Germany’s trade fair market

Germany has 25 exhibition venues of international or national significance, with a combined hall space of 2.8 million square metres. The country’s exhibition facilities set international standards in architecture, logistics and technology. German exhibition centers invest around 300 million euros a year in optimising their facilities.

Four of the world’s eight largest exhibition venues are located in Germany, and ten venues in the country each have hall capacities of more than 100,000 square metres. Regional exhibition centers offer an additional combined hall space of around 380,000 square metres.

German trade fairs address long-term economic needs and reflect the importance and innovative power of their respective sectors. Close cooperation among organisers, exhibitors and visitors ensures long-term, market-oriented strategies and ideal trade fair dates. 

A special competitive advantage of German trade fairs is their international appeal – the fairs draw the world’s markets into the country. Almost 60% of the approximately 180,000 exhibitors a year come from abroad, and one-third of these from countries outside Europe. Of the 10 million visitors each year, nearly 30% come from abroad.

German trade fair organisers are professionals in the field of international exhibitions. Some of these companies are responsible for holding more than 20 of the world’s leading trade fairs a year. Their highly specialised experts with international experience are responsible for every aspect of the trade fair business.

German organisers offer exhibiting companies a wide range of services. They support exhibitors by booking travel and accommodations and by doing press, publicity and marketing work. They also continuously expand their spheres of activity. In addition, many trade fair organisers have installed permanent online marketplaces, making them expert marketing partners for exhibiting companies throughout the year.

Trade fairs in Germany have moderate stand fees compared to other international sites. At the same time, they attract a high quantity and quality of visitors, which means that exhibitors in the country come into contact with many potential customers. Costs per visitor contact are favourable compared to trade fairs in other countries and to other marketing media.

The international and national trade fairs are supplemented by a dense network of well-organised regional trade fairs for distinct target groups. They include both specialist and consumer fairs. These events draw a total of around 50,000 exhibitors and 6 million visitors a year.