New Ecosystems for Design: The Digital Transformation of Salone del Mobile

Salone del Mobile is the leading event in the design furniture world and serves as a vital meeting point for the major international players in furniture and design.

Over its history, the brand has operated on a business model focused on selling exhibition spaces and event tickets, with minimal investment in digital platforms.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, Salone del Mobile had to tackle the challenge of keeping the event experience alive, maintaining its community, and generating new revenue streams beyond the physical event. To meet these challenges, the company partnered with JAKALA to create an innovative digital ecosystem. This system provides the brand with a virtual showcase offering modern and alternative visibility solutions while maintaining and enhancing the high level of engagement Salone del Mobile has built within the design sector.

In the initial stages of the project, JAKALA supported Salone del Mobile in designing the digital infrastructure and defining the user experience within the new virtual ecosystem.

Subsequently, JAKALA implemented various digital touchpoints, contributing to the creation of the current platform.

The five-year collaboration between JAKALA and Salone del Mobile has resulted in an innovation journey that achieved three main goals:

1. Operational Efficiency: Optimizing the internal processes of Salone del Mobile to ensure greater efficiency and productivity while maintaining high-quality standards.

2. Development of Services for Exhibitors: Creating and developing new functionalities that improve engagement between exhibitors and visitors.

3. Enhancement of the Customer Journey: Enriching the visitor experience by integrating digital elements into the physical Fair. This supports visitors throughout their journey, from pre-event planning to post-event follow-up, thereby extending visibility over time.

The role of digital technology in the new vision of Salone del Mobile has evolved and transformed significantly over the years.

At the height of the pandemic, the collaboration with JAKALA initially focused on providing exhibitors with a digital showcase to maintain connections with the Salone del Mobile community beyond the physical event. The goal was to offer each exhibitor the opportunity to create a personalized digital space to showcase their brands and products, with self-managed content through a highly customizable tool.

Over time, the focus shifted to a long-term digital strategy, redefining Salone del Mobile's mission and strengthening its business model.

In this context, the brand focused on integrating physical and digital aspects within the Fair, aiming for a deeply interconnected environment. This vision materialized through a series of digital projects designed to generate value for both exhibitors and visitors, including:

• Development of a new service app, tailored to different user types, to assist physical event visitors in organizing their visits, interacting virtually with brands and products, and following Salone del Mobile events year-round.
• Implementation of a matchmaking feature, accessible via the app, enabling exhibitors to collect visitor data simply by scanning their tickets, revolutionizing lead generation mechanisms at the Fair.
• Development of an appointment booking system with exhibitors.
• Enabling interaction between visitors and exhibited products via QR codes.
• Activation of a CRM system and marketing automation tools, supported by a strategic contact plan.

Thanks to this collaboration, Salone del Mobile continues to evolve, offering innovative solutions that meet the demands of a constantly changing market.