After last year's success, the Formafantasma Arena in Hall 14 of the Salone del Mobile.Milano will host the 2025 edition of Drafting Futures. Conversations about Next Perspectives, five days of talks and round tables curated by Annalisa Rosso, Editorial Director & Cultural Events Advisor of the Salone.

Annalisa Rosso, Editorial Director & Cultural Events Advisor of the Salone del Mobile.Milano

As Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, says: "Every year, the Salone has always reinvested a great deal not only in the exhibition, but also in a leading cultural program. In an ever-changing world, we are all called to become part of a broader vision that allows us to interpret environmental, cultural, social and technological changes. For the Salone, investing in culture means investing in the future of companies, strengthening their competitiveness in the long term. Participating in the Salone means exhibiting, connecting, creating value, but also actively contributing to the evolution of the sector, within a platform that feeds the debate on future scenarios and visions".

Talk: four conversations between design and visions

This year's program, divided into two different formats, Talks (in the morning) and Round Tables (in the afternoon), will host some of the most interesting personalities in international design and beyond.

Valeria Segovia, Principal, Design Director Gensler London

On April 9, for example, Valeria Segovia, Principal, Design Director of Gensler in London, the world's largest architecture firm in terms of revenue and number of architects, with clients in more than 100 countries, will be recognized as a talented architect who has always been committed to reducing environmental impact and improving the well-being of the communities in which she works. Or architect Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative partner of Bjarke Ingels Group, who on April 10 will invite reflection on how materiality, technology and human interaction can redefine the future of urbanism. On April 11, Lesley Lokko, architect and curator of the 18. International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale and Founder and Chair of the African Futures Institute, will explain how at the heart of every project is a fundamental tool: imagination. The protagonist of the last talk, on April 12, will be Paolo Sorrentino, Oscar-winning director, who will talk to journalist Antonio Monda about the theme of waiting, which is also at the heart of his installation at the Salone.

Round tables: new business opportunities

The afternoon round tables, on the other hand, will be dedicated to comparisons between authoritative voices on very important sectors for design and architecture and will be entitled "The Business of Design: Global Perspectives on Trade, E-Commerce, and Distribution" and "The Business of Hospitality: Where Design Meets Functionality," both in English.

On Wednesday, April 9, at 14:30, there will also be a panel discussion in Italian, hosted by Intesa Sanpaolo, on "Manufacturing Excellence and Italian Style in the World: Comparing Experiences for Growth in International Markets," where they will highlight how Italian design, an expression of Italian quality and beauty, can create links with other Italian supply chains, fostering the spread of Made in Italy around the world, GDP growth and employment.

The Business of Design

On Wednesday, April 9, at 4 p.m., the panel "The Business of Design: Global Perspectives on Trade, E-Commerce, and Distribution" will host an international and diverse panel of industry experts who will discuss the business of design, a complex, interconnected and highly competitive business that combines tradition and innovation, culture and commerce, residential and contract, functionality and emotion, home and office, craft and industry, physical and digital place.

Dawei Wang, Founder and President of Classic Living Group.

The Business of Ospitality

On Thursday 10 April, also at 4 pm, the roundtable "The Business of Hospitality: Where Design Meets Functionality" will explore how high-end design can meet the needs of an increasingly sophisticated hospitality industry, with a focus on fine materials, bespoke solutions and advanced technologies. Special attention will also be paid to the role of sustainability, which is increasingly central to the development of projects and products that combine craftsmanship with technological innovation. Experts in the field will discuss how to rethink contemporary hospitality, creating exclusive, welcoming and sustainable spaces that anticipate the expectations of a demanding global public.

Pierre-Yves Rochon, Founder and Global Design Director, PYR