What are bathroom companies expecting from this year’s Salone?

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Falper, Cilindro accessories, design Victor Vasilev, ph. Alberto Strada

In June the International Bathroom Exhibition will be picking up where it left off in 2018. What lies ahead? We asked some of the top names in the industry

The International Bathroom Exhibition, the latest specialised event to join Milan’s Salone del Mobile family, is gearing up for its 2022 edition from 7 to 12 June at Fiera Milano, Rho.

“Exhibitors are finally returning to an in-person event for the 2022 Salone, where they’ll be able to welcome visitors and showcase their latest offerings. The event will spotlight product design and distribution, at last bringing together all the various players under the same roof. This has not happened since 2018. The 2020 show was cancelled due to the pandemic but in 2021 the Supersalone allowed us to meet again and show our products live. For obvious reasons it could not have the strength that a traditional Salone has. But having organized it and being there was still important. Now with the 2022 edition we hope to truly return to normal” comments Elia Vismara, president of Assobagno.

Businesses are also longing to get in-person shows up and running again, in hopes of leveraging their learnings from these years of on-line relationships. Francesco Safak Fila, Commercial Leader Italy of Ideal Standard reflects: “For us, the value of a face-to-face meeting is priceless, it’s key to building powerful partnerships. Businesses and visitors will be elated when the Salone opens its doors and the buzz of a live show kicks in, with throngs of people flocking through the exhibition halls and stirring up the city. Subject to contingencies, I’m looking forward to a new cross-cutting format that will deliver a Salone that’s innovative, engaging and cohesive. A standout event offering the freedom to experiment, share ideas, and come together to relish the opportunity to ponder and explore design from every angle. The Salone is where design and technology merge with history to make history.”

ART_01_CEOBagno_2_Tubes — Tubes, I Ching, design Elisa Ossino, image courtesy

The Salone is unquestionably a test bench where superb accomplishments are showcased both individually and collectively. “We are delighted to be seeing people face to face again. We’ve always regarded Milan’s Salone del Mobile as a litmust test for judging if our ideas are on the right track. The past four years have given us the chance to take existing designs in our collection to a whole new level, as well as to come up with some brand new ones. We have endured some really tough times, but relying on online platforms never cast a pall over the bright and breezy relations we have with our designers," said Stefano Brescacin, CEO of Milldue. Up to 2020, when the show was cancelled, Milldue had attended the Salone nine times in a row and now the company will be on hand at this year’s International Bathroom Exhibition with two separate spaces for their brands Noorth and Vitage.

Exhibitors have really missed coming together to compare notes on what’s been going on in the industry over the past few years. The CEO of Tubes, Cristiano Crosetta, said: “I am confident that the upcoming Salone will be a fantastic one in terms of visitor numbers and credentials. The show in June will undoubtedly attract all those keen to stay abreast of developments across the bathrooms sector. That’s what happened at the Supersalone: visitors, both trade and non-trade, thronged to Tubes from all over the world. It’s high time for Italy, and Milan - the design capital of the world - to put its best foot forward again. We are a design firm and as such we want and need to showcase our products. It’s only by talking to people face to face and drawing their attention to our latest innovations that we can demonstrate the quality we are famous for. Our online communications will continue, but that will no longer be our only channel.”

ART_02_CEOBagno_3_NOORTH — Noorth, Collezione Azuma 19.01, design Lievore+Altherr Desile Park, photo courtesy

The CEO of Falper, Luca Fallavena, emphasises that touch is a key component of designer products, which swipe gestures have not replaced over the past years of compulsory social distancing. “Face-to-face communications are as vital for boosting business and creativity as they are for building strong personal relations. Quality and attention to detail are our hallmarks, so the ability to actually touch and feel the materials and finishes is paramount. And, of course, when you meet in-person you build and nurture enduring commercial relationships. Our corporate strategy consists in hand-picking only the best dealers who understand and appreciate the brand concept, and supporting them across the board. Both our balance sheet and our upcoming expansion into a new product category proves we haven’t been idle these past two years, so we are understandably champing at the bit to get back up and running. Alongside the latest new developments in bathrooms, we will be unveiling a whole new concept in luxury kitchens at the 2022 Salone del Mobile. We’re thrilled to be bringing such ambitious plans to the show this year. It will be an in-person event and a milestone for the industry.”

The Geberit Group will be “at the International Bathroom Exhibition for the first time with its vast range of in-wall and front-of-wall product offerings under the single brand Geberit,” said Giorgio Castiglioni, Managing Director for Marketing and Communications. Returning to an in-person show is vital: “We’ve had two years of online events, and we can’t wait to welcome back visitors in the flesh to the House of Geberit, a new-concept 400 sq m space created by the Stuttgart design studio Fleitz Group. Geberit’s new 2022 product offerings will be on show for visitors to check out and handle, from collections of designer ceramics to solutions tailored to meet every requirement, and from AquaClean bidets to drinking water and drainage systems incorporating specialist skills and seamlessly combining functional design and technology, the two driving forces of the brand that work in perfect harmony.”

Stephan Tahy, CEO of Duravit, also remarked on the potential of face-to-face meetings alongside online communications: “The whole team worked long and hard to roll out this year’s new offerings, and we can’t wait to present them in person and exchange ideas with new creative talents, icons on the design scene, architects, artists and experts. We’re eager to see new faces and catch up with old ones at the show, because meeting people, bumping into them along the aisles and seeing them actually handle the products is what trade shows are all about, even in the digital age. For us the Salone is one of the leading international trade shows and it’s always special. Inspiration and creativity are palpable in a city that is steeped in design and we can’t wait to come back.”