Ligna's new autumn slot is a timing which conflicts with the UK’s leading event for the furniture and joinery sector, the W Exhibition.
Following discussions, and in view of the current Covid-19 situation, Ligna organisers Deutsche Messe and the German association VDMA have jointly decided to push the Ligna event forward by five months.
Dr Andreas Gruchow, Deutsche Messe managing board member
“Due to the ongoing pandemic, increasing restrictions and the renewed lockdown, there is great uncertainty in the market. We take this very seriously,” emphasises Dr Andreas Gruchow, Deutsche Messe managing board member.
“The decision to postpone Ligna was a very difficult one for us,” he explains, “but it is the only consistent measure to give all those involved planning security and the necessary lead time for preparations. To ensure that Ligna, the world’s leading trade show for the sector, can live up to this expectation, suppliers and visitors alike must be given sufficient planning security for participation – and this is significantly higher for September/October than for May 2021.”
Timing clash with W Exhibition
It will not have escaped the notice of many readers, but the timing of the rescheduled Ligna event is directly head-on with the W Exhibition, organised at the NEC in Birmingham for the exact same timeslot. With the W already 85% booked up, what will Ligna’s move mean for the UK’s key biannual event? F&JP spoke with organiser Montgomery for a response.
W Exhibition managing director, Nickie West
Commenting on the Ligna postponement, the W Exhibition managing director, Nickie West said: “We have been made aware, alongside the rest of the market, that Ligna has announced the postponement of its May showcase to a new dateline of 27th September–1st October 2021.
“Whilst The W Exhibition is very much a UK domestic show, meaning that we do not rely on international visitors, we will obviously explore the ways in which we can minimise any logistical challenges for our exhibitors.
“We do not yet know how foreign travel will be affected in 2021 by any continued Covid-19 restrictions, and the consequences of this on Ligna remains to be seen. What we do know is that there is a huge appetite for a UK show. This support has already been demonstrated across the industry with W Exhibition 2021 already 85% sold and an engaged visitor audience who are eager to reconnect with the market and see the latest products after an extended period of restricted face-to-face contact,” explained Nickie.
Consultation
“We are in the process of conducting extensive discussions with the market and all of our stakeholders to help in any way possible to plan through any potential logistical challenges.
“Our exhibitors’ return on investment along with the protection of The W Exhibition brand are of paramount importance to us. We, in partnership with all our stakeholders shall as always, endeavour to make the right decisions for a successful exhibition both now and in the future.”
F&JP understands that initial telephone discussions with key stakeholders have been coming back with positive responses.
