This interview was conducted with Maria Porro, President of Salone del Mobile.Milano. We thank them for taking the time to answer our questions and share their insights.
1.Could you briefly introduce your trade fair in a few words?
Salone del Mobile.Milano is the leader trade fair in the furnishing sector at international level. It is a catalyst for creativity and a symbol of how design can lead the way in addressing the complex challenges of tomorrow. Set up in 1961, Salone boasts a wide range of furnishing products, distinguished by their expressive power and their functional, technological and material innovation. Ingenuity, vision, innovation, sustainable excellence make up the lexicon of the exhibiting companies and brands. With its 2,103 exhibitors – of which: 38% from abroad from 37 countries, 168 brands participating for the first time, and 91 returnees – on more than 169,000 square meters (edition 2025), Salone is the engine of the productive furnishing system at international level attracting qualified trade operators with an increasingly consistent presence from abroad. – 68% from out of Italy. This highest ever percentage of foreign professionals was testament to the key role of the trade fair, which offered new business opportunities to 151 countries.
2. What do you pay attention to while preparing for the fair?
Salone preparation starts one year before, if not earlier. Each department focuses on different aspects, from the commercial side to the communication and digital. The common thread is quality. For the next edition featuring the biennals EuroCucina and International Bathroom Exhibition we did a strong preliminary work listening to the needs of exhibitors in order to give them the best offers: before the event, by giving them additional visibility on Salone interactive digital platform, and during the fair by activating many services such as matchmaking tools and stand appointment booking.
We will also enhance the visitor experience by creating an immersive and emotional environment that will set the Salone del Mobile apart and render it unique on the international trade fair scene.
3. What are your target markets this year? According to which criteria do you determine your target markets? Could you list the problems you encounter while bringing visitors from these markets to the fair?
Targets markets are the consolidated ones – such as France, US, Germany, United Kingdon, Spain, US – as well as the emerging ones such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, South Korea. In addition, India and Brazil are kept on the radar.
I believe that for internationalisation it is crucial to valorise trade fairs as strategic tools for drawing the new world map of markets. Salone del Mobile.Milano has always supported companies in their business strategies abroad, since its beginning in 1961.
In order to reinforce the presence and value of Salone at an international level, in these past two years we have organized a Press Road Tour all over Europe and US., from the most consolidated countries to the new markets, in order to sensibilize the Press and stakeholders to the next edition of Salone.
As far as listing the problems we encounter while bringing visitors from these markets to the fair, telling the truth we have not encountered real ones. Sometimes, it could be long for some of them to get VISA from their countries, especially from India, Cina, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Vietnam and Turkey – by the way, Turkey is at the 11th place in the Top Countries by trade operators and it is represented by 21 exhibitors. In these cases we try to help by contacting our PR agencies overthere or throughtout some contacts we have in the Embassies.
4- Competition in the market is intense, and global developments are making it increasingly difficult to access new markets. As a trade fair company, what kind of additional support do you need to withstand this competition?
As Salone, in our internationalization program we receive since many years an important and valuable support from ITA – Italian Trade Agency, the government body that underpins the economic and commercial development of Italian businesses abroad and works to attract foreign investment in Italy. Working closely together we devise a raft of strategic activities designed to pique the interest and encourage the participation of foreign professionals, buyers, architects, interior designers and journalists in the various editions of the Salone in particular. In these past years ITA has lent invaluable and greatly-appreciated support to the Salone del Mobile.Milano, with a view to bringing as many skilled foreign professionals – potential buyers and specialist journalists – as possible to Milan, as a testament to the country’s ability to build a system that benefits businesses and regions alike.
Italian Trade Agency supports and assists Italian businesses with a widespread communication and internationalisation campaign, organising incoming delegations involving potential buyers and specialist journalists. The aim is to promote Italian companies’ business and make known the excellence of Italian furnishing, which combines tradition and innovation, reacting to the great societal changes, and showcasing not just furniture but also art, culture and respect for the environment.
5- Is there anything you would like to add?
I’d like to invite you to visit to the next edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano, which will take place from 21 to 26 April 2026. It will be a great international gathering especially in these times of international market tension. The past edition, in fact, registered great expectations from new business geographies.