IWF Atlanta 2026
Productive discussions despite a cautious market
From 25 to 28 August 2026, the international wood and furniture industry gathered for the IWF at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. MKT North America was also there as an exhibitor and used the IWF as an opportunity to engage in face-to-face discussions with customers, distributors and industry partners.
As North America’s largest trade fair for woodworking technology and design, the IWF once again brought together the entire range of the industry. In four exhibition halls, more than 900 exhibitors presented their latest products, technologies and solutions. Compared to 2024, the number of visitors was noticeably lower this year.
MKT at the IWF 2026:
We also found the atmosphere at the trade fair was rather subdued. At the same time, it became clear that lower visitor numbers do not necessarily mean fewer valuable contacts: The conversations at our booth were in-depth and focused and we were able to generate very good leads. In particular, we concentrated on personal interactions with our most important customers and distributors.
In terms of content, many conversations were about our current ALPHA-TAPE® solutions. The focus was on the ALPHA-TAPE® Unilin Master Oak program, the ALPHA-TAPE® design alliance in collaboration with Kronospan and our ALPHA-TAPE ZERO® PP edgebanding. The IWF offered an important platform to enhance our existing customer relationships, talk about specific projects and build new business contacts.
The strong presence of major manufacturers and leading companies in the industry also emphasised the IWF’s significance as a key event for the North American wood and furniture market.
Our Outlook:
Our view of the future is cautiously optimistic. The market situation remains challenging. At the same time, the quality of our customer interactions, new contacts and the sustained high level of interest in innovative solutions give us cause for confidence.
The IWF 2026 was more quietly than in previous years for MKT - but even more focused. For us, the quality of the conversations and contacts took precedence over visitor numbers. Good leads, in-depth discussions and direct exchanges with customers, dealers and partners make the IWF a valuable source of inspiration for our continued growth in the North American market.