The Milan Furniture Fair was founded in 1961 and has been held each year ever since. The first edition of the fair focused on Italian furniture and attracted about 300 exhibitors and 12,000 attendees. Today’s show features over 1,300 exhibitors from different countries and more than 300,000 visitors. It is considered a leading venue for the display of new products by designers of furniture, lighting and other home furnishings which showcases the latest and finest in furniture and design.
The fair always starts on a Tuesday in April and lasts for six days. It takes place at the Fiere Milano (Milan Fairgrounds) located in the Milan metropolitan area town of Rho, occupying over 150,000 square metes. The event is organized by the trade show corporation Cosmit S.p.A.
The exhibition features three pain sections – Design, Classic and xLux. There also are several smaller exhibitions running concurrently with the Milan Furniture Fair. They include EuroCucina (International Kitchen Furniture Exhibition), International Bathroom Exhibition (Salone Internazionale del Bagno), International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition, and SaloneSatellite (an exhibition focusing on young designers).
The program of the Milan Furniture Fair is packed with exhibitions, presentations and other events covering the latest developments in the field of furniture design and manufacturing. Foreign manufacturers make up about 30% of all exhibitors at the fair, offering an impressive array of furniture and furnishing accessories.
Products exhibited at the fair include bedrooms, beds, wardrobes, dining rooms and living rooms, bookcases, hall furniture, children’s furniture (bedrooms and other furniture), occasional furniture (from CD racks and TV tables to mirrors and cocktail cabinets, and everything in between), tables and chairs, rush and rattan furniture, garden furniture, and upholstered furniture. The exhibition offers a balance between innovation and tradition.
