Abitare il Tempo

ABITARE IL TEMPO - Taking The Lead For 25 Years

Develop a maximum of creativity to challenge the crisis! Almost in anger, the trade-show has put this motto forward these days! Since 1986, the Abitare il Tempo is quite every year at its best, extremely professional and hard to surpass concerning the selection of exhibitors, design, and organization. Its attractivity and aura have seen no blunder even in the current critical times.

25 Years of Ultimate Design for Living Made in Italy
In 2010, Abitare Il Tempo will celebrate its 25th anniversary, from September 16th to 20th. Through the years, the Italian show of design-quality, sophisticated handcrafting and production remains the steady mission of Abitare il Tempo. The target groups are Architects and Interior architects, interior designers, and designers, who work for private homes, but also in the institutional business. The main concept is to celebrate the Made in Italy and present its strength in all the different sectors, joined in the formula of Total Living.


Abitare il Tempo 09 - I Marmi del Doge - Consorzio Marmisti Chiampo ©Johnny Dell'Orto

Total Living: A Convincing Interpretation
The main target of Abitare Il Tempo is to present within the product-groups the entire world of the interior decoration: furniture for living and sleeping, including aslo kitchen and bathroom furniture, the world of lighting, the whole range of home textiles, table-ware and interior decoration accessories. For the first time, in 2009, there has been outside the halls a huge outdoor-furnishing area, where the most outstanding manufacturers display their collections.
Carefully selected high quality exhibitors are present in all product groups, showing some of the best companies Italy and Europe can offer: Alessi, Antica Fornace Carraro, Conova, Dedar, Ege, Fendi Casa, HGC, Luciano Marcato, Sembella to name just a few. Through all six halls, the visitors are guided to different product categories. Thus, the visitor receives a quick overview concerning the trends and novelties of the coming year.

Considering the economical point of view of the participating exhibitors, the current trade-show represents an important step towards normalizing the market in a world after the crisis. It means, to be ready, when the market starts to look forward again to players and proposals. By careful selection of the exhibitors, the trade show offers a luxurious high-end profile with outstanding ideas for interior design and decoration.

The Abitare il Tempo relies on large advertising campaigns. Months before the trade-show starts, it is already present in the media offering receptions in the big hotels, organizing independent down-town show-events and special installations; the catalog itself is a collection piece. Ostensibly, no costs and efforts have been spared to arrange meetings between designers and manufacturing companies. In addition, regularly meetings are arranged for the architectural boards. Much motivation efforts are put forward to gather in advance the interest of exhibitors and visitors.

2009: The Abitare il Tempo in figures
It is amazing, how generous the trade-show operates its areas, concerning the preparation of surfaces for special presentations! On a total area of about 100,000 m², with ten halls covering, 40,000 m² are provided for special presentations. In 2009, these were divided, five sections dedicated to the interior architecture, sixteen, to the contract market and linking people, and twelve to the presentation of projects. In total, there had come 661 exhibitors, of which 101 were Non-Italians from 23 countries. For a world class trade-show, that is not very much foreign presence. It is clear, only the very best are allowed in!

In 2009, 46,202 visits had been counted, of which 10,164 were from abroad covering 93 countries! 18 official delegations came from Brazil, Canada, India, South Africa, Poland, the Ukraine, Russia, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Israel, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In comparison to the figures of 2008, the number of foreign professional visitors was more or less stable, at approximately 22%. Also the media showed remarkable interest: 813 journalists registered with 175 coming from abroad.

Abitare il Tempo 09 – Halle Ecooo ARCA - Simone Micheli  ©Jürgen Eheim

Outdoor and Environment: Lavishly Presented Theme-Shows
Some big fairs have rediscovered the outdoor theme-shows and dedicated them entire halls. The reliance in sustainable production and renewable ecological substances and materials has grown, too. The sector has lost its image of improvised prototype presentations and offers technically sophisticated end-products out of highbred substances and materials

For the first time in 2009, Abitare Il Tempo has dedicated a big outdoor-area to the outdoor-furniture, where the most outstanding producers had wide possibilities to display their items. 15,000 m² were put to disposal for outdoor-presentations and constructions.

In the hall 7b and 8, there were other special show-events taking place: the projects Linking People and Interior Architecture. The installations designed for the contract and residential marke, were exhibited in a truly spectacular way. Many of the creative presentations stood for high-end ecological technology and targeted the contract market.


Abitare il Tempo 09 - EcoooARCA - Simone Micheli  ©Jürgen Eheim

Point of Sale Design
The point of sale design of future times was another important theme-show at the Abitare Il Tempo. Like a future exercise, new point of sales designs were displayed for the first time. The Shopping Lab, planned and staged by the Studio Bestetti Associati on 2,500 m², was well received by the vsitors at the Design Hall 7. At Hall 8, there were displayed the shops of the future: new concepts designed in association with ADI – Associazione per il Disegno Industriale, the Italian Association for Industrial Design. The subject Point of Sale as a quality feature was discussed at the symposium organized by Federmobili and Abitare Il Tempo, September, 21st 2009.

Investigation, Experimentation, Invention
Experimentation, investigation and invention have always been an important topic to Abitare Il Tempo. In 2009, more than ever, the economical relevance stood ahead of any innovational concepts. Creativity, productivity and markets were focused as interactve factors. In addition, the awards for the YDMI for Europe took place in Hall 6. The happy winner of the award was the Belgian designer James Van Vossel.

YDMI for Europe
YDMI for Europe means Young Designers meet the Industry and is meant to throw a glance onto the coming designer generations. Like a small fair within the fair, there are interesting presentations to see, a workshop, as well, and finally the award for the finest design item. In 2009, YDMI enters Europe for the first time with Germany, Belgium and Italy as partner countries during the Abitare il Tempo trade-show from September, 17th to 21st in Verona. The international YDMI displays an outlook on young design offices and designers. In 2009, thirty talented young designers from Italy, Belgium and Germany participated at the first international edition of YDMI. Each country had the right to nominate ten young professionals. The selection for Germany was taken by Der Rat für Formgebung. Belgium’s selection was made by Design Vlaanderen and Italy: the institutions ADI, IED, InnoVeTion Valley and Industriel.

Last not Least: The Italian Love for Art
The Italian talent for art is the formula used by Abitare il Tempo, to reinvent itself allover, to find joint visions and ventures for art and industry, the traditional way and the vanguard, the art and the design. In addition, Art Verona, the art-show focused on bringing some of the best Italian Art Galleries to Verona. In 2009, art and design have found their expression, too, in the construction of the Babel Tower by the Architect Ettore Mocchetti. In Hall 1, refined decoration welcomed the visitor at the entrance to the Hospitality Islands near the restaurants. In Hall 5, there were daily presentations of the Murano glassblowers.

Another special event was presented by Sawaya and Moroni: 25 Years of Research in Architecture, Art and Design. Furthermore, the totems of the artist Linde Burkhardt in Hall 9, both presentations were related to eachother.

In 2010, the 25th edition of Abitare il Tempo will be celebrated. After 25 years, the promotion of a sophisticated and high-end Made in Italy will continue to show Italian interior design in superb quality and beauty enriched by culture and art.

Base: Living XL Special Edition 1/2010

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