Preparations continue for the next edition of Xylexpo, scheduled to take place from 9 to 12 June 2026 at FieraMilano-Rho.
Xylexpo 2026 stems from a deeply renewed project, developed to offer exhibitors a concrete opportunity for success while, at the same time, providing visitors with a moment of knowledge and in-depth insight into different technologies.
This is the premise from which the next edition of the international biennial exhibition of technologies for the wood and furniture industry takes shape. The event will be held at FieraMilano-Rho from 9 to 12 June, instead of its traditional May slot, due to the exhibition centre’s “Olympic commitments”.
It should be noted straight away that the benefits offered by the “early bird” option, reserved for companies confirming their participation by 30 November, have “worked” again this year, encouraging many businesses to speed up their decision-making, despite a climate of expectation and ongoing uncertainty that also affects the wood technology and furniture industries.
A trade fair that is strongly committed to being “new”, not only in terms of dates and exhibition halls (14 and 18), but above all in its content. “For over a year we have been working on a new project that will allow us to carry out our role even more effectively, enabling exhibiting companies to approach new markets while at the same time working alongside visitors to help them find suitable answers,” commented Dario Corbetta, Exhibition Director, who continued: “… the next edition of Xylexpo will remain true to its commitment to being an international event, capable of offering a privileged window onto ‘Made in Italy’. A dual soul, therefore: on the one hand, the place where Italian companies have their ‘trade fair home’, their ‘comfort zone’, as it is often called today; on the other, an opportunity for companies from all over the world to have a direct and tangible presence on the Italian market, one of the most important globally”.
In recent weeks, the themes that will be at the centre of the many events scheduled over the four days of the exhibition have also been defined. The first day will be dedicated to wood construction, with a focus on the first edition of Holzbau Forum Italia at Xylexpo’26, featuring a programme centred on the increasingly significant relationship between technologies, design and construction. The second day will focus on drying, during which the brand-new “Drying Manual”, produced by Conlegno and the University of Florence, will be presented. On the third day, technologies and products for finishing will take centre stage, while the fourth day will be dedicated to tools. Events, presentations, interviews, testimonials and in-depth sessions developed in collaboration with institutions, universities, experts and institutes will also take place.
The calendar of events related to Composites Future is also being finalised. This exhibition-conference dedicated to technologies and materials for the composites sector will make its debut this year in Hall 18, thanks to the collaboration with Plast, the trade fair for technologies for the plastics and rubber industries, which will be held concurrently with Xylexpo. On the mornings of Wednesday 10, Thursday 11 and Friday 12, visitors will be able to attend the “Composites Future Academy”, focusing on materials, innovative material modelling and the technologies required. In the afternoons of the same days, the “Composites Future Demo Area” will host hands-on experiences demonstrating composite material manufacturing processes, along with presentations of modelling and processing examples.
“I believe I can say that we have done everything possible to give Xylexpo a new soul,” Corbetta continued. “In a trade fair scenario where there is a strong need for change, we have added some elements to our event that I consider important. We will give ample space to wood construction and to the contribution that our technologies can make to a segment that is constantly growing, thanks to the support of the prestigious Holzbau Forum, with which we are launching a collaboration that we are confident will contribute to the success of our event.
We have also embraced another message that the markets have been sending us for some time, namely the ability of our machines to perform effectively in other sectors as well, first and foremost that of composite materials. We are opening the doors to this new scenario in collaboration with Assocompositi, the association representing the best of Italian companies involved in these processes.”
The core focus of the exhibition will, of course, remain firmly centred on solid wood and panel processing, with machines, equipment, tools, systems, finishing lines and plants, as well as services that have always found their ideal showcase at Xylexpo.
This edition will certainly represent an opportunity to make important investment decisions, in light of the incentives provided by new government measures on super depreciation.
“We have all the right credentials to perform well,” added Dario Corbetta. “ICE Agency will be at our side to host delegations from 25 countries during the exhibition days, confirming our international vocation, with arrivals of buyers and opinion leaders from all the countries that are currently showing particular interest in ‘Made in Italy’.”
Engineer Corbetta, what kind of Xylexpo will it be?
“A concrete Xylexpo, showing that there is always a way to remain a useful event for the sector, starting from different premises and with formats that will not be the same as in the past: trade fairs have changed, and the dramatic experience of the pandemic has altered many long-standing practices, including in commercial and marketing activities. We are all learning to come to terms with this new reality, especially those dealing with ‘major’ capital goods such as technologies, which, in order to be presented optimally, often require significant set-up costs, particularly when they are operated live, as visitors – or at least a significant portion of them – undoubtedly prefer.
I cannot deny that Xylexpo is facing a particularly complex challenge: on the one hand, we all envision a lighter, smarter trade fair, characterised by more compact exhibition spaces and where the wide range of technologies offered by each exhibitor can be explored through more innovative means. On the other hand, we must also acknowledge that visitors enjoy being able to see and touch first-hand the solutions they may decide to integrate into their company’s layout.
I admit I am very curious to see how this apparent contradiction can be resolved: as always, we are available to exhibitors and visitors alike to find a meeting point together.”
Edited by Luca Rossetti
