This year, opening its doors for the 37th time and once again bringing together the woodworking machinery sector, the WoodTech Fair hosted a total of 22,639 visitors, including 3,609 international buyers, at the Istanbul Tüyap Fair and Congress Center. Over 300 companies and company representatives showcased their state-of-the-art machinery to domestic and international industry professionals and buyers over the course of five days.
Since 2017, the woodworking machinery sector, which has consistently maintained a current account surplus, came together once again at the 37th International Woodworking Machinery, Cutting Tools, and Hand Tools Fair, WoodTech.
Organized by Türkiye’s largest fair company, RX Tüyap, in collaboration with the Woodworking Machinery Industrialists Association (AIMSAD) and the European Federation of Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers (EUMABOIS), the fair hosted a total of 22,639 visitors, including 3,609 international and 19,030 domestic buyers from 89 countries.
Global players and ınnovative solutions converge in Istanbul
The WoodTech Fair hosted industry professionals eager to explore the latest developments and innovative solutions in woodworking machinery. The fair attracted a significant number of visitors from strategic regions such as the Middle East, Europe, the Balkans, North Africa, and Central Asia, making notable contributions to global trade collaboration. Visitors from countries including Germany, Italy, Poland, Algeria, Russia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Serbia, Libya, Egypt, and Italy showed great interest in the event. Highlighting modern solutions such as automation systems, eco-friendly production lines, dust collection, and filtration systems, the fair brought together the sector’s leading players.
Extensive product range stood out
The five-day WoodTech Fair stood out with its extensive product range. It showcased a wide variety of product groups, from machinery and equipment for forestry, logs, and lumber to surface treatment machines, as well as packaging, conveyor, and storage solutions. Additionally, advanced technologies tailored to the industry, such as energy boilers, drying kilns, and industrial software, were presented to visitors.
The fair provided participants with significant opportunities to establish business connections, create new trade opportunities, and enhance export capabilities. As a result, it enabled not only domestic manufacturers but also international companies to forge large-scale collaborations. WoodTech stands out as a crucial platform for industry professionals to establish new business connections and access the latest technologies.
“As Turkish woodworking machinery manufacturers, we will continue on our path with the same determination”
Sharing his remarks on the WoodTech Fair, AIMSAD President İsmet Toktaş said: “As AIMSAD, we once again proudly represented our sector at the 37th edition of the WoodTech Fair. Despite a year overshadowed by economic challenges, we, as Turkish woodworking machinery manufacturers, managed to remain strong. The expansion of our fair this year with the addition of two new halls once again demonstrated the growth in the sector and the increasing significance of WoodTech. For the past two years, the WoodTech Fair has been held on its self-determined dates, and we are confident that it will become an even greater attraction for our sector in the coming years. This year, 102 AIMSAD member companies participated in our fair, once again showcasing the strength and engagement of our members in the industry. AIMSAD member companies occupied 36,000 square meters of the total exhibition space, solidifying their position as the largest representatives of the sector. The ongoing challenges in international markets, as well as wars and uncertainties, led to a slight decrease in the number of international visitors. However, despite this decline, the visitors who attended our fair were knowledgeable about our sector and machinery, and they knew exactly what they were looking for, providing valuable business opportunities for our companies. A total of 22,639 people visited our fair, 19,030 of whom were domestic visitors and 3,609 were international. Considering the difficult conditions of this year, the fact that each visitor to our fair possessed sector-specific expertise and clearly identified needs resulted in a high-quality visitor profile. This created a structure that will be far more beneficial for our companies in the long term. Once again, we have demonstrated the resilience of our sector and the growing importance of the WoodTech Fair in this journey. As Turkish woodworking machinery manufacturers, we will continue on our path with the same determination.”
“WoodTech Fair will host even greater successes in the coming years”
AIMSAD Secretary General / Board Member Arif Onur Kaçak said: “The picture we observed at the 37th WoodTech Fair once again demonstrated the strength of the Turkish woodworking machinery sector. Our fair, which showcases the power of our sector, grew even larger with the addition of two new halls. Despite fluctuations in global markets and economic challenges, the products and solutions displayed by our members revealed the progress our sector has made. This year, the expanding space of our fair and the strong participation of our members became the most tangible evidence of the sector’s development. What particularly caught my attention was the quality and professionalism of our visitors. The efficiency of each meeting and the potential for these to turn into concrete business connections highlighted the success of our fair. As the Turkish woodworking machinery sector, we will continue to make a name for ourselves in the global market with our production quality and experience. I am confident that WoodTech will host even greater successes in the coming years.”
“We have once again strengthened Türkiye’s strategic position in the woodworking machinery sector”
RX Tüyap General Manager Berkan Öner said: “At our WoodTech 2024 Fair, held in 12 halls across 120,000 square meters with 375 local and international companies and company representatives showcasing their booths, a wide range of products and services, from the most innovative technologies in the woodworking industry to the latest solutions, were presented to visitors. A total of 22,639 industry professionals visited the WoodTech Fair. In doing so, we have once again solidified the region’s and Türkiye’s strategic position in the woodworking machinery sector. Our fair not only increased the trade volume for sector stakeholders but also provided opportunities to strengthen global collaborations. As RX Tüyap, we are proud to host this gathering, which advances the sector in collaboration with AIMSAD, the unifying force of the woodworking machinery industry, and to represent Türkiye on the global stage. Our goal is to create sustainable and innovative value by establishing an ever-expanding international network each year, helping our participants grow along their journey. We would like to thank all the participants and visitors who contributed to this success. We look forward to reuniting the sector next year with even bigger goals.”
