Classic and stylish furniture, as well as marvellous lamps, elegant and comfortable chairs, fabrics and office items: Italian design will be making its appearance at the Mebel 2010 Exhibition, from 22^nd to 26^th November in Moscow, Russia. Spending some time with the collective of 130 Italian companies coordinated by the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade will almost seem, to the visitors and industry specialists participating in the exhibition, like entering a house in Italy, where impeccable style blends with practicality and a warm sense of welcome.

The quality of the materials, with only the finest wood for the furniture and chairs, stainless steel for the kitchen cooking surfaces and leather for the sofas, makes the Italian collective one of the most anticipated in the exhibition, and expectations will certainly not be disappointed. The Italian entrepreneurs are staking a great deal on the Mebel 2010 Exhibition, since Russia is the sector’s second largest export market for Italian-made products and can also compensate for some of the shortcomings caused by the economic crisis in traditional markets (United States, Spain, Germany and England).

The aim will therefore be to establish interesting new business opportunities, encouraged by the good relations between the two countries and the excellent precedents created by the 2009 edition. The Italian collective was the largest one in the previous edition of the exhibition, with 178 participating companies and very high standards of quality and elegance. This year they will be trying not simply to reproduce last year's success but to do even better, in the hope of making this event a fundamental operation to overturn the negative tendency caused by the economic crisis.

The Italian furnishing sector recorded a 22.6% decline in the period from January to November 2009. Traditional outlet markets defaulted on payments, while positive transactions were made with China (up by 12.2%) and Lebanon (a 105.1% increase), which were both involved in increased soft furnishing and lighting exports. For this reason, the best will be on offer at the Mebel 2010 Exhibition, and it is no coincidence that the event has been chosen to present a series of new products: from a modern chaise-longue in chrome-plated steel to comfortable, colourful eco-leather poufs and quality fabrics, such as the satin used for curtains and cushions.