Provides Added Momentum for Industry Upswing

Significantly higher international participation was the hallmark of LIGNA HANNOVER 2011. “The LIGNA slogan ‘Making more out of wood: innovative, efficient, trendsetting’ proved persuasive for visitors and exhibitors alike. The show’s successful run had effectively underscored its reputation as the industry’s No. 1 event. “Exhibitors and visitors regard LIGNA HANNOVER as a hot spot for industry innovations. Hannover is the perfect place to generate the kind of business leads that are needed to translate those innovations into sales,” remarked Stephan Ph. Kühne, Member of the Managing Board, Deutsche Messe.

During the five-day run of the fair, some 1,765 exhibitors from 52 nations showcased their products and services on total display space of approx. 1.4 million square feet. Alongside Germany, the most strongly-represented exhibiting nations this year were Italy, Austria, Spain, China (including Taiwan), Switzerland, Denmark, Turkey, Sweden and the Netherlands. A huge array of promising innovations filled the 13 halls and the openair site. “Innovations are clearly the driving force behind LIGNA. Many businesses sync their innovation cycles with LIGNA, and the breakthroughs unveiled here give users exactly what they need,” Kühne commented.

LIGNA HANNOVER 2011 attracted a total of 90,000 visitors – an increase of 13 percent over the previous event. While the fair has always demonstrated great international appeal, this year’s upsurge in foreign visitors marked an impressive milestone in the event’s history, with some 40 percent of all visitors attending from abroad – a 26 percent jump over foreign attendance in 2009. “That is a truly outstanding figure,” reported Kühne. Visitors came from a total of 90 nations, with major increases in the case of Russia, Finland, the United Kingdom, Austria and Sweden. Attendance was also up from the U.S. and The Netherlands.

“Half of all visitors ranked as top managers with purchasing authority. A great number of projects were initiated, scores of deals transacted and countless leads generated. The number of purchase orders signed this year was up 30 percent over 2009, which is very impressive indeed,” Kühne reported. Exhibitors too, expressed great contentment with the technical expertise and decision-making caliber demonstrated by the show’s 90,000 visitors. According to Riccardo Quattrini, Sales & Marketing Director of the Cefla Finishing Group: “We made some excellent contacts right at the start of the show, which bodes well for the second half of 2011.”

The efficient use of resources is rapidly becoming a top priority for more and more sectors of the industry. For example, lightweight solutions for furniture making were featured prominently at LIGNA 2011.

The “lightweight.network” special presentation in Hall 24 highlighted the links between machines and subcontracted components in the furniture industry. Companies took advantage of the special display to showcase their lightweight furniture production solutions. Activities here included the fi rst “Think Light” international conference on lightweight designs.

The show’s professional audience was particularly interested in the latest designs trends and innovative surface finishing processes, with demand focusing mainly on products characterized by a high degree of individual flexibility – for example, digital printing.

The next LIGNA HANNOVER will be staged from 6 to 10 May 2013, once again in Hannover, Germany.