6 NEWS
Ligna 2021 moves to the autumn – clashing with The W Exhibition Ligna has moved its May 2021 event to an autumn slot, from 27th September to 1st October 2021 – a timing which conflicts with the UK’s leading event for the furniture and joinery sector, The W Exhibition. Following discussions, and in view of the current Covid-19 situation, Ligna organisers Deutsche Messe and the German association VDMA have jointly decided to push the Ligna event forward by five months. “Due to the ongoing pandemic, increasing restrictions and the renewed lockdown, there is great uncertainty in the market. We take this very seriously,” emphasises Deutsche Messe managing board member, Dr Andreas Gruchow. “The decision to postpone Ligna was a very difficult one for us,” he explains, “but it is the only consistent measure to give all those involved planning security and the necessary lead time for preparations. To ensure that Ligna, the world’s leading trade show for the sector, can live up to this expectation, suppliers and visitors alike must be given sufficient planning security for participation – and this is significantly higher for September/October than for May 2021”. It will not have escaped the notice of many readers, but the timing of the rescheduled Ligna
Ironmongery Direct partnership Leading ironmongery specialist supplier Ironmongery Direct has partnered with Checkatrade, a leading UK website for finding tradespeople, offering exclusive benefits for both new and existing Checkatrade members and Ironmongery Direct customers.
CSIL new online mattresses market report A new CSIL research report into ecommerce in the mattress industry offering a detailed analysis of the online mattress market, with a particular focus on three world areas – the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific is now available.
January Furniture Show delayed Event organiser, Clarion Events has rescheduled the country largest furniture trade show to 25-28th April 2021.
New Joinery Network website As the growth of The Joinery Network continues, a new website has been launched to support UK joinery manufacturers looking to manufacture PAS 24:2016 Document Q-ready timber windows and doors. The new website has information on The Joinery Network’s range of fully tested, accredited timber windows and doors, Lignum, and is live at www. thejoinerynetwork.co.uk.
event is directly head-on with The W Exhibition, organised at the NEC in Birmingham during the exact same timeslot. With the W already 85% booked up, what will Ligna’s move mean for the UK’s key biannual event? F&JP spoke with organiser Montgomery for a response. Commenting on Ligna’s postponement, The W Exhibition MD Nickie West says: “We have been made aware, alongside the rest of the market, that Ligna has announced the postponement of its May showcase to a new dateline of 27th September to 1st October 2021. “Whilst The W Exhibition is very much a UK domestic show, meaning that we do not rely on international visitors, we will obviously explore the ways in which we can minimise any logistical challenges for our exhibitors. “We do not yet know how foreign travel will be affected in 2021 by any continued Covid-19 restrictions, and the consequences of this on Ligna remains to be seen. What we do know is that there is a huge appetite for a UK show. “This support has already been demonstrated across the industry, with The W Exhibition 2021 already 85% sold and an engaged visitor audience who are eager to reconnect with the market and see the latest products after
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Deutsche Messe’s Dr Andreas Gruchow
an extended period of restricted face-to-face contact,” explains Nickie. “We are in the process of conducting extensive discussions with the market and all of our stakeholders to help in any way possible to plan through any potential logistical challenges. “Our exhibitors’ return on investment, along with the protection of The W Exhibition brand, are of paramount importance to us. We, in partnership with all our stakeholders, shall, as always, endeavour to make the right decisions for a successful exhibition, both now and in the future.” F&JP understands that initial telephone discussions with key stakeholders have been coming back with positive responses. www.ligna.de
Kevin Lovell
It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that the team at Weinig UK confirm the sudden and unexpected death of our colleague Kevin Lovell. Kevin died peacefully in his sleep at home on Wednesday 22nd October, aged 59. We, and many others, will miss him greatly. During a long career in the industry, Kevin established himself as a respected and trusted sales manager with a depth and
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breath of knowledge that enabled him to provide invaluable advice to many companies in the UK. His legacy will live on for many years. Kevin was a private individual who genuinely enjoyed his life as a bachelor. Golf was an important part of his life outside of work, and he often told us his handicap was in single figures – “well, nearly,” he would say, with a wry smile so characteristic of his dry sense of humour.
Kevin Wright
Leadermac UK MD Kevin Wright sadly passed away on 22nd October. Kevin was born in Walthamstow in London in 1964. He started work at Wadkin in London in the tooling room, moving to Wadkin Bolton in 1988 as a sales representative. In 1991, he went to work in Singapore for six months as a sales manager, and on returning went to work at Calder Wilkinson in Sowerby Bridge as a sales manager.
Eventually, Kevin became sales director for Calder Wilkinson, and then in 2001 he left and established Leadermac UK. Kevin will be missed by his wife Joanne and family, Tracey and the rest of the team at Leadermac UK. Fred, Kevin’s son, started working for Leadermac UK in 2019, and will continue to follow in his dad’s footsteps. Leadermac UK would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind thoughts.
