Around 16,000 visitors came to Milan

About three weeks ago, the 27th edition of “Xylexpo”, the biennial international technology trade fair for the wood and furniture industry, ended in Milan after four days in halls 22 and 24 of the “FieraMilano-Rho”. And quite with great satisfaction among some exhibitors, even if the pure numbers are sobering: About 12,400 visitors were counted at the hall entrances of the “Xylexpo”, about 4,000 came via the parallel fairs “Viscom Italia” and especially from 33rd “Bimu”. Like other industry events, “Xylexpo” was positively characterized on the days of the fair by the pleasure of meeting again live on a trade show platform.

This year, for the first time, the biennial “Xylexpo” was held concurrently with a digital communications show and a machine tool show organized by Ucimu. Apparently, all three manufacturing technology events together actually provided a higher level of attraction.

Compared to the last “Xylexpo” in 2018, the show didn’t quite match the pre-Corona pandemic numbers. Back then, “Xylexpo” attracted just under 17,800 visitors. The proportion of international visitors fell by around three percent, compared to 28 percent of foreign visitors in 2018. However, this is not surprising in the current times; moreover, traditionally a part of the “Xylexpo” interested visitors always came from China, Russia and Ukraine at the last events.

In any case, Luigi de Vito, President of Eumabois and Acimall, is full of praise: “The figures have not only confirmed the role of ‘Xylexpo’, but also the decisions we have taken for this edition. Like the new layout and the focus on elements that will be the pillars of future trade shows: a different strategy in product presentation and a strong focus on new digital services that can only expand the scope and function of a trade show.”

Making a strong statement – that was the concern of Albert Grumer, managing director of Weinig Holz-Her Italia S.R.L. in Bolzano, when he spoke out in favor of participating in Xylexpo in Milan. “I think our team succeeded well,” he says now, looking back on the leading Italian trade fair for the woodworking industry.

At the beginning of the year, it was still unclear whether the Italian branch should participate in “Xylexpo” from October 12 to 15. “A major German and a major Italian competitor had already decided not to participate, with us it was under consideration. However, I didn’t want to gamble away our success in Italy and wanted to consolidate it further,” Grumer reports of the discussions in the run-up. When the decision was finally made, the managing director did the proverbial nails with heads: with a booth of more than 1,100 square meters, the area had almost doubled compared to the previous “Xylexpo” in 2018. “This made us the second largest exhibitor this year, we had 17 machines under span, a clear sign,” says Grumer. “I’m very happy that we decided to participate in Xylexpo,” says Grumer, summing up his experience in Milan: “The booth was full every day and we wrote a lot of trade show reports, which we are now working up over the next few weeks.”