The 52nd edition of the Saloni closed on an extremely positive high, with the over 2,500 Italian and foreign exhibitors at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition, SaloneSatellite and the biennial Euroluce / International Lighting Exhibition and SaloneUfficio in the global spotlight from 9th to 14th April.

The figures: 324,093 visitors overall. 285,698 of them from within the sector, with 160 different countries accounting for 68% of total presences (compared with 63% at the 2011 edition, when the biennial Euroluce and SaloneUfficio were last held), making the Salone not just international but global. There was a major influx of visitors from all over the world: Asian, U.S., South American and African countries, and strong interest from countries within the Russian area, consolidated by the participation of a significant number of operators encompassing the entire range of goods on offer at the Saloni, particularly pieces with a high design content. A considerable number of delegations of Chinese constructors and

American architects were also seen.

"The Salone del Mobile has yet again proved itself to be the most effective promotional tool for creative excellence, a natural coming together of business and design, and an unparalleled platform for our tremendous expertise, said Cosmit president, Claudio Luti. "There was an extremely positive atmosphere during the Fair, testament to the fact that even during these tough times, innovation, design and communication are solid investment levers. The exhibiting companies made huge efforts and significant investments in order to present themselves in the best possible light, attracting the attention of international players. The numbers confirm the fact that the Fair is a vehicle that enables its exhibitors to

make the most of very real business opportunities with extremely high end operators.

"Interiors of tomorrow provided the leitmotif for this edition of the Saloni, with French architect Jean Nouvel's seminal installation "Project: office for living at SaloneUfficio, showcasing five unique and singular work scenarios illustrating the fact that a working environment has to be able to transmit creativity, inspiration and enjoyment.

"The success of this edition of the Salone del Mobile is an important signal to our companies. However, we absolutely must not let down our guard as regards the internal market, which is evidencing signs of concern that need to be tackled effectively and very swiftly, said Roberto Snaidero, president of FederlegnoArredo.

Considerable interest was also shown by visiting representatives of official bodies, witnessing at first hand the creativity and effort made by the exhibitors to secure their positions on the sector's greatest international stage. The Mayor of Milan, Giuliano Pisapia, attended the opening, with visits from Giorgio Squinzi, head of Italy's biggest business lobby, Confindustria, the President of the Lombard Region, Roberto Maroni and the Minister for Economic Development, Corrado Passera over the following days, demonstrating just how great a driver of the Italian economy the Saloni are.

"We need to start capitalising on the success of this last week without further ado - concluded Cosmit president Claudio Luti - "by going out into the regions and consolidating partnerships with those with their fingers on the distribution pulse, in order to bolster our presence on the global markets and prevent any of the effort we have put in thus far going to waste.

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