburbs. This atmosphere happens in front of your eyes contribute to the awareness that you are in the center of the international capital of design. The whole Milan becomes the best showcase for the Fair and on the other side, the Fair become the best Milanese brand.

What to expect

For the first time form its establishment, Salone issued Manifesto as a declaration of intent, with the base for a new way of thinking, working and designing. The 57th edition of the Salone del Mobile, Milano was presented during the Press conference which took place at the Bocconi University on the 7th February 2018.

On the Fair, you will have a possibility to choose what to visit: 3 style furniture categories: Classic: Tradition in the Future, Design and xLU; than EuroCucina with FTK (Technology For the Kitchen) or Bathroom Exhibition. The 205,000 sqm of exhibition space with 2,000 exhibitors on display will not be possible to visit the whole.

Detail Plan of the visit with priorities and timing is necessary if you want your stay in Milan to be successful.

* PREVIEWS SALONE DEL MOBILE 2018: Bellini designed an imposing round table for Natuzzi Italia, equipped with a thick top (cm 1,5) of extra-clear glass of two meters of diameter. Called Torsion, it has as support a weave of six petals of solid olive wood, which opens to support the glass top.

During Salone Del Mobile I never miss:

• SaloneSatellite: this year it will host 650 young designers under 35 and their works will explore the relationship between heritage and the contemporary, between the new technologies and craftsmanship.

SaloneSatellite will give emphasis to designers from the Southern Hemisphere. The part of the exhibition devoted to designers from Latin America will be curated by brothers Humberto and Fernando Campana, and the African part by the Franco-Moroccan designer Hicham Lahlou.

An international jury will select the 3 best projects. They will receive The SaloneSatellite Award and will make the new connection between creativity and production.

• Material ConneXion space as an inexhaustible source of the smart, sustainable materials and innovative ideas of its application on the industrial product.
• Publishers corner: I like to review offers and latest releases of the newspapers, magazines about architecture&interier I never miss DDN, Domus but consider all the others.

Downtown

After the Fair closing hours (6.30Pm), it will be nice to have a rest with an afternoon cup of tea with fruit tarts or famous Milan's Campari cocktails. I am sure that you can find a cozy place for both in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

Nearby in Piazza del Duomo, in front of Palazzo Reale will be an exhibition-installation Living Nature. The 500m2 space will be developed with the Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA) and Barbara Römer with the aim to explore whether space: urban or domestic, can become more human-friendly through the sustainable use of natural resources.

For the evening, visit some restaurant and taste excellent Italian food. My recommendation is restaurant Giacomo Arengario which is part of the Museo del Novecento complex. You can have a cafe, aperitif or dinner and in the same time enjoy the breathtaking view on the Duomo and the Piazza from the third floor. The dreamlike view adds the quality of the fine experience at the restaurant. Reserve a table by the window for the best view!

Fuorisalone

Many events in the city during Milan’s Design Week feature longer opening hours and will not compromise your visit to the Fair.

The group of events and exhibitions that animate the entire city of Milan during the weeklong Salone del Mobile are named Fuorisalone. Both events Salone del Mobile.Milano with Fuorisalone forms the Milan’s Design Week. The events vary from the introduction of new collections of the important brands, presentation of the latest trends to the prototypes of the yang, unanimous designers.

This year Fuorisalone recognizes a series of main districts: Porta Venezia, San Babila, the ’5 Vie’, Sant’Ambrogio and San Gregorio, plus more dedicated projects where the majority of happenings are concentrated.

The number of events at Milan Design Week last year reached 1492.

Some professionals (architects and interior designers) are less and less willing to independently look for events to attend. If you are the case and need support in planning your tour, you can look for Architectours. In collaboration with Fuorisalone they present Percorsi: a thematic itineraries project that will lead you through the multitude of events and locations during Milan Design Week 2018.

It is too early to know exactly the programme of Fuorisalone 2018 yet, I hope you will find useful information here.

Accommodation &Transport

I prefer to book accommodation near the route of M1 - red metro line. With M1 - you will have a possibility to reach from your Hotel/apartment directly to Rho Fiera. You will save time but will not avoid the crowds on the subway (especially on Duomo, Cadorna, Porta Venezia or Loreto station). Take care, M1 is from Sesto 1º Maggio with two different branches: one to Rho, the other to Bisceglie.

PREVIEWS SALONE DEL MOBILE 2018: Torsion deserves to stay at the center of space, as a sculpture, thanks to a design capable of enhancing the evocative power of the olive wood support, which is twisted, like the centenary plants of Puglia, bent by the winter wind.

This year, visitors will have the possibility to buy discounted tickets for urban transport and fairground entry thanks to a special agreement between Municipality of Milan and the city transport system ATM.

I suggest you not to miss this year Salone del Mobile.Milano as one of the most important events in design. You will see abundant results of successful strategy not only of the Fair but for industry sector and much more than that.

Enjoy your stay in Milan and please let me know if you think it is necessary to add something to my post.