In April, more than 300,000 interiors aficionados from over 160 countries will congregate at the Fiera Milano for the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano. As the fair continues to gain traction with an international crowd—last year’s show featured 2,103 exhibitors from 37 countries—it has rolled out a slew of new initiatives to further consolidate its status as a global beacon for high-end design.
The brand has long held satellite shows in cities across the globe, including Shanghai and Hong Kong, but this past November, it unveiled “Red in Progress. Salone del Mobile.Milano Meets Riyadh,” a new Italy–Saudi Arabia partnership that would bring Italian-made design to the Middle East. Launched in collaboration with the Architecture and Design Commission, a Saudi institution headed by Prince Nawaf Bin Ayyaf, the initiative resulted in a Giò Forma–designed pop-up fair in the heart of the Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, with more than 200 products from 38 Italian companies, including Cassina, Flos and Poltrona Frau. “We looked to Saudi Arabia at a time when some parts of the world, including Europe, are struggling with spending power,” Salone del Mobile president Maria Porro tells Business of Home. “The Gulf is making huge strides in real estate development, and we knew they would need good products for these tailor-made projects.”
The inaugural event, which drew more than 3,000 visitors, served as a preview of a full-fledged Salone del Mobile fair that’s set to debut in Riyadh later this year. “Instead of working with a private partner, we worked with local institutions, including the Ministry of Culture, to create an event that could connect brands with developers and architectural studios,” says Porro. “This way, we’re bringing high-quality design to Saudi Arabia while creating business opportunities.”
Just one week after debuting its Riyadh edition, Salone del Mobile announced a new three-year partnership with Art Basel Miami Beach and Art Basel Hong Kong. The deal allows the fair to design the Collectors Lounge—an exclusive space for high-profile artists, gallerists and buyers—at each show, supplying VIP guests with Italian-made products to use and admire while brokering big art deals. “The lounge needed to be furnished with high-end pieces,” explains Porro. “This gives us the opportunity to showcase our companies outside of a traditional booth setting.”
The first Collectors Lounge premiered in December at Art Basel Miami Beach, with a Lissoni & Partners design showcasing collectible pieces from big-name Italian brands, such as a steel mesh sofa by Paola Navone for Emu and floor lamps by Foscarini. “Most of the products on display in the lounge sold, and several VIPs bought sofas they were sitting on,” Porro says. “This was not perceived as just a ‘meeting space’—it was aspirational.”
In March, Salone del Mobile will design and furnish the Collectors Lounge—and the main stage—at Art Basel Hong Kong. “This partnership represents both a natural and strategic step towards increasing the international visibility of our companies by presenting high-end design as a competitive asset,” says Porro.
An assortment of wider-audience initiatives is set to debut at the fair in Milan, which will take place April 21 to 26. In the spirit of collectible design, Salone del Mobile will unveil “Salone Raritas,” a curated selection of iconic pieces and one-of-a-kind objects in an exhibition crafted by Netherlands-based design studio Formafantasma. “It will also have a special section devoted to antiques,” says Porro. “We wanted to show the audience the best expression of collectible design—that you can buy a high-quality table today, and it could be an icon in 20 years. It’s an investment.”
The Milan show will also see the debut of a forum and exhibit called Salone Contract, a new initiative focused on providing the trade with tools to navigate the global contract furniture market. Though the two pavilion-wide exhibitions won’t debut until April 2027, this year’s fair will feature international panels, curated installations, and a keynote lecture by legendary Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, who helped develop the concept along with David Gianotten, his colleague at OMA.
Taken together, it’s a surprising surge of international growth for the Italian fair. “This is a sector that will only continue to grow,” says Porro. “We’re here to ask the right questions at the moment they matter.”
