GERMANY – Ligna, the world’s leading trade fair for machinery, plant and tools for the woodworking and timber processing industry, which takes place in Hannover, is gearing up for its 2017 season (May 22-26). 

With opening day six months away, organizers, Deutsche Messe and the German Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers’ Association, can already speak of an excellent turnout: 90% of the available exhibition space has been booked. The show is once again expected to attract around 1,500 exhibitors, with more than half from outside Germany.

“Ligna is on track for success. In fact, compared with the same stage in the planning cycle for the last show, we are well ahead in terms of booked space,” commented Christian Pfeiffer, the director in charge of Ligna at Deutsche Messe. “For the upcoming show we are partnering with the German Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers’ Association and our regular exhibitors to develop a new thematic layout that reflects the changing ways in which customers of all sizes use woodworking and timber processing technology. And I’m pleased to say the initiative has really paid off.”

The central focus of the upcoming show will be on intelligent concepts for integrated manufacturing across all links in the wood processing chain. Integrated manufacturing opens up major opportunities for companies seeking to develop new business areas, boost productivity and build their competitive edge. LIGNA 2017 will showcase the close interplay between and ongoing integration of the virtual and real worlds – across the entire value chain of the timber processing and woodworking industries.