The organiser of Italian furniture fair Salone del Mobile, which incorporates Eurocucina, has announced that the show will be postponed until June because of the escalating coronavirus emergency.
The new dates, June 16-21, were decided after an emergency meeting yesterday of fair organiser Federlegno Arredo Eventi. The event was originally scheduled for April 21-26.
The announcement was made jointly by Salone del Mobile president Claudio Luti, Emanuele Orsini, president of Federlegno Arredo Eventi, and Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala.
In a statement, Federlegno Arredo Eventi said: “Manufacturers will be able to present their finalised work to an international public that sees the annual appointment with Salone del Mobile as a benchmark of creativity and design.”
In a video interview, Mayor Sala said: “The Salone was due to open on 21st April, but we have decided to postpone it by a couple of months. The new date is therefore 16th June. I am calling on our colleagues in the furnishing sector and the Salone del Mobile to pull together to make sure Milan doesn’t grind to a halt.
“We need to work objectively to stop this virus spreading, but we must also take care not to spread the virus of distrust. Milan has to carry on. So I would like to thank them all for this proof of confidence, because it’s not easy right now to try and appeal to visitors and convince professionals from all over the world, but I believe this is the right decision.
“It is crucial for everyone to do their bit, therefore I call on the government to intervene and provide some help for a fundamental sector for our economy.”
The number or coronavirus cases in Italy has risen to 320 with 11 deaths – nine of them from the northern Lombardy region, where Milan is situated. Eleven towns in the region are in lockdown.
Architectural and design magazine Dezeen quoted one Milanese designer as saying: “Some big Italian companies are pushing to postpone it [Salone del Mobile]. This event is very important for Italy, very expensive for the brands and if there is a risk of a big flop, I guess it’s worth moving it to another month.”