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.

An example from the solid wood processing sector consisted of the Tauberbischofsheim-based enterprise Michael Weinig AG. “On the first two days alone, we had ten percent more foreign visitors at our stand than last time. There was a genuine sense of optimism in the air, among businesses and customers alike. And the quality of our visitors was better than ever,” reported Marketing/Communication Manager Klaus Müller.

Several Italian market leaders also rated LIGNA a complete success. 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.”

And in the words of SCM Group Communications Director Raphaël Prati: “Thanks to our investments in research and development over the last two years, we had a lot of technical innovations to display here in Hannover. This year also marked the 50th anniversary of our participation at the show. From a strategic perspective, LIGNA is virtually a home game for us – our international showcase for presenting our solutions to our customers. Visitor numbers at all five stands were excellent, and they all displayed a great deal of interest in our innovations. We have no doubt that these good results at LIGNA will provide sustained new momentum for our business.”

The show’s keynote themes – lightweight construction, surface finishing and bioenergy from wood – met with keen visitor interest.

The efficient use of resources is rapidly becoming a top priority for more and more sectors of the industry. “This trend was duly mirrored by this year’s event,” Kühne noted. For example, lightweight solutions for furniture making were featured prominently at LIGNA 2011.

According to first-time exhibitor Dr. Tomas Joscak, Managing Director of Vienna-based Dascanova Technology: “LIGNA was the best-possible showcase for displaying our world-leading innovations in the lightweight construction segment. We surpassed our targets for the whole event by just the second day! Here in Hannover we met potential customers and partners, from Europe, South America and Asia. Visitors displayed an enormous amount of interest in our fiberboard and chipboard production technology.”

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 first "Think Light" international conference on lightweight designs.

New coatings, fabrication systems and services for surface finishing

Industrial surface finishing technologies also enjoyed a high profile at LIGNA, with exhibitor displays covering all aspects of the subject – from innovative coating materials and production systems to auxiliary materials and services. 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.

Hans-Joachim Bender, Managing Director of Robert Bürkle GmbH in Freudenstadt, had high praise for this year's LIGNA: “We enjoyed an excellent appearance at the show this year. The mood was much more positive, and our expectations were fully met. We were signing firm orders even before the fair was half over. And all signs point to good volumes of downstream business as well. The quality of customers at our stand was outstanding.”

Industrial surface finishing technologies also enjoyed a high profile at LIGNA, with exhibitor displays covering all aspects of the subject – from innovative coating materials and production systems to auxiliary materials and services. 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.

Hans-Joachim Bender, Managing Director of Robert Bürkle GmbH in Freudenstadt, had high praise for this year's LIGNA: “We enjoyed an excellent appearance at the show this year. The mood was much more positive, and our expectations were fully met. We were signing firm orders even before the fair was half over. And all signs point to good volumes of downstream business as well. The quality of customers at our stand was outstanding.”

The theme of bioenergy from wood was a hot topic at the fair and in the media. In the words of Arno Urbanek, applications and sales engineer at the Austrian firm UNTHA Shredding Technology: “We had a fine LIGNA. We were delighted at the visitor response. Bioenergy has become an attractive component in the energy mix, and is a high-profile and critical issue in our sector.”

At the 3rd international BBE/VDMA Business and Export Forum for Bioenergy, experts from around the world discussed ideas for creating and expanding international bioenergy markets.

“Handwerk, Holz & mehr” enjoys top recognition as a dedicated showcase for joiners, carpenters and cabinetmakers at LIGNA, and exhibitor displays there covered every aspect of wood crafts and timber-based construction.

According to Andreas Ploeger, Managing Director of Wilhem Altendorf GmbH & Co. KG Maschinenbau, based in Minden, Germany: “Both the number and quality of visitors were up on the last LIGNA. In terms of revenue alone, we had surpassed our figure for the previous event by the halfway mark of the show.”

One of this year's highlights was the “International Year of Forests” conference. This well-attended event discussed future strategies for a sustainable forestry and wood industry in Germany and Europe.

LIGNA HANNOVER 2011 also featured the “IN2WOOD” EU research and innovation project, involving 13 project partners from six European forest regions. The conference on “Sustainability in the Forestry and Wood Industries as a Key to Building an Intelligent Europe” provided a forum for the forestry and wood industry to debate the challenges of climate change and formulate new strategies to maintain and increase competitiveness.

Careers opportunities were also a big topic at this year’s LIGNA: Along with the "Teaching and Research" presentation, the “Young at Art" prize was awarded in connection with the “Wonders in Wood" special show. Meanwhile, the LIGNA Talents event provided an ideal vehicle for the participation of school groups. The young people’s enthusiasm and creativity was impressively demonstrated by their projects submitted in the categories of film, CNC programming and journalism.

The LIGNA HANNOVER portfolio also included special presentations like the “Energy from Wood” show, a firewood production line, a data flow chain, education/training in the forestry and wood industry, the crane driving championships and a whole range of forums and conferences. One of the most popular visitor attractions was the “STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® SERIES” – an international tree felling championship in which professionals compete with axe and saw for the title.

Around 700 journalists from 43 nations were in Hannover to cover LIGNA, and media interest was extremely high. The new www.ligna.tv video portal drew a huge virtual audience. Over 5,000 visitors – more than half of them from abroad – tuned in for live broadcasts and numerous reports on innovations at the show. The guided tours at the Vector Forum (Aktionsforum vector) again proved a strong drawing card.

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