Interview with Giovanni De Ponti

Covetedition-Interview with Giovanni De Ponti-featured

Interview with Giovanni De Ponti

August 5, 2015

 Giovanni De Ponti is the Milanese born CEO of the international trade show iSaloni that will take place in Milan between the 14th and the 19th of April. He has an Economics degree from the prestigious Cattolica University in Milan and is now serving as CEO of FederlegnoArredi srl as well as CEO for Salone del Mobile. Together with President Roberto Snaidero and their team they are the organizers of one of the most important international trade shows. He has agreed to share with us some insights on the iSaloni event for the first edition of Coveted.

Covetedition-Interview with Giovanni De Ponti-De Ponti

C : What do you love about iSaloni?

I am always impressed by the meticulous effort so full of creativity with which companies that participate at the Salone present their work. The secret of Salone is this: indomitable entrepreneurs who, for one year, take great care of even the tiniest details regarding their presence in the most important design event in the world.

C: Why is it important to visit at iSaloni this year? What are the main features?

This year, the keywords will be quality and innovation. More than 2,000 exhibitors spread across an exhibition area of ​​more than 200 thousand square meters will display the best furniture and design innovations of the year.

Next to the beating heart of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile (with its stylistic types Classic, Modern and Design), Il Salone del Complemento d’arredo and the Salone Satellite, the 2015 edition will offer all the new production proposals regarding lighting (Euroluce) and work environment (Workplace3.0/SaloneUfficio).

Covetedition-Interview with Giovanni De Ponti-Isaloni 2015

C : Which new things will iSaloni bring to Milan?  

The dialogue with the city of Milan has always been a cornerstone of our trade show. This year in particular, we have created a true “cultural alliance” with the city: with the Project Host, we will have more than 100 students that will be present in selected strategic areas of the city to give assistance to the citizens regarding public mobility in the city of Milan and also about the activities of the Salone del Mobile and all general events during the days of the fair.

Another very important thing is that the trade show this year will be among the supporters of the exhibition “LEONARDO 1452-1519”, the largest exhibition dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci ever made in Italy, which will be inaugurated at Palazzo Reale on April 15th during the days of the Salone show.

Covetedition-Interview with Giovanni De Ponti-exlusive interview

See also : CELEBRATING DESIGN WITH PIET BOON

C:Will we be meeting big design names? Can you mention a few?

All the leading designers of the world, both Italian and foreigner, will be present again this year.

I want to mention in particular the architect and designer Michele De Lucchi, one of the most important names of the international design and architecture panorama, who has collaborated on one of the most important events of the Salone this year: La Passeggiata (the walk), and it will be a large installation dedicated to the work environment, which will be hosted in Halls 22-24 within Workplace3.0 / SaloneUfficio, metaphor of the great cultural, social and economic changes.

This event will be a great opportunity for the industry, designers, architects, interior designers, to have the right incentives to look at the office space with innovative ideas.

Covetedition-Interview with Giovanni De Ponti-Isaloni

C : Is there already a list of events and conferences available for the visitors? Which ones are the main ones?

In addition to La Passeggiata by architect De Lucchi, the Salone 2015 will have a major presence in the city with the event Favilla hosted in Piazza San Fedele. Every light a voice, designed by Attilio Stocchi. In the International Year of the Light and of the biennale Euroluce, this initiative focuses in offering visitors an immersive experience dedicated to light.

Of course this year there will be Salone Satellite, 2014 Compasso d’Oro (Golden Compass) to the career, which has always been a springboard for young designers under 35.

Finally we will have IN ITALY, an initiative that wants to tell the world about Italian Lifestyle. A multimedia installation that will be at the show and also available through an App, that will contain the story of five types of Italian living styles and more than 120 videos with the history of the companies. It will be a major event involving 64 Italian companies working in the sector.

Covetedition-Interview with Giovanni De Ponti-simple

Check out as well : TREND FILE BY AMY LAU

C : What resources are available to help designers (textbooks, manuals, organizations) there?

On the website www.salonemilano.it and through the App Salone del Mobile Milano it is possible to have all relevant information on the Salone and its events.

C: What are your expectations from iSaloni?

Be the spearhead of the recovery in the sector and in Italy.