Stephanie Wagner,
What makes LIGNA the world’s leading trade fair for the woodworking and processing industry and why is it such an important show for the industry?
LIGNA has been the leading international trade fair for the industry for the past 50 years. This is indeed a very special anniversary for us. For our exhibitors and visitors, LIGNA is the platform where they meet their global business partners, initiate business and demonstrate their technological and innovative leadership. It fosters healthy competition and reflects the full spectrum of market participants. This also means that companies must come well prepared and deliver top-notch presentations – truly a Herculean task for all involved.
For us as trade fair organizers, one thing is very clear: Hosting a leading international trade fair, continuously developing it, and ensuring it remains state of the art for the industry does not happen by chance. It requires an intensive strategic, conceptual, and operational effort. Through ongoing discussions with our customers, we identify the industry’s needs, determine the future direction of LIGNA, and define what sets it apart from other events.
Internationality is not just a positioning statement – it is a promise of quality and a commitment to bringing the global wood industry to Hanover every two years, both in terms of exhibitors and visitors. To achieve this time and again, we must be deeply embedded in the industry, remain actively engaged in the market, and stay attuned to emerging trends – almost like listening to how the grass (or wood) grows. Even after 50 years, we remain highly motivated to bring all these elements together and deliver an outstanding LIGNA experience for our customers every time.
Can you tell us what’s new at LIGNA 2025 - Could you talk about the three key focus topics of LIGNA? (Connectivity, Sustainable Production, Engineered Wood)
LIGNA 2025 combines tradition with innovation and blends the tried-and-tested with new elements, including well-established focal points and the structured division of topics across 10 exhibition halls and the outdoor exhibition area. It also features special formats such as LIGNA.Stage, LIGNA.FutureSquare, LIGNA.Campus, and LIGNA.Recruiting. Notably, two new formats are being introduced: LIGNA.Circular and LIGNA.TruckStop—but more on that later.
A few years ago, we began working with the VDMA (German Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers’ Association) to define key focus topics for LIGNA. These topics serve as a common thread, and provide a valuable framework for us. Our exhibitors bring these focus areas to life by showcasing relevant innovations, technologies, and products at the trade fair. In some ways, determining the focus topics resembles the classic chicken-and-egg dilemma. However, having a strong thematic anchor has proven invaluable. It enables us to highlight overarching trends in the wood industry ahead of the event and, later, to direct visitors’ attention to exhibitors’ innovations at their stands.
We always strive to find appealing and technically precise descriptions of the key industry trends. At the same time, we must bridge the gap for trade visitors, helping them connect LIGNA’s thematic focus areas with specific exhibitor products. That’s not always a simple task.
For LIGNA’s anniversary edition, we have chosen three central themes: CONNECTIVITY, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION, and ENGINEERED WOOD. These themes target all stakeholders across industry, trade, and forestry. Our goal is to reflect what these sectors collectively aspire to in the future - namely, digital networking for a sustainable wood industry along the entire value chain, with wood and wood-based materials as the materials of the future.
While this may sound complex, it isn’t. Networking, sustainability, and future materials are the three core elements of this transformation. At exhibitors’ stands across all seven exhibition areas, these themes will be brought to life in tangible ways. We are already eager to see how our exhibitors will interpret and showcase these focus topics. Preliminary discussions have revealed some exciting ideas, and we can’t wait to see them materialize into real-world applications at the trade fair.
Can you tell us about LIGNA Special Formats? (Stage, FutureSquare, Campus, Recruiting and the new TruckStop, Circular)
With LIGNA.Circular in Hall 12 and LIGNA.TruckStop in the outdoor exhibition area, two new formats will debut at LIGNA’s anniversary edition in May. Thinking in circles is the guiding principle behind LIGNA.Circular. This new format is integrated into the LIGNA.Stage program, and we have partnered with CADEMI, our LIGNA.Circular collaborator.
LIGNA.Circular aligns with our focus topic “Sustainable Production,” which explores various aspects of circular value creation – such as sustainable innovations in processes, materials, and products in woodworking and wood processing. CADEMI has defined four key concepts for LIGNA.Circular: cooperation, innovation, servitization, and transformation. These terms reflect the evolving collaboration among stakeholders and the transformation of business models in an increasingly sustainability-focused world.
At LIGNA.Stage, LIGNA.Circular will take center stage, highlighting its potential for the industry through lectures, panel discussions, and best-case studies. Topics will include machinery and processes, raw and engineered materials, product design, and recycling, all structured within thematic zones on the exhibition floor.
LIGNA.TruckStop is a hands-on experience for the skilled trades and therefore designed as the ultimate gathering point for joiners, carpenters, and cabinetmakers who want to explore the latest advancements in power tools, fittings, and fastening technologies. While LIGNA’s exhibition halls continue to showcase industry-leading innovations, we are also creating this additional, dedicated space for the skilled trades in the outdoor area near the expo roof. Leading brands such as Festool, Hettich, SawStop, and Swiss Krono will present their practical solutions in show trucks, transporters, and vans, offering an experience that feels more like a lively marketplace than a traditional trade show stand. The layout will be open, relaxed and highly interactive, inviting attendees - especially craftsmen - to stop by and engage with exhibitors. Adding to the hands-on experience, there will be live demonstrations and expert presentations every day at the “Action Stage”, featuring interviews, hands-on sessions, and practical insights tailored to the needs of professionals in the field.
LIGNA.Stage (Hall 12) is our expert forum and returns with solution- and user-oriented presentations covering LIGNA’s focus topics, key market trends and industry innovations. The overwhelming number of submissions for this anniversary edition reflects the immense interest in shaping the industry’s future.
LIGNA.Campus (Hall 11) once again provides a platform for technical colleges, universities of applied sciences, and research institutions to showcase their educational programs. Many attendees - whether students, professionals, or industry partners - may not yet be fully aware of the diverse training and continuing education opportunities available in the sector. LIGNA.Campus offers a chance to explore them in depth.
LIGNA.FutureSquare (Hall 12) is a dynamic space where VDMA members from specialized sectors outside of woodworking machinery will be exhibiting at LIGNA for the first time. Additionally, start-ups from across the industry will showcase innovative solutions in various product and service categories.
LIGNA.Recruiting (Hall 12) is for those seeking a career in the woodworking industry. It offers direct access to leading companies, providing insights into career paths and opportunities to expand professional horizons.
What are your expectations as far as exhibitors and visitors are concerned?
Given the current state of the industry - which is anything but rosy, particularly in Germany and Europe - we hope that our exhibitors will see the beginning of a turnaround. LIGNA has often served as a catalyst for revitalizing the industry, and we believe it can do that again.
Every trade show organizer hopes to see strong investment interest among visitors and LIGNA is no exception. Investment intentions are important for our exhibitors – after all, they bring their innovations and products to the trade show, while visitors determine demand and, ideally, come with concrete purchasing plans. When supply and demand align, we as trade show organizers become the fortunate third party, because that’s what makes a trade fair truly successful.
And that is exactly what we wish for LIGNA - and for all its customers - as a birthday present in its 50th anniversary year.
What will visitors notice at this year’s LIGNA?
Throughout the exhibition grounds, visitors will encounter a number of showcases and images celebrating LIGNA’s 50th anniversary. Many exhibitors will also be marking their own anniversaries at their stands, ensuring a celebratory atmosphere throughout the event.
Of course, LIGNA is first and foremost about business on the international stage, and this is once again reflected in its signature live operation of machines and systems. LIGNA comes to life when the halls are filled with the sounds of extraction systems and circular saws, and the scent of processed materials - especially wood - fills the aisles. But LIGNA also offers a glimpse into the materials of the future, as exhibitors showcase new innovations processed on their advanced machinery and systems. We already know from our exhibitors that AI will play a key role at many stands, alongside VR experiences that will transport visitors into the virtual world of modern factories. In short, LIGNA is a master of contrasts, seamlessly blending forestry championships in the outdoor area, high-tech craftsmanship in the exhibition halls, networking and power tools at LIGNA.TruckStop, and cutting-edge mechanical and plant engineering with innovative technologies, smart interfaces, and AI integration. LIGNA 2025 promises to be a dynamic and immersive experience – combining tradition, innovation, and the future of the woodworking industry.
What is your goal for this year’s show?
The ultimate goal for every trade show organizer is to ensure that customers leave with full order books at the end of the event. If that happens, we have done our job – that’s what it’s all about.
We are often asked about numbers, and yes, they matter. Square meters are our currency, while exhibitor and visitor numbers reflect the scale and attractiveness of a trade show. But even more important are the business deals initiated and the meaningful conversations our exhibitors experience. Did they have the right visitors at their stands? Did they engage in the right discussions? Did they reach new customers? If the answer to those questions is a resounding yes, then we can consider the event a true success.
LIGNA 2023 will be showcasing the latest in machinery, technology and industry-focused services – as well as an opportunity to get in touch with market and opinion leaders. Could you expand on that?
The essence of a leading international industry trade show is to bring together global players to discuss trends, technologies, and business opportunities. It is a place where people meet to shape the future of their industry. Where is the woodworking community heading technologically? What are the political landscapes shaping our countries? What are the conditions for trade across different regions? How can we ensure smooth global trade? Who needs what from whom, and for what purpose? Which technologies should be further developed? Where are the emerging trends and markets, and what opportunities and risks do they present? These are the kinds of crucial discussions that take center stage at a leading international trade show like LIGNA. It may sound straightforward - and in many ways it is - but if these conversations, decisions and insights were not exchanged among key industry leaders, the very character of a leading trade show would be diminished. At its core, LIGNA is about the BIG PICTURE of the woodworking community
What are the exhibitors saying in the run-up to the show? Can you gauge the mood among exhibitors?
There is a mix of anticipation, some nervousness due to the current economic situation and great enthusiasm. The final weeks and months leading up to LIGNA are a hectic, but also positively energizing time for everyone. Everyone hopes for a good show experience, after all, the trade show investment should be worthwhile. In view of the political conditions in some parts of the world, there is of course some skepticism about global trade, tariffs and therefore the willingness of companies to invest, but in general you can see that optimism and the will to shape and move the industry forward prevails. And it is in this spirit that the woodworking community is entering the final weeks leading up to LIGNA.
This industry has often proven how resilient it is, how much strength there is and good it is to come together every two years in Hannover to meet, exchange ideas, maintain existing contacts and make new ones. LIGNA is when the world of the woodworking scene looks into the future.
