From 2027, LIGNA will be setting a new strategic course in terms of dates. It will leave the usual event period over Ascension Day and from 2027 onwards will continue to be held in the odd-numbered years – but detached from the public holiday – in spring in Hanover, Germany.
This was a joint decision by LIGNA organisers, Deutsche Messe AG and VDMA Woodworking Machinery, after intensive discussions. LIGNA 2027 will be held in Hanover from Monday, May 10th to Friday, May 14th, and LIGNA 2029 from Monday, May 14th to Friday, May 18th. The date of LIGNA 2025 over Ascension Day from Monday, May 26th to Friday, May 30th remains unchanged.
“The decisive factor for LIGNA’s rescheduling from 2027 is the change in visitor behaviour on Ascension Day and the following Friday as a bridge day," comments Stephanie Wagner, Head of LIGNA, Deutsche Messe AG. "A look at LIGNA's history shows that the trade fair was originally deliberately scheduled for Ascension Day week. The visitor focus on the public holiday was particularly on the skilled trades sector.
“The leisure behavior of visitors has changed significantly in recent years. Thursday as a national public holiday and the following Friday as a bridge day are very popular as an extended vacation weekend, particularly by German visitors from the skilled trades sector, but also from the industry.
"Our visitor analyses clearly confirm this. As the world's leading trade fair for the woodworking and wood processing industry, we want to present our exhibiting companies with a high quality and quantity of national and international visitors on all five days of the fair – from all visitor target groups. From our perspective, this will only be possible if LIGNA leaves the Ascension week in future,” explains Wagner.
VDMA Woodworking Machinery considers a new event period for LIGNA from 2027 onwards to be of fundamental importance. Dr. Bernhard Dirr, Managing Director VDMA Woodworking Machinery, Frankfurt am Main: “Efficiency is the key to a successful trade fair these days, and that applies to exhibitors and visitors alike. Time at a trade fair is valuable and needs to be used optimally. This is best achieved when the number of visitors is spread as evenly as possible over all days. This is exactly what the new LIGNA date ensures.”
When rescheduling the trade fair, the proximity of dates to interzum in Cologne was also a factor. The two trade fairs are traditionally held close to each other and together attract international visitors overseas, for example. And it is precisely these visitors who benefit from the proximity of the two thematically complementary trade fairs when planning their travel and visits.
“We are scheduling LIGNA 2027 before interzum," says Stephanie. "From 2029, LIGNA will then run parallel to interzum. By taking this step, we will enable all visitors to visit both trade fairs in a balanced and time-efficient manner and thus contribute to the average length of stay of an international visitor at European trade fairs, which according to our analyses is around 2.5 days.”
LIGNA dates 2025 to 2029 at a glance:
LIGNA 2025: Monday, May 26 to Friday, May 30 in Hanover (unchanged)
LIGNA 2027: Monday, May 10 to Friday, May 14 in Hanover (new)
LIGNA 2029: Monday, May 14 to Friday, May 18 in Hanover (new)
