Expectation is growing for the 21st edition of Xylexpo NEW, the biennial international exhibition of woodworking technology and furniture industry supplies to be held next 27-31 May in the Milan Exhibition Center in Rho. Great expectations are supported by record figures: until March 20, there were 830 registered exhibitors (in 2006 they were 804), for a total surface in excess of 75 thousand square meters (73,200 in the past edition). An excellent trend is also being recorded for international exhibitors, namely 282 from 38 countries (until March 20). The ranking is headed by Germany (92 exhibitors), followed by Taiwan with 27, China with 19, Spain with 16, Austria with 15, Switzerland with 12… These figures are bound to grow in the two months before the official opening.
Very intensive work is being carried out for visitors, as this is the area where the exhibition shows its international relevance with a share of international visitors that in 2006 amounted to 51.5 percent out of 93,266 registered attendance. The initiatives for this year, both in Italy and worldwide, are strongly targeted to exceeding that record.
The same goal is pursued by all decisions and measures adopted to support the arrival of visitors to Milan. Starting from preregistration: after filling out the form on www.xylexpo.com, you receive a Pdf document via e-mail. This document has a barcode to be read by the Easy Access totems at FieraMilano (East, South and West gates), that issue a free entrance ticket. So, quick and direct access, with a service that will be active until May 31, the closing day.
Visitors and exhibitors also have two more services available on www.xylexpo.com. First, the exhibitors’ catalog: from the Web site you can access an area where companies and their products are presented in five languages (Italian, English, French, German and Spanish). A few days ago we also launched the area “New exhibited products”, where visitors can get a first impression of what they are going to find in the halls.
There will be three major events during the exhibition in Milan. First of all Dimaf, the International Demonstration of Forest Machinery and Equipment (www.dimaf.it), organized by Cepra and Unif – the Italian association of forest research – held in San Fedele Intelvi, with a shuttle bus service from the exhibition center. The program includes a demo of forest equipment from May 30 to June 1, but the official opening will be on May 28 at FieraMilano with the first session of the international meeting “Sustainable management: is it a resource?”. In the next two days, the event will continue in the structure in Alpe Grande, near San Fedele Intelvi. Wednesday, May 29, will be dedicated to “Man, education, machines”, while on Thursday, May 30, the topic will be “Raw material”. Many representatives of the political and economic world will contribute, together with speakers from academic institutes and forest-related universities.
Great support was given by Region Lombardy, which has been involved from the very start to turn the Dimaf Project into reality, with the proactive commitment by Ersaf and local communities for the organization: the Como Province, the Municipality of San Fedele Intelvi, the Lario Intelvese forest consortium and the Lario Intelvese mountain community.
On Saturday, May 31, a seminar about “Mechanization and economic sustainability of forest exploitation”, organized by the Province of Como, Ersaf, the National Research Council Ivalsa, the Lombardy association of forest enterprises and the Lario Intelvese forest consortium.
In the exhibition center, on Wednesday, May 28, traditional date with Futurlegno (www.futurlegno.it), the contest for technical and professional school students who are taking wood-related courses. The final session will be held at Xylexpo NEW involving the ten finalist classes. Promoted by Confartigianato legno Arredo and supported by Acimall, Federlegno-Arredo and Ebav, the contest – aimed at promotion wood culture among young people and highlighting the employment potential of this industry – is sponsored by the Presidency of the Italian Republic and the Ministry of Education, as well as the Agriculture Department of the Padua University.
On Friday, May 30, another big event for wood culture and science, with the final conference of Cost Action 44
(www.cost-e44.be), entitled “A European strategy for woodworking: future resources meet products and innovation”. The event – organized by the European cooperation for scientific and technological research – is open to journalists, offering them the opportunity to get an update on current issues related to forest management and wood production. The program features a rich agenda with reports by Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza (agro-environmental and forest biology institute of the National Research Council, and Tuscia University); Udo Mantau (Hamburg University); Mikael Eliasson (Cei-Bois); Geoff Rhodes (Coillte); Jouko Silen (Stora Enso timber); Paolo Frankl (Iea, International Energy Agency) and Joris Van Acker (Gent University).
In the afternoon, a discussion forum will be opened by a roundtable discussion of national Cost representatives, followed by a debate on the presentations and open questions about the morning session.
XYLEXPO NEW fact sheet
Date: Tuesday, May 27 to Saturday, May 31, 2008
Opening hours: 9.30-18.30 (for exhibitors 8.30-19.00)
Halls: 1-3, 2-4 e 5-7 (secondary panel processing)
6-10 (secondary solid wood processing)
14 (primary operations and technologies for wood constructions)
Outdoor area (forestry)
Entrance: East, West and South gates
Reception: Halls 1-3, 2-4, 5-7, 6-10 and South Gate
Free entrance for industry operators, with preregistration
Press Office and Secretariat: Service Center, first floor
Updates and more information can be found in real time on www.xylexpo.com.
