I get this call every year: “Stephen, I’m going to Salone… what should I do?” And I always ask the same question. Have you been before? Because if the answer is no, I already know how the week is going to unfold. Too many meetings. Too much running around. A schedule that looks great on paper and completely falls apart by Tuesday afternoon. By Thursday, you’re exhausted, and if I’m being honest, not entirely sure what you actually saw. I’ve done it myself.
The first time I went with a real schedule, I treated Milan like New York. Tight calendar. Back-to-back meetings. Moving fast, thinking I was being efficient. By the second day, I was late to everything, standing outside a showroom in Brera, checking my watch like it was going to help. Someone I was with looked at me and said, “Relax, you’re in Milan.” That was the lesson. You don’t rush Salone. It pushes back.
Now, when I go, it’s different. At The Viscusi Group, we go with a purpose. Yes, we see product, of course we do, but we’re there for the people. This is one of the only weeks of the year where the entire industry shows up without walls. Clients, candidates, founders, sales leaders, people thinking about expanding into the U.S., and others quietly thinking about making a move. That’s what matters. If you know how to read a room, you can learn more walking through Milan for three days than you can sitting behind your desk for three months.
This year, 2026 has a different feel. More focused. There’s a stronger pull toward the collectible side of design moving into the main conversation. That world has always been there, but now it’s front and center. At the same time, contract is carrying more weight. Real projects. Real scale. Hotels, offices, global development. The people in those rooms are making decisions that directly affect hiring, expansion, and growth. And it’s a kitchen and bath year, which always shifts the dynamic. Different buyers, different priorities, more overlap between residential and commercial thinking. If you’re paying attention, it tells you exactly where the market is going.
I was talking about Maria Porro, and that’s not a casual conversation. Maria runs Salone. She sets the direction for the fair globally and works closely with brands, governments, and the design community to shape what this week becomes. So when she talks about where design is going, it matters. She said something that stayed with me: design must come back to people, how they live, how they feel in a space, not just what they see. That was the spirit of 2025. This year feels more grounded. Less talk. More substance. What things are made of. How they last. How they’re used. That’s a meaningful shift, and you can feel her influence in that direction.
Now let me tell you what most people won’t. You do not need to see everything. In fact, you shouldn’t. Go to Rho, you must, but don’t try to conquer it in one day. You’ll burn out before lunch. Pick your spots. Get there early. And leave with some energy left, because Milan in the evening is where the real work begins.
Walk the city. Stay central if you can. Learn the Metro. The red line will save you. Do not rely on cars. Milan traffic during Salone will make you question every decision you’ve made. Give yourself time. Double whatever you think you need.
And slow down, especially when it comes to meals. I watch Americans rush through lunch like it’s something to check off. Standing, scrolling, halfway paying attention. You’re missing the whole point. Sit down. Order properly. If someone invites you to lunch or dinner, you go. Some of the best business I’ve ever done didn’t happen in a meeting. It happened over a long lunch that turned into coffee, and then something else. That’s how relationships are built there.
The parties, everyone chases them. The right invite, the right room, being seen. Fine, go. But I’ll tell you this: some of the most valuable connections I’ve made didn’t happen at the loudest party. They happened after. Smaller dinners, quieter conversations, the moments when things settle. That’s where people actually talk.
Be sure to spend time with Haworth and really understand what they’ve built with their lifestyle brands. When I started my first job out of college there, I never imagined they would evolve into what they are today: a true global platform, not just an American company showing up in Europe. Look at the Haworth Lifestyle portfolio: Poltrona Frau, Cassina, Cappellini, JANUS et Cie. This is American discipline meeting European design heritage. And it works. Residential, workplace, hospitality, it all starts to blend. If you want to understand where our industry is going, spend real time there. That’s a blueprint, especially if you are an American brand.
A quick word on Americans. Lower the volume. Ask questions. Listen more than you speak. Don’t walk into a conversation and immediately talk about what you need. Take a minute. Understand who you’re with. There’s a rhythm to how business is done there. If you match it, doors open. If you don’t, they close, and no one will tell you why. And dress well. Milan notices everything.
From where I sit at The Viscusi Group, this is one of the most important weeks of the year. You hear things. Who’s growing. Who’s struggling. Who’s looking at the U.S. market. Who might be ready for something new, even if they’re not saying it directly. That’s the job: listening for what’s underneath the conversation. And Salone is full of it.
And I’ll leave you with this. Every year, no matter how busy the week gets, I make time Sunday night to go see my Aunt Netta. She lives in Milan. Proper Milan. Not the version you see during Salone. I sit down at her table, have a plate of pasta, and everything slows down for a minute. It reminds me what the week is really about. Not the meetings. Not the parties. Not the schedule. People. And, for me, family.
If you do Salone right, you don’t just come back with ideas. You come back with relationships. Perspective. Opportunity. If you don’t, you come back with pictures on your phone.
And if you see me walking between meetings or sitting a little longer than planned at a table, say hello.
You might just leave Milan with more than you expected.
Maybe even a new job.