Visitor Tickets Available Online Now!
Six months before opening its gates, INTERFORST, International Key Trade Fair for Forestry and Forest Technology, is turning into the finish line. As of now, visitors can buy online tickets (on interforst.com/ticket) and thus save some 30 percent of the price. Over 450 exhibitors from probably more than 25 countries are being expected. They will present solutions from the entire logistics chain, ranging from afforestation to timber harvesting through to the sawmill industry, on the Munich exhibition grounds from July 18 to 22. The trade show will be accompanied by a top-class supporting program consisting of forums, special shows and a scientific congress.
Every four years, INTERFORST is the investment and innovation platform of the forestry and woodland industry. On an area of around 70,000 square meters, it provides a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art technologies and services for the forestry and wood cluster. The range of topics extends from afforestation and forest care to timber harvesting, timber processing and wood energy, through to transport vehicles, safety at work and information technology in the forest. The appropriate machinery, devices, plants and other technical aids, including IT solutions, will be on display, among other things. The largest part of INTERFORST will take place in the outdoor exhibition area of Messe München; Hall B6 which covers 11,000 square meters will be used in addition.
Some 50,000 visitors from more than 70 countries are expected on the five days of the trade show. The visitors will come from all areas of the forestry and woodland industries as well as from the timber and sawmill industries. In 2014, nearly one out of five visitors came from abroad, which clearly shows the international orientation of INTERFORST. Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Croatia, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Belgium account for the majority of the visitors, apart from Germany.
As usual, the comprehensive supporting program of INTERFORST, consisting of special shows, forums, the scientific congress and numerous machine demonstrations, will be practically oriented and forward-looking. By tradition, it brings science, politics and practice together.
The INTERFORST Congress, which will take place in the mornings of the second and third days of the trade show, bears the title “Forestry in transition—adapting to remain competitive“. On Thursday, the topics will be “climate change and the use of wood”, on Friday “digitization and bioeconomy”. Light will be shed on them in various lectures, above all from a scientific perspective.
The forums of INTERFORST, which will be conducted from Thursday to Sunday, will alternately place a focus on various topics or visitor target groups: Thursday will be the forest technology day, Friday the occupational health and safety day, Saturday will be dedicated to forestry entrepreneurs and Sunday to forest owners.
In keeping with the slogan “On a large and small scale—using technology to improve safety”, technical equipment will be presented under the aspect of security in the outdoor exhibition area of Messe München. In addition, trade visitors can go through a health check in what is referred to as “health line”.
In the course of the special show entitled “From seedling to squared timber—the timber processing chain”, distinguished institutions, public authorities and associations will map the entire forestry processing chain, ranging from the establishment of new stands to the final product, in exhibition hall B6. The topics are, among others, sustainable forestry and the use of “digital twins” in forest management. Furthermore, the use of state-of-the-art forest machinery for wood harvesting will be demonstrated.
The Bavarian Logging Championship will be one of the highlights again. It will start on Wednesday with a competition among the apprentices of the Bavarian State Forest Enterprise. On Thursday, the national teams from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, among others, will compete against each other in the disciplines of chain fitting, bucking by combined cuts, precision bucking, limbing and felling. The Bavarian Logging Regional Championship with around 100 participants from Germany and Europe will take place from Friday to Sunday.
Flying wood chippings and lots of action will await the trade show visitors at the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® shows, the premier league in lumberjack sports. Anyone interested will have the opportunity to test their own talent on a two-meter hand saw, the so-called single buck.
From Wednesday to Saturday, there will be expert talks on current topics of the timber and forestry industries on the “Green Couch”. Minister of State Helmut Brunner, Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry, will take the lead on the first day of the trade show.
On Thursday, INTERFORST will be fully geared to our neighboring country which accounts for the majority of the exhibitors and visitors, except for Germany. Many lectures and demonstrations in the supporting program of INTERFORST will bear reference to Austria on this day.