GERMANY - Despite a series of extraordinary challenges, including rising energy prices, material shortages and economic uncertainties in many markets, the woodworking and wood processing industry is in good spirits some six months before Ligna.

Around two-thirds of Ligna’s longstanding exhibitors have already confirmed their participation for 2023, with 75 percent of the available exhibition space already occupied. From 15 to 19 May 2023, the industry will convene at its flagship trade fair in Hannover, Germany.

"Based on the current rate of bookings and our discussions over the past few months, we can confirm the high level of loyalty and commitment of our exhibitors towards Ligna which provides them with the opportunity to perform live demonstrations - not just of machines and tools, but of total solutions covering all aspects of their products and services," reported Stephanie Wagner, Head of Ligna. "We are convinced that, in close cooperation with our exhibitors, the upcoming Ligna 2023 will continue to be the leading international showcase. Along the entire value chain, innovative solutions for all stages of woodworking and wood processing – from harvesting to surface finishing – will be on display. And this, involving not only wood as a raw material – which is at the core of our Ligna – but also other materials such as plastics, glass, stone and composites, among others," she added.

In 2023, key global players and national leaders will again be relying on Ligna. In the words of Achim Homeier, Senior Director of Global Marketing & Product Management at Homag GmbH: "For us at Homag, Ligna is the leading trade fair and a unique platform for presenting innovations to all target groups from craft to industry. We show the entire spectrum from individual machines to plants, software and services and get direct feedback for market-oriented further development from our customers and interested parties."

For Raphaël Prati, Biesse Group Marketing & Communications Director, as the leading trade show for the woodworking and processing industry, Ligna is simply a "must" event: "Ligna is innovative, it moves with the times, and it confirms the intention of companies to invest in the entire industrial sector, despite the current challenging times we are facing. Ligna has succeeded in positioning itself as a reference key point for the global woodworking industry. Its success is based on its ability to adapt to changes in the industry as well as to the latest technological developments. To highlight the offered benefits and the opportunity for companies to show the results of their investments, it is important that the trade fair not only takes place over 5 days, but that it is carried over a 2 years communicative level, with new content and leveraging both physical and digital touchpoints. In this way, the importance obtained over time will be underlined between one edition and another."

Ligna is the most important meeting-place for the forestry and woodworking industry worldwide. It covers the complete machine-based value-adding chain - from timber harvesting to the finished wood product.