Europe’s largest kitchen trade fair – EuroCucina – scheduled to run from April 21 to 26 in Milan has now been postponed until June 16 to 21 2020, amid fears of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.
A statement shared by the event organisers said: “Following an extraordinary meeting of the board of Federlegno Arredo Eventi, and in view of the ongoing public health emergency, the decision has been taken to postpone the upcoming edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano to 16 to 21 June.
“Confirmation of the change of date for the trade fair – strongly supported by the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala – means that the manufacturers, in a major show of responsibility, will be able to present their finalised work to an international public that sees the annual appointment with the Salone del Mobile.Milano as a benchmark for creativity and design.”
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala shared the following statement via video on Twitter: “I am calling on our colleagues in the furnishing sector and the Salone del Mobile to pull together to make sure Milan doesn’t grind to a halt. We need to work objectively to stop this virus spreading but we must also take care not to spread the virus of distrust. Milan has to carry on so I would like to thank them all for this proof of confidence because it’s not easy right now to try and appeal to visitors and convince professionals from all over the world but I believe this is the right decision…”
Appliance Retailer reached out to major appliance exhibitors for their response to the delay of EuroCucina.
Bertazzoni said: “Major world problems often have these effects on our best business plan executions – the Milan Show is a cornerstone of our messaging for the world market. The decision was taken away from us as although our major retailers and key designers were locked in individual health concerns far outweigh anything that we could have shown at EuroCucina. Looking forward to this epidemic being dealt with and reconvening in June.”
Electrolux said:“The delay is disappointing as we have a lot of product to showcase but we look forward to presenting this in June.”
Miele said: “It’s understandable that the organisers have chosen to delay the event in order to protect the health and wellbeing of visitors and exhibitors.”