The city fills with spectacular installations and crowds; hotel rates soar to prohibitive levels, taxis become impossible to find. Such is the Milan Design Week effect, whose repercussions – both positive and negative – are well known. But what drives this success? Where is there room for improvement, and what challenges lie ahead, now and in the future? We put these questions to three key figures behind this macro-event.
Alessia Cappello
City of Milan, Councillor for Economic Development and Labour Policies
Milan stands as the global capital of creativity and design. In addition to its well-established heritage of cultural, artisanal, and industrial excellence developed over time, the city has continuously demonstrated an ability to renew itself and to meet the challenges it has encountered, thereby building a solid and widely acknowledged reputation. The economic impact and the flows generated each year by Design Week make Milan a strategic international crossroads for meetings, networking, and relationships, as well as a benchmark for other sectoral calendars and events, for both stakeholders and the many visitors it attracts. During this period, the city is transformed into a vast, diffuse stage that combines commercial and artisanal exhibition with artistic experimentation. It attracts investments and events, welcoming professionals, residents, and tourists alike. The wide array of events, installations, and exhibitions across every district involved in the urban festival makes a significant contribution each year, transforming historic sites, former industrial spaces, and iconic landmarks. I am confident that this edition too will generate a wealth of new ideas and proposals. We firmly believe that this widespread energy should be allowed to flow freely, while at the same time being guided by a coherent public direction capable of balancing quality of offer, cultural value, and the attractiveness of the numerous events across different contexts. For many years, Milan Design Week has been a fundamental driver of both the city’s and Italy’s economy. Today, we can affirm that, thanks also to its unique format – made possible by an ecosystem supported by prestigious academic institutions, a network of dynamic enterprises, and strong synergies among cultural organizations, associations, and public bodies – it extends well beyond those days. It contributes to establishing Milan as a permanent hub of experimentation and development, attracting talent and ideas even outside the timeframe of Design Week. We hope that this year as well, despite the ongoing and dramatic geopolitical crisis, the event will continue to welcome stakeholders from across the entire value chain, along with numerous enthusiasts, and that it may serve as an opportunity for encounter,
dialogue, and collective reflection.
