LIGNA 2027: Strong exhibitor line-up takes shape with 100,000sq.m booked

Around 1,100 exhibitors have already booked 100,000sq.m of exhibition space for LIGNA 2027, with the organisers reporting strong representation across the show’s core segments and growing interest in its new LIGNA.Builds and LIGNA.TruckStop formats

LIGNA 2027 is in strong shape eight months ahead of its opening, taking place from 10–14 May 2027 without a public holiday or bridge day for the first time.

“The industry is fully represented across LIGNA’s core segments – no major name is missing. Quite the opposite: we have even gained new companies from adjacent industries,” says Stephanie Wagner, Global Director LIGNA at Deutsche Messe AG.

She adds that the driving forces behind these first-time bookings are the event’s two new formats, LIGNA.Builds and LIGNA.TruckStop.

Live timber construction at LIGNA.Builds

“LIGNA.Builds addresses one of the industry’s most pressing current topics. Modern, industrialised timber construction affects all of us,” Wagner says.

Both long-standing exhibitors and new names are set to contribute to the planned live construction site at the Expo roof in the outdoor area. Technology partners including HOMAG Group with WEINMANN, System TM and KALLESOE, as well as HUNDEGGER, SCM and WEINIG, will be joined by new participants including EGGER Group and WÜRTH.

The timber construction company responsible for building the house at LIGNA is WOLF SYSTEM GmbH, headquartered in Osterhofen, Bavaria. Directly adjacent to its company premises, WOLF is currently developing a new residential neighbourhood for employees.

The project includes three multi-family buildings, several semi-detached and townhouses, as well as a seminar room. It highlights WOLF’s expertise in timber-frame construction and showcases the range of solutions the company is already implementing in modern timber construction.

“LIGNA.Builds is therefore an ideal fit for WOLF’s own development plans,” says the company.

The new LIGNA.Builds format is being implemented in cooperation with project partner holzbau.tech from Rosenheim, which brings many years of expertise in modern timber construction to the project. The project is also supported by the Technical University of Applied Sciences Rosenheim.

LIGNA.TruckStop expands

The second edition of LIGNA.TruckStop is also helping companies discover LIGNA as a new platform.

“LIGNA.TruckStop is entering its next phase at LIGNA 2027 and is developing very dynamically,” says Wagner. “With new exhibitors such as Bosch Powertools, fischer, HÄFELE, HECO SCHRAUBEN and SPAX alongside established names such as FESTOOL and Makita, the format is nearly tripling in exhibition space and doubling in the number of participating companies.”

A key success factor is the TruckStop’s direct integration into the LIGNA.Builds live construction site. This gives exhibitors greater individual visibility while connecting their solutions with the key topics of modern timber construction and the requirements of the carpentry and joinery trades.

“This combination of product presentation, hands-on relevance and thematic integration is making TruckStop increasingly attractive to exhibitors,” Wagner adds.

1,100 exhibitors already confirmed

As of the end of September 2026, LIGNA 2027 is reporting a strong booking level, with approximately 1,100 exhibitors occupying 100,000sq.m of exhibition space.

For comparison, the final figures for LIGNA 2025 were 1,425 exhibitors and 113,832sq.m of occupied exhibition space.

The organisers say the figures demonstrate continued support for LIGNA, despite challenging economic conditions across the woodworking industry.

More compact hall structure

“Some larger exhibitors are booking smaller stands due to their individual economic circumstances. As a result, the overall exhibition space at LIGNA 2027 will be somewhat smaller than at the previous event, while the exhibitor base will remain stable,” explains Wagner.

Dr Bernhard Dirr, Managing Director of VDMA Woodworking Machinery, says timber-construction-related segments are proving comparatively resilient despite the wider economic challenges.

“A positive trend is also emerging in the prefabricated housing sector – an encouraging outlook for LIGNA.Builds. This makes us cautiously optimistic,” he says.

In response to the changed space requirements, LIGNA is organising the 2027 exhibition grounds in a more thematically focused way, making the event more compact and efficient for visitors.

“Some exhibitors will be presenting themselves in different halls next year. This will allow us to consolidate the available space within the occupied halls and arrange companies even more systematically according to their respective product offerings and areas of focus,” says Wagner.

For visitors, the organisers say this will result in a more concentrated exhibitor presentation, shorter walking distances and more intuitive navigation.

Hall 11 to close for 2027

As part of the restructuring, Hall 11, which has only been partially occupied in recent years, will no longer be used for LIGNA 2027.

“Due to its location and structural layout, Hall 11 has in the past been somewhat less directly connected to the main visitor flows. With the new hall structure, we want to address this specifically,” Wagner explains.

“Exhibitors who are assigned booth space in another hall for 2027 will benefit from being integrated into LIGNA’s high-traffic core areas.”

Entrance South will also remain closed next year. Located directly adjacent to Hall 11, it attracted comparatively few visitors in both 2023 and 2025.

Wagner concludes: “In 2027, LIGNA will be more compact in terms of its thematic structure and provide visitors with even clearer navigation and shorter routes. We are adapting the spatial structure to current market conditions and concentrating LIGNA where exhibitors and visitors actually come together.”

For more information on LIGNA 2027, visit www.ligna.de/en.