Thousands of woodworking professionals will gather in Germany in May for the industry’s two largest trade shows: interzum and Ligna. Running back-to-back, interzum takes place May 21-24 in Cologne and Ligna will be held May 27-31 in Hannover.

A wide range of innovative surfaces and supplies take center stage at interzum. Photo: Rehau exhibit/Koelnmesse

On tap at interzum
On display at interzum will be thousands of products for the manufacture of furniture, cabinets and related products, including flexible hardware and storage solutions, connectivity enhancements, panel developments, adhesives and new surface colors, textures and finishes. Sponsored by Koelnmesse, the biennial interzum will play host to more than 1,800 exhibitors from 60-plus countries.

“interzum will provide new inspiration for the industry because we identify the relevant topics and add strong emotional appeal to them. In combination with the continuing strong growth in exhibitor numbers, interzum has undergone further strategic development and is now more than ever the place to be,” said Matthias Pollmann, vice president Trade Fair Management at Koelnmesse.

In addition to the range of innovative materials and supplies, this year’s show will also feature piazza concept focus areas on: “Mobile Spaces” (Hall 10), “Surfaces & Wood Design” (Hall 6), “Disruptive Materials” (Hall 4), “Digitalization” (Hall 3), “Digital Printing” (Hall 3) and “Tiny Spaces” on the North Boulevard.

"The piazzas have considerable significance in the overall composition of interzum", said Maik Fischer, director of interzum. "There, visitors can acquire an overview and then selectively visit the individual exhibitors. The success of this concept is demonstrated by the enormous popularity of the piazzas."

The 2019 attendance is projected to surpass the previous show, which was attended by more than 69,000 visitors from 152 countries. For more information visit interzum.com.

State-of-the-industry technology for solid wood and panel processing will be on display at LIGNA. Photo: Deutsche Messe

Technology innovations at LIGNA
The world’s largest woodworking show, this year’s LIGNA fair will play host to more than 1,500 exhibitors from more than 50 nations, with displays spread across nearly 1.4 million net square feet (130,000 square meters) of display space. The number of visitors to the show is projected to surpass 93,000, said Dr. Andreas Gruchow, member of Deutsche Messe’s Management Board.

Showcased will be state-of-the-art processing solutions, including IoT platforms for industry 4.0, applications and concepts for the primary and secondary woodworking industries, said Dr. Gruchow, adding, "One of the biggest challenges is the ever greater trend to product individualization  — a trend that is putting pressure on manufacturers to deliver customized products at least as quickly, profitably and efficiently as with series production. It's these sorts of challenges for which LIGNA exhibitors will be presenting solutions."

The themes for this year’s event include: Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions; Smart Surface Technology; and “Access to Resources and Technology,” which is the keynote theme of the Wood Industry Summit.  "Once again in 2019, LIGNA will serve as the industry's showcase of choice for unveiling their innovations, with a great many exhibitors even timing their development cycles to coincide with the show's staging every two years," Dr. Gruchow said.

The 2019 show marks the premier of the Ligna.Forum, which will provide in-depth coverage of the key Ligna focus themes, as well as topics including: “Processing of Plastics and Composites,” “Smart Surface Treatment” and “Integrated Woodworking – Tailored Solutions.” Also of interest are the Ligna.Campus, featuring projects and findings from several research-focused institutions, the third Wood Industry Summit themed “Access to Resources and Technology," training workshops and on-site skills competitions.

For more information on the LIGNA Fair, visit ligna.de.