Nine Days in May at LIGNA+ and Interzum
Germany’s double-threat of industry shows take place this May.

Ligna+, the world’s premier showcase of woodworking machinery, and Interzum, the world’s largest furniture supply show, will take place in May 2007, in Hannover and Cologne, Germany, respectively. The dates of this year’s shows will not overlap as in previous years, with Interzum running from May 9-12, Wednesday to Saturday, which is one day shorter than the previous five-day format, and Ligna+ happening May 14-18, Monday to Friday. According to show management, Interzum’s shortened time will help facilitate travel plans for international visitors, who typically like to attend both shows. Following is additional information for each of these internationally renowned events.

Ligna+: May 14-18
“The World of Wood” is the theme for Ligna+ 2007, and the show will span the entire wood production and supply chain, from the tree to the packaged end product. The show this year will also see a strong focus on surface finishing technology, wood-based construction and energy. The 1,399,308 square feet of display space will include categories such as forestry, furniture industry, sawmill technology, solid woodworking, surface treatment and finishing, wood panel and veneer production, and Handwerk, Holz and mehr-woodcrafts. Premiering in 2005, Handwerk, Holz and mehr, which is the section of the show devoted to the woodworking trades, was so successful that in will be larger in 2007 and include presentations by the Association of Lower Saxon Carpenters (VNZ) and the German

Association of Carpentry and Joinery (BHKH)
Ligna+ also features special events, conferences and forums, including ITTO Bioenergy Conference, which aims to raise the awareness of the technical and economic potential of utilizing logging residues and wood-processing wastes for energy generation; the First International BBE/VDMA Business and Export Forum for Wood Energy; symposiums regarding the future of the uses of wood waste and wood fuel logistics; the 2007 German Timber Construction Award; the STIHL Timbersports Series lumberjack competition; and the 7th Lower Saxony Crane Driving Championships. Special displays and live demonstrations will also be featured in categories such as wooden surface solutions, the vector forum, energy from wood, the forestry sector, wonders in wood, careers in wood, and teaching and research.

More than 1,800 companies from 46 different countries exhibited at Ligna+ 2005. There were more than 100,000 visitors, with 44 percent of the visitors coming from outside of Germany. The show also featured 1.38 million square feet of display area.
For more information on attending Ligna+, including travel and housing, contact Hannover Fairs USA, at (609) 987-1202, or visit www.ligna.de.

Interzum: May 9-12
Interzum 2007 will be “a marketplace of new opportunities and the sector’s global trend forum,” according to the trade show’s Web site. The show features hardware, board products, decorative overlays and other supplies for the woodworking industry.

Also, for the first time, the 2007 European Veneer Conference will be held as part of Interzum. The conference, which is attended by veneer users, producers and machinery manufacturers, includes workshops and networking events. Conference management hopes that holding the event during Interzum will increase participation, particularly from an international audience. To accommodate Veneer Conference attendees, suppliers of veneers and other natural materials will be grouped together in one exhibit hall area. There also will be a special exhibition to showcase unique examples of how veneer can be used. The Veneer Conference will be held May 10-11.

A major renovation of the Cologne Fair facilities, which sponsors the show, has added four new exhibit halls, a new conference center and a new north entrance, making the show more comfortable for visitors. The new halls are one story, well lit and free from pillar obstructions, among other improvements. One wide “Trade Fair Boulevard” hallway runs through the entire site to connect the individual halls.

More than 1,300 companies from 63 countries exhibited at Interzum 2005, with 73 percent of the exhibitors coming from outside Germany. There were 49,000 visitors from 132 countries, with 70 percent of the visitors coming from outside of Germany.
For more information on attending the fair, call the Chicago office at (773) 326-9920, or visit www.interzum.com.

The Hannover Fairgrounds in Hannover, Germany, will be home to the 2007 Ligna+ Hannover fair for the forestry and wood industries.
More than 1,800 companies from 46 different countries exhibited at Ligna+ 2005. A new north entrance is part of the major renovation of the Cologne Fair grounds that is now complete.
LIGNA+ & Interzum: At a Glance

Interzum
Dates: May 9-12, 2007
Venue: Cologne Fairgrounds, Cologne, Germany
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Admission: Day tickets are 20.00 EUR in advance and 30.00 EUR at the ticket office, two-day tickets are 30.00 EUR in advance and 45.00 EUR at the ticket office, and season tickets are 36.00 EUR in advance and 55.00 EUR at the ticket office. (1 EUR = approximately $1.30948 USD)
Event Web site: www.interzum.de

LIGNA+
Dates: May 14-18, 2007
Venue: Hannover Fairgrounds, Hannover, Germany
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Admission: Day tickets are 17.00 EUR in advance and 20.50 EUR at the ticket counter, full event tickets are 29.00 EUR in advance and 31.50 EUR at the ticket counter, and discounted day tickets for students, military and disabled are 9.00 EUR and are available at the ticket counter only. (1 EUR = approximately $1.30948 USD)
Event Web sites: www.ligna.de
www.hf-usa.com/ligna

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