EUROPE'S largest forestry technology event, the KWF, has been postponed until 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Originally scheduled to take place from 1–4 July 2020, the 18th KWF-Tagung will now take place from 30 June through 3 July 2021. The venue in Schwarzenborn, Germany is unchanged. Tickets and booked exhibition stands remain valid.

The decision was made today (23 March) at a board meeting. 

"The health of exhibitors, visitors, partners and employees takes top priority for the KWF," chairman Robert Morigl explained.

"We take our responsibility as organiser very seriously and, by postponing the event, we are making our contribution to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections. This is an absolute priority."

He added: "It is very important for us to announce the new date for the 18th KWF-Tagung today in order to secure planning certainty for the entire forest and timber cluster. Our customers and partners can be reassured that we will act considerate and responsible at any circumstance – therefore also in difficult situations.”

Managing director of the KWF, Prof. Dr. Ute Seeling, said: "We were on an excellent path with preparations for a pioneering KWF-Tagung. We have long hoped that the COVID-19 pandemic will be under control at this point and that with our event we are able to offer the forest industry a fresh start."

The spokesmen for the KWF advisory committee, Dr. Jürgen Munz and Stefan Meier as well as their deputies Britta Schlett and Ralf Dreeke, certainly would have preferred the KWF-Tagung 2020 to take place as planned. "However, the last few days have made it very clear that this will not be possible. It would have been extremely difficult to create and equip the exhibition stands in the outstanding form that is common at a KWF-Tagung," a joint statment said.

"But the entire forest industry, including us, definitely needs the KWF-Tagung as an unique platform for innovations, for communication of knowledge and for the exchange of experience. Therefore we, collectively with the KWF, decided to postpone the KWF-Tagung by one year. As company representatives we fully support this decision."