Eurocucina – What’s New for 2008?
If you missed the 2008 Eurocucina (Milan, April 16th-21st), you’ll need to wait 2 years to attend the next one… In the meantime, here are a few highlights.
One of the most interesting comments that you hear from many of the show attendees is that it almost seemed like the entire show is designed by one company… So many of the products are so similar to each other, using the same colors, materials and features that by the tenth stand, you are starting to get the feeling that you’ve seen this kitchen in front of you already.
The truth of the matter is that many of the products are indeed very similar. The first reason is because it is very difficult to ‘re-invent the wheel’ over and over again, year after year, so the amount of innovation and the level of invention are somewhat limited.
Another reason for the similarity between the companies’ products is the fact that they are all influenced by the current trends/colrs/fashion, they are also influencing each other and to some degree copy each other. Therefore, if they do not have a brand new look, a ‘design first’, there is a very good chance you’ll see it everywhere.
Add to that the fact that all the manufacturers are sharing the same suppliers and some of the same sources – that alone will limit the amount of new looks you’ll be able to present.
With all of the above said, some brands are always working harder and are able to come up with something new. It may not be a complete ‘design-break-through’ every time, but at the least it will be an attempt in achieving one. These companies belong to the small and very exclusive group of the ‘trend setting’ brands – they are the ones that set the tone, the ones everyone is watching and the ones that will be copied.
A couple of great examples of the companies that displayed new and exciting designs this year were Marchi and Pedini – one is very tradinional with an ‘old world’ feel, the other is ‘cutting edge’ contemporary. They are always located side by side, at Eurocucina – always showing brand new designs and never disappointing.
Above: Marchi Group
Above: Kitchen Design By Marchi.
Above: Pedini
Above: ‘Dune” by Pedini.
Above: “Dune” by Pedini.
It is not easy to keep coming up with new designs, or to find new materials that can be used to create ‘the new look’. For that purpose, these companies are hiring the services of very talented designers, architects and design firms. Some are coming from different industries and are making the ‘cross over’ to the kitchen design field from other areas. Lately it is the automobile designers that are entering the kitchen arena (Pininfarina, for Snaidero, Porsche for Poggenpohl and Lamborghini for Pedini.
Eurocucina – The Greatest Kitchen Show on Earth!
Every two years, the world’s kitchen industry people are gathering in Milan for Eurocucina – the biggest, best and actually the only international kitchen trade show. It is the most importent section in the Salone Internazionale del Mobile (the International Furniture Show).
Until a few years ago, there were two international kitchen industry trade shows – one in Milan, Italy - Eurocucina and on in Cologne, Germany – IMM. One year everyone went to Milan and then the following year, they all attended Cologne. While Milan featured mostly Italian kitchens Cologne focused on the German brands (In total, the Italian and German kitchen companies are producing most of the kitchens in Europe. Germany produced nearly 4 billion Euro worth of kitchens in 2006!).
Several years ago, something started changing – the higher-end German companies stopped exhibiting in Cologne and instead, chose to create in-house fairs, at their factories, for their own clients and invited guests only. It saved them lots of money, they kept the displays at the factory showrooms and they kept their clients “in house” without needing to compete on their attention.
Slowly but surly, the other German companies followed and not before long, the Cologne show lost its momentum and became not so relevant anymore, at least not for the non-German kitchen industry.
As a result of the Cologne show slowly ‘dying’, the one in Milan got stronger and became the main and really the only international trade show for the kitchen industry. More and more German manufacturers started exhibiting in the Milan show and some brands from other countries as well. If in 1995 there were only 2 non Italian exhibitors, in 2006 the number reached 21. The exhibit area grew from almost 20,000 sq. meters, in 1995, to 33,778 in 2006. Though the number of Italian visitors remained almost the same in these 11 years (92,058 in 1995 – 99,747 in 2006) the non Italian visitors numbers ‘jump’ from 58,562 to 123,391!
The Italian companies have always treated Euro Cucina as ‘a must attend event’. The export manager of Pedini Cucine, Mr. Simone Gennari says:” We have to exhibit at Euro Cucina. If you are an Italian kitchen company that wants to be respect, you must exhibit here, every time. My clients expect us to be here and show our new models and all of our competitors are here as well – to show their product and see what we do”. For this specefic reason, Pedini nearly doubled it’s stand in Eurocucina this year, to 300 sq. meters.
So, if you haven’t booked your airline tickets and hotel room in Milan for this April – do it now! It may be already too late…
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