Milan, 12 February - From its beginning as an international event about product design connected to creativity and innovation and recognized as the benchmark in territorial marketing, ZonaTortona Design is thrilled to announce its growing role as a marketing and communications platform.

In its ninth year, ZonaTortona has become the leading open-air international event dedicated to design and business, stretching over an area of one square kilometre. A content-led, design-focused platform allowing designers, global brands and local services to bring their design visions to life, ZonaTortona takes design beyond the world of furnishings to interpret and promote it in a cultural and lifestyle setting.

A territory based platform, ZonaTortona engages local businesses, restaurants, bars, studio, shops, hotels, cinemas as well as workshops, garages and other locations whose doors generally remain closed. Living and breathing ZonaTortona, these local services and activities heavily contribute to the creation of a contemporary, metropolitan, sustainable, and innovative event.

Located in the south-west of Milan, ZonaTortona has helped transform the area around via Tortona from a post-industrial zone into a dynamic cultural hub and creative economy. One of the rare events in the design sector worldwide that is economically sustainable, its effect on the micro-economy is significant. ZonaTortona generates an economical impact in the region of 182 million Euros per year and local businesses record fifty percent of their annual income during the event; it has also contributed to the rise in real estate value and led to the improvement in transport and infrastructure for both local residents and tourists.

ZonaTortona is a generator of creativity, energy, economic and cultural resources for the city of Milan, through a social and economic “creative economy” model.

ZonaTortona Design is renowned for its double soul, providing content for all interests. During the day, the area attracts a constant stream of industry professionals and a large following of “design enthusiasts” at the interesting range of evening events and design parties. The combination of these two different elements, leads to a strong creative economy in the area which is unique to ZonaTortona Design: the making of business opportunities through design alongside creative and inspiring entertainment options. ZonaTortona’s communication continues to innovate and evolve each year and includes the ZonaTortona GuideBook; conceived as an editorial project, the GuideBook provides a complete overview of the event including contributions from many important industry leaders and exhibitors.

Sustainability measures include the bicycle sharing programme; more than 100 ZonaTortona branded bicycles will be available for visitors to rent on a daily basis within the area and offered as a complimentary service to press.

Content Projects:

That’s Design!
Returning for its fourth year, the partnership with POLI.Design – Consorzio del Politecnico di Milano,
That’s Design! is a chance for young designers, students and independent designers, to gain visibility.
The location for this year’s edition will be via Savona, 18.

	Surfacin’ - Materials Innovation Returning for its second year, Surfacin’ - Materials Innovation is the first marketing and communication platform dedicated entirely to innovation in materials. This year, ZonaTortona’s plans to make this a biannual event will be presented inside Surfacin’ Point located in via Savona 11.

“The first design movie” The first movie dedicated to the world of design filmed during ZonaTortona in 2009 will be presented in April of this year. ZonaTortona Creative Shop The inaugural presentation of the ZT pop up shop designed

Milan, 12 February 2010 - Into its second year, ZonaRomana Design is an international event dedicated to retail design which explores the relationship between retailers and consumers.
The format conceived for the design week is based on a target group of companies, designers, professionals and media, interested in design culture, products and services dedicated to the contemporary consumer. The firms taking part at ZonaRomana will present projects which will show ideas, set-ups, contexts and products which will help improve how businesses relate to their consumers.

Each space will have a product-theme developed in the form of a story, a concept conceived to aract, involve and gain the consumer’s confidence; this year’s theme is “Love at first sight”.

The event is dedicated both to product design, technology, service companies and designer studios which research innovative solutions to help brands to relate with clients in an emotional, interactive
and functional way.

ZonaRomana was picked due to its strong creative spirit, similar to that of ZonaTortona. In addition to supporting creativity and innovation in design, the event was created with the aim of adding value to the area both from a cultural and economic perspective where design is the driver of projects, products and services.

The ZonaRomana Lounge is dedicated to local and international press and industry professionals and will be organized inside the circuit as a place to relax, work, network and find all the information about the event.