This week marked the end of a successful coast-to-coast tour through Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York for Salone del Mobile.Milano. With Italian furniture exports to the US reaching €1.9 billion, the 64th edition of Salone is set to be a transformative moment for the industry. The fair returns to Milan from April 21–26 with a sold-out 169,000 sq meters of exhibition space and over 1,900 exhibitors, signaling a powerful era of growth and design diplomacy between Italy and the United States.
In 2025, in fact, the United States confirms its strategic role for the Italian wood-furniture supply chain, positioning itself in the top ten by its number of professional visitors to the Salone del Mobile.Milano. This figure reflects the deep and structural ties with the American design community, testifying to the attractiveness of the event and the ability of the Italian production system to dialogue with high- end demand, attentive to quality, innovation and sustainability. At the same time, exports to the US in January-November 2025 stood at 1.9 billion euros (Data Centro Studi FederlegnoArredo), confirming the United States as the second country in terms of export value after France.
Above: Presentation “A Matter of Salone” Whitney Museum of American Art Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026. From left: Marva Griffin, Founder and Curator SaloneSatellite; Julie Lasky, Contributor and Editor, The New York Times; Maria Porro, Presidente Salone del Mobile.Milano ©Ethan O’Grady
In the current international context, characterized by growing geopolitical and commercial complexities, with these three legs of its tour, the Salone del Mobile.Milano is ratifying its role as a strategic platform in support of the sector. The event monitors the evolution of international markets and assists companies in strengthening export diversification strategies, encouraging them to explore new commercial geographies through collaboration with the Foreign Ministry (MAECI) and ITA – Italian Trade Agency. Alongside the consolidation of relations with the US market, the Show promotes a growing focus on emerging markets in the Middle East and Asia. The objective is to broaden the growth opportunities and reduce dependence on any single target market.
The 64th edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano presents itself to the United States with numbers that confirm its world leadership. It attracts over 1,900 exhibitors from 32 countries (36.6% from abroad), 227 brands between newcomers and returns, and more than 169,000 square meters of net exhibition space completely sold out. At the heart of the edition is the long-awaited return of the Biennials, EuroCucina with FTK – Technology For the Kitchen (106 brands from 17 countries), and the International Bathroom Exhibition (163 brands from 14 countries), together with SaloneSatellite with 700 designers under 35 and 23 international schools and universities.
But the 2026 edition also marks an evolution in the event’s content and architecture. Salone Raritas (Pavilion 9), a new platform dedicated to collectible design, limited editions, antiques and fine
manufacturing. is making its debut, curated by Annalisa Rosso and with the exhibition design by Formafantasma. This is an unprecedented bridge between specialist production and the design market. Featured artists include Nilufar Gallery (Milan), Side Gallery (Barcelona), Hering Berlin, Mercado Moderno (Rio de Janeiro), Brun Fine Art (London–Milan) and ParadisoTerrestre (Bologna), along with collaborations such as Herzog & de Meuron with Marta Sala Éditions and Salviati with Draga & Aurel. The project includes participation by Mouromtsev Design Editions with Job Smeets (Dubai), Matera (Netherlands), Xavier Lust (Belgium) and Parasite 2.0 with Bianco67 (Carrara). Through these presences, Salone Raritas will foster a dialogue between collectible design and the realms of architecture, hospitality, and contemporary contract projects. This highlights the increasingly significant role that one-off pieces and limited editions are playing in defining the identity of a space. The United States is one of the most mature markets for collectible design, where galleries, designers, real-estate developers and cultural institutions are integrating one-off works into architectural projects and public spaces.
2026 also marks the start of the path towards the Salone Contract with its Masterplan entrusted to Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten (OMA). In 2027 it will officially open with a new look at the guidelines dedicated to hospitality, retail, marine and real estate: sectors that are booming globally and of particular interest in the North American market. The project was created to dialogue with the global market of large integrated projects, a sector that today exceeds 1,000 billion dollars in value internationally. In this scenario, the United States represents one of the most advanced laboratories for this model, where architecture, real-estate development and the design industry operate in deeply interconnected ways.
Salone del Mobile.Milano as Strategic Platform
From left: Hon. Giuseppe Pastorelli, Consul General of Italy in New York; Marva Griffin, Founder and Curator SaloneSatellite; Maria Porro, Presidente Salone del Mobile.Milano; Luca Palermo, CEO FederlegnoArredo Eventi; Julie Lasky, Contributor and Editor, The New York Times; Marco Verna, Director ITA – Italian Trade Agency, Miami ©Ethan O’Grady
Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, stated, “In a phase of global uncertainty, the Salone del Mobile.Milano is strengthening its role as a strategic platform for companies and the market, guaranteeing continuity, reliability and a long-term vision for the entire design system. The United States remains a vital partner. It consistently ranks among the Top Ten by professional attendance at the Salone, confirming the strength of the bond with the American design community. The roadshow in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York reinforces established relationships and presents the narrative of an edition that continues to evolve in content and format. This open dialogue is with a key market that, in the first eleven months of 2025, remains the second-largest destination for the Italian wood-furniture supply chain, accounting for €1.9 billion in exports. With Salone Raritas and the path leading to Salone Contract, we are expanding the scope of the Salone project, opening up new trajectories and strengthening the role of Made in Italy as a reliable partner on the international level.”
Marco Verna, Director of ITA – Italian Trade Agency Miami, comments, “The synergy between ITA and the Salone del Mobile represents much more than a simple promotional collaboration. It is a strategic tool of economic diplomacy. In an international context marked by new trade tensions, redefinition of value chains and growing global competition, the American market remains crucial to the success of Italian design. Initiatives such as these Roadshows strengthen the presence of Made in Italy in the United States, enhancing identity, quality and innovative capacity. The collaboration between ITA and the Salone del Mobile becomes a model of integrated promotion, capable of supporting the competitiveness of Italian companies and consolidating the role of design as an ambassador of Made in Italy worldwide.”
The roadshow in the United States is part of the broader strategy of internationalizing the Salone del Mobile.Milano. During 2025 and 2026 it has already traveled to the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain, and is looking with increasing attention to emerging markets such as India and Saudi Arabia, as well as consolidating its partnership with Art Basel, launched in Miami and which will continue in Hong Kong. This represents an unprecedented alliance between two leading platforms of contemporary creativity.
