An uplifting LIGNA 2025

No doubt, the five-day event provided a boost to the sector, and certainly, it seems that exhibitor expectations for LIGNA 2025 were met.

According to the organizers, Deutsche Messe AG, the share of trade visitors at LIGNA 2025 was 93 percent, with 60 percent of them holding management positions. Of these, 44 percent were in top management.

This is impressive given that Ascension Thursday is a public holiday in Germany (and elsewhere in Europe), many take Friday off to make a long weekend out of it.

LIGNA has impressively reaffirmed its unique position as the world’s leading trade fair for the industry. Around 78,000 visitors from 156 countries came to Hanover, putting us on par with the previous event in 2023. Given the circumstances, that is a strong result. Despite all the benefits of digitalization, nothing can replace the experience of seeing machines in live operation at a trade fair. I would like to thank all LIGNA exhibitors who demonstrated this so clearly here. The combination of innovation, technological progress, and passion is the best foundation for renewed investment, said Dr Jochen Köckler, CEO at Deutsche Messe.

Whether in forestry, sawmilling, production, manufacturing, or craft industries, exhibitors presented solutions spanning the entire value chain, showing how current challenges can be addressed and turned into opportunities.

The spotlight was on digitalization, automation, artificial intelligence (AI), smart production, energy efficiency, sustainable and climate-friendly construction using wood and wood-based materials, and the responsible, future-oriented use of wood as a resource.

What makes LIGNA unique worldwide is its role as an international marketplace for the woodworking and wood processing industry. This is where global supply meets international demand. With 56 percent of visitors coming from outside of Germany, LIGNA clearly demonstrates that it is the undisputed world’s leading trade fair for the industry and enables global business at the highest level, Dr Jochen Köckler said.

The largest groups of international visitors came from Poland, Italy, and Austria, followed by the Netherlands, France, and Belgium.

Markus Hüllmann, Chairman of the Executive Board of the VDMA Woodworking Machinery Association, also gave a positive assessment of LIGNA 2025.

We had a successful LIGNA that provided motivation and momentum in an otherwise uncertain environment. The situation differs across segments and manufacturers, but everyone here in Hanover discussed important projects and recharged their batteries. For some, this even resulted in unexpected orders at their stands, which gives us confidence that the industry will quickly bounce back, Markus Hüllmann said.

Focus topics reflected the “spirit of the times”

With its three focus topics – CONNECTIVITY, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION, and ENGINEERED WOOD – LIGNA 2025 addressed precisely the areas that not only concern the industry but also offer genuine hope for a world urgently seeking sustainable development.

Exhibitors embraced their responsibility, as evidenced across all ten exhibition halls, two pavilions, and the outdoor area, covering a total of 114,078 square meters.

A wide array of smart solutions – from reforestation to finished products – confirmed the status of wood as a renewable and circular raw material of choice, be it for building construction, furniture, and interior furnishings, wood-based panels, packaging, or ultimately energy.

This year’s LIGNA showcased innovative approaches to resource-efficient production across the entire value chain, among many other advancements, providing valuable momentum for us in the German furniture industry. The topics of sustainability and the circular economy are of central importance to our manufacturers, said Jan Kurth, CEO of the German Furniture Industry Associations.

Inspirational support programs and new formats

LIGNA uniquely combines a business platform with craftsmanship.

It stands equally for groundbreaking developments in high-tech mechanical engineering and innovations in craft businesses.

The two new formats, LIGNA.Circular and LIGNA.TruckStop also attracted great visitor interest.

Reflecting the circular transformation that was omnipresent, LIGNA.Circular in Hall 12 became a hotspot for concrete concepts on the circular economy and sustainable material use.

The hands-on LIGNA.TruckStop invited carpenters, joiners, and craftsmen from all trades to exchange ideas about the latest power tools for workshops and business management.

Over 900 trade fair premieres

For half a century, most companies have traditionally timed their product developments and innovations to debut at LIGNA, presenting them to the international trade community for the first time.

The particularly innovative character of LIGNA 2025 was demonstrated by more than 900 trade fair premieres, including numerous advancements that elevate the resource-efficient use of energy and materials to a new level.

Another clear trend at LIGNA 2025 was the redefinition of the human role amid the technological revolution driven by AI and machine learning.

Contrary to many expectations, humans are neither being marginalized nor replaced; instead, they are given more space to develop their creativity.

Genuine emotionality is becoming an indispensable complement to artificial intelligence.

The cohesion and cooperation within the woodworking community at LIGNA were clear evidence of this. Trade fairs are meeting places for people in a community that cannot be replaced. Genuine closeness cannot be streamed or replicated by AI, remarked Dr Jochen Köckler.

The next LIGNA will take place from May 10-14, 2027, at the exhibition grounds in Hanover.

Together with the exhibitors and the VDMA Woodworking Machinery Association, we have decided that from 2027 onwards, LIGNA will no longer be held over Ascension Day but will instead offer five full working days of business, Dr Jochen Köckler explained.

An uplifting Ascension Thursday experience

It is a prudent move and something that exhibitors have called for, certainly those the undersigned had spoken to during the five days. It may help boost the trade visitors’ share closer to 100 percent and provide a more even spread of visitor day numbers throughout the week.

No reflection on the organizers or the event itself, but unfortunately for the undersigned, late afternoon on Ascension Thursday, human creativity of the sleight-of-hand, sticky-fingered variety demonstrated the downside of public meeting places and fenceable goods, e.g., two cameras, both of the larger, conspicuous type, were “uplifted” from under my nose.

I’ve got to hand it though to whoever it concerns that I, nor the two people I was in conversation with in their booth, didn’t see that one coming at all – would have appreciated it mind if you’d left the two memory cards behind, as it would have spared me some grief and a tonne of extra work.

That said, the incident itself became an opportunity to test other aspects of the event organisation – checking with hall security, lost & found, etc, before filing a detailed report of the theft at the nearest police station, which is conveniently located at the venue.

All were, I’m glad to report, extremely professional and very helpful. And yes, I look forward to LIGNA 2027, with a camera or two securely strapped to my person.