by Massimo Moscati
As usual Home Appliances World dedicates a special focus on EuroCucina, an inroad only apparently off topic, considering that the Brands that produce kitchens, often operate both in the freestanding and in the built-in. On the other hand, crisis seems to have reduced the gap and increasingly we are finding built-in elements or even entire structures in the large distribution and in the specialized chains.
As you will read in this special – which begins with the interviews to Roberto Snaidero (president of Salone del Mobile), Alberto Scavolini (adviser in charge of the Kitchens Group of Assoarredo) and Giovanni De Ponti (managing director of Salone del Mobile Milano) – also this year Salone del Mobile records the sold-out and again confirms to be the must date of its sector for companies, operators and visitors: an event that can attract the attention of more than 300,000 visitors, coming from 165 countries.
Snaidero anticipated us the setting of the Fair: «At EuroCucina all news regarding high quality kitchens will be presented in response to the growing demand for functionality derived from the renewed attention of consumer. To complete the offer FTK (Technology For the Kitchen), collateral proposal dedicated to the built-in appliances and design hoods, where we will find on stage the best of technology applied to the world of “cooking” and living in the kitchen in the innovative dimension of connectivity.»
Scavolini went on about what we should expect from the event: «Stylistic perfection and practicality: these are the two ingredients that will characterize the 2016 edition. The rediscovery of conviviality of an environment suitable to gather family and friends, welcome guests and make revive the purest familiarity, requires an extreme customization with lots of finishes and materials, to create a kitchen that reflects the most different tastes and lifestyles and make it more and more elegant and functional. Another central theme of EuroCucina 2016 will be the integration between kitchen and living area: clean geometries and refined details, for a more sophisticated space that can be integrates to the living room in a more and more elegant way.»
Finally De Ponti reiterated the strategic factor of the Italian production of furnishings: «In 2015 Great Britain recorded very interesting growth trend, probably the most important together with the United States. There is a great interest for the Italian product in the Middle East, and data confirm that companies are developing their presence especially in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia. In Iran, turnovers are still small, but thanks to the work of commercial intelligence we have done over the last three years, now that the market is opening, we are in pole position and have great expectations. Then of course there is China, which continues to record double-digit growth.»