The Italian trade organization, representing furniture firms and related industries, is an unmistakable presence at ICFF. But you could easily miss Federlegno-Arredo’s booth, near the entrance to the show’s scrimmed-off Italian section. The booth—by that country’s impeccable design standards—is fairly modest. But the group is not showing products anyway. They’re incubating a larger idea: the culture of Italian design.
If the American furniture industry, especially the design-oriented sector, is searching for business models, they might look at the relationship between Federlegno-Arredo and the Italian Trade Commission. Most Federlegno-Arredo events at ICFF are joint sponsorships between the organization and the Italian government. Clearly both groups have come to the same conclusion: design is one of their country’s business assets.