64 | Show Review: Xylexpo 2024
INNOVATIONS IN ITALY
This year’s edition of the Xylexpo woodworking technology saw reduced visitor numbers but a number of interesting innovations presented in the Rho fairgrounds, reports Stephen Powney who attended the Milan event
The biennial woodworking machinery exhibition that is Xylexpo was back in Milan in its familiar May calendar slot this year. After a flirtation with an autumn timing two years ago and co-siting alongside fellow exhibitions
33.BI-MU and Viscom Italia, Xylexpo returned to the Rho fairgrounds to show the best innovations across timber and wood-based panels production technology. Even before Xylexpo - the world exhibition for woodworking technology and components for the furniture industry - opened its doors, organisers were playing down the possibilities of the exhibition size and visitor number attendance because of the difficult times experienced by the wood industries in the past year, essentially acknowledging that the background economic landscape made it difficult to present a big version of Xylexpo. But organiser Acimall – the Italian
Woodworking Technology Association – is nothing if not dogged in doing everything it can to make the long-running event a success.
By the time the 28th edition of Xylexpo closed its doors on May 24, Acimall said 11,288 people had been in attendance. This was down from about 16,000 at the last 2022 show, but better than Acimall had feared. Acimall described the result as “more than satisfactory” when factoring in the general poor economic environment. “We must admit we expected lower figures, considering the difficult period for trade fairs, but as it seems, Xylexpo’s long tradition has once again shown its attraction power,” said Dario Corbetta, exhibition director. “Also, the decision to stay within the standard working days – Tuesday to Friday, leaving the Saturday free – was rewarded and ensured consistent attendance, after the opening day, on all exhibition days”. Some 27% of visitors were from outside
Italy, with 70% of these from Europe, 18% from Asia, 5% from the Americas, and 5% from Africa. Acimall said many of the 270 exhibitors
attending reported high-quality contacts and closing several deals during the exhibition. Very positive figures were recorded by Xylexpo’s online activity: from April 24 to May 25, the number of “contacts” was described as “huge”, with quoted figures including 58,000 on Facebook, 77,000 on LinkedIn, 145,000 on Instagram, and over 13,000 views on YouTube.
Xylexpo Digital attracted more than 3,200 “visitors” during the trade fair. The return of better economic times, expected in 2025, will surely provide a better indicator of Xylexpo’s position in the woodworking technology fair calendar, running in the off years to the leading Ligna exhibition in Hannover. TTJ was at this show for three days and though it was a smaller edition than those attended in the past, we can report many good contacts, news and innovations, which helped show how the wood product manufacturing industries are moving forward with their technology.
Above: 11,288 visitors attended Xylexpo 2024 in Milan TTJ | July/August 2024 |
www.ttjonline.com
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