KWF: Why excitement is building ahead of forestry show's return

This piece is an extract from our Latest from the Woods newsletter (previously Forestry Latest News), which is emailed out at 4PM every Friday with a round-up of the week's top stories. 

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THERE has been a noticeable tinge of excitement at Forestry Journal towers in recent weeks. Or maybe it's just the usual feeling of stress brought on by another looming deadline and a to-do list so long that we're not sure we'll have it finished by the time the next general election comes around.

Let's assume it's the former that's causing that tingly feeling (although it's most certainly the latter), then there can only be one thing behind it.

This week sees the long-awaited return of KWF Tagung, arguably the biggest forest-based event in the industry's calendar, which last took place in 2016 before that pesky COVID got in the way. Organised on a regular basis since 1964, the appetite for it this time around is palpable as forestry professional from around the world get ready to head to Schwarzenborn, Hesse.

American brand Jarraff pictured at the last KWF (Image: FJ)

But what is it about this particular show that stands out above some of the others? (Other than the German beer.) A quick look at FJ's coverage of the last KWF sheds some light, even if it did excitedly boast it "would be there" for 2020's edition. If only you knew what was to come, FJ, if you only you knew.

"When Forest Machine Journal (as FJ was previously known) first visited a KWF Tagung, up in the freezing clouds of Oberhof in East Germany in 1996, we were possibly the only British presence there.

"The show has come a long way since then, and this year’s site at Roding in Bavaria welcomed 51,000 visitors over its four days to see 551 exhibitors from 24 countries."

Across the next few pages, FJ shared a valuable insight into some of the names those 51,000 visitors were able to enjoy. Whether that be lesser-spotted brands in the UK such as Austrian woodchipper manufacturer Eschlböck or Jarraff (unashamedly a builder of big machines), or the likes of Eco Log, Logset and Gremo (RIP), it was clear that the show catered for every facet of the sector.

Around 50,000 visitors are expected to attend KWF (Image: PR)

As for 2024's edition, it is similarly packed with a range of household names (take your pick from GMT, Haix and many more) to smaller outfits that are no less important; FJ is particularly excited to see Euromatic – the brand behind the Silvatec 'revival' – on the list of exhibitors.

When we lay it out like that, maybe that tinge is down to KWF after all.

See you in Germany!