Handwerk Fairs Germany 2026: A guide for manufacturers, contractors and timber builders

What Handwerk actually means

Not niche crafts. Not nostalgic workshops with two old men and a saw. In Germany, we're talking 1 million businesses and 5.6 million employees - according to Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks. A larger economic infrastructure than sectors considered „strategic” in other European countries.

Fairs dedicated to this sector vary considerably. Some are generalist - tens of thousands of visitors, cross-cutting conversations, wide visibility. Others specialize in woodworking, hardware, façade systems or furniture.

Distinction matters. At a trade show, you collect business cards. At a specialized one, you can sign an order the same week.

We, next week we're at DACH+HOLZ International, in Cologne. But this is just the first stop in an unusually dense year on Germany's professional events map. Looking at the calendar of trade fairs and congresses in 2026, you realize that the German market isn't going through a period of waiting - it's going through a period of redefinition. And for woodworkers, this is felt at every event.

DACH+HOLZ International, Cologne, February 24-27

Leitmesse (en. The reference event) for roofing, structural joinery and timber construction is DACH+HOLZ International. It's not a fair where you go to buy something - it's a fair where you understand where the industry is going. Manufacturers from 40 countries, craftsmen, architects and planners under one roof. If you want to understand how the Germans are thinking about timber construction in 2026 - energy efficiency, innovative roof systems, digitization of the construction site - DACH+HOLZ is the place to leave with clear answers.

Holz-Handwerk + Fensterbau Frontale, Nuremberg, March 24-27

If DACH+HOLZ is about structure and systems, Holz-Handwerk is about the workshop and the hand. The theme for 2026: automation in small and medium-sized workshops.

Nuremberg brings together, on the same dates, two trade fairs that complement each other perfectly: the Holz-Handwerk - dedicated to woodworking technology, from CNC machines to modular manufacturing solutions - and the Fensterbau Frontale, for windows, doors and facades. Together, they form a rare combination: you can watch how a wood profile is born and, a few steps further on, see what the finished product looks like when installed in a state-of-the-art facade.

The program includes thematic tours, debates on integrating artificial intelligence into manufacturing and sessions dedicated to attracting young craftsmen - a problem that hurts as much in Germany as in Romania.

DigitalBau, Cologne, March 24-26

Also on the same days in Cologne, DigitalBau brings some 300 exhibitors demonstrating that digitizing construction is no longer a long-term promise. BIM, site management through mobile apps, circular economy in construction, artificial intelligence in structural planning - these are all already products, not concepts. For timber manufacturers and building contractors who are still wondering what „digital transition” actually means, DigitalBau is probably the most straightforward answer available on the market.

Light + Building, Frankfurt am Main, March 8-13

A fair that, at first glance, seems far removed from wood. But if you work in wooden houses or interior finishing, you quickly understand the connection. Light + Building is the world leader in lighting, electrical installations and intelligent building automation. Exhibitors from over 50 countries bring products for energy efficiency and smart connectivity. And a well-designed wood home doesn't stop at the structure - it continues with all the systems that make the space functional and comfortable. Those who design or sell turnkey homes will find a whole warehouse of solutions to integrate into their offerings in Frankfurt.

Hannover Messe, April 20-24

On a larger scale, Hannover Messe It's not a wood fair, but it's an industry fair in the fullest sense. Automation, robotics, supply chains, energy transition - the topics that are on the agenda for major manufacturers in every sector. The partner country in 2026 is Brazil, the world's second largest forest power and a major supplier of tropical timber to the European market. Those who want to understand how global raw material chains move and what „carbon-neutral production” means in industrial practice will find in Hanover the wider context in which the timber industry operates.

What does this mean in concrete terms?

In just two months, Germany offers a complete route for anyone working in wood or construction. It's not just going to trade fairs. It's access to partners you'd otherwise spend months searching for in emails. Understanding where your competitors are investing. Seeing for yourself which solution works and which is more marketing than reality.

Those who can travel through these events with a clear agenda - not with a desire to see everything, but with a few specific questions they want answered - always leave with an advantage. Not informational, but relational. And in the timber industry, as in any industry built on trust, relationships matter more than any product catalog.

Next week, Cologne. Then Nuremberg. And if the agenda permits, Frankfurt and Hannover. This year, Germany is not a destination. It's an accelerated training program.