Organisers of Milan's Salone del Mobile will meet this afternoon to decide whether to proceed with this year's furniture fair, cancel it or postpone it due to Italy's coronavirus outbreak.
"In the late afternoon there will be a meeting," a spokesperson for Salone del Mobile confirmed. "We hope to have more info by late evening and be able to send a communication."
The meeting, scheduled for 4pm Italian time, comes after seven people died of the virus in northern Italy and the government declared a state of emergency and quarantined a dozen small towns close to Milan.
Many designers expect the fair, the world's biggest and most important furniture event, to be postponed, with September considered the most likely alternative. Others are calling for the fair to be moved to June or July. "Some big Italian companies are pushing to postpone it," one Milanese designer told Dezeen. "This event is very important for Italy, very expensive for the brands and if there is a risk of a big flop I guess it's worth moving it to another month".
Postponement described as "inevitable"
One leading designer described the postponement as "inevitable" while another said this year's fair was a "non-starter". However, another Milanese designer said the event would "most likely cancel".
Some leading brands have already decided not to show in Milan this year while others are anxiously waiting to hear from Salone del Mobil...