MILAN, Italy -- The 26th edition of Xylexpo, the biennial international exhibition of woodworking technology and furniture industry supplies, kicked off yesterday with a larger exhibition area and a commitment to innovation and automation.  The show runs through May 12 in four halls at the Fieramilano-Rho expo center.  Show organizers say the total exhibition area is approximately 115 thousand square feet, up from approximately 95 thousand square feet in 2016.  Xylexpo 2018 features 426 exhibitors, including 309 from Italy and 117 from abroad. 

 

“The available space was basically sold out," said Dario Corbetta, general director of the event and Acimall, the Italian association of wood technology manufacturers which, through its operating arm Cepra, controls and organizes the international exhibition.  “We have consolidated the number of exhibitors, although the final figure is slightly lower than two years ago. However, this is due to a specific trend, namely that many co-exhibitors have disappeared, as they have been finally absorbed into the controlling companies."

 

 

Corbetta said Xylexpo 2018 represents a richer, stronger, compact and  comfortable event where you will also see the cornerstones of Xylexpo 2020. “The experience of recent years has taught us that we cannot stand still," Corbetta said. “We have made a clear choice, namely to be the exhibition of innovation, automation, Industry X.0. Xylexpo is not about forestry or primary processing, it's about high-tech industries that process wood and wood-based materials, the more and more complex world of panels, from high-productivity plants for huge companies to small smart equipment for advanced handicraft businesses. We have taken this direction and the final destination will be even clearer in 2020, but we will start to show the way during Xylexpo 2018".