Reports

AUMA and fwd: have published a new guide to sustainable resource management in the trade fair and exhibition industry. The publication provides practical guidance on how materials can be used more efficiently, reused and returned to the circular economy.

The final results for trade fairs in 2025 remain consistently positive: Across the 304 trade fairs that took place last year, around 192,000 exhibiting companies and more than 12.7 million visitors took part.

Peter Ottmann to remain AUMA's 1st Deputy Chairman for another three years: The NürnbergMesse CEO was unanimously confirmed in office by the entire Board. At the same time, two new representatives join the Board, while AUMA gains a new member in the form of the BDSV.

Germany’s exhibition venues continue to offer 3.25 million square metres of hall space. Investments in 2025 focused on modernisation, digitalisation and sustainability, according to the latest AUMA survey.

AUMA Managing Director Jörn Holtmeier was confirmed as Chairman of the UFI Associations Committee for a further three-year term in spring 2026. Synthia Chan, Macau Fair & Trade Association, remains in office as Vice-Chair.

Trade fairs in Germany generate over 30 billion euros in economic impact every year, secure at least 280,000 jobs and generate 5.4 billion euros in tax revenue. This is shown by in-depth figures from the recently published study.

The trade fair industry in Germany contributes approximately 30 billion euros to the country's prosperity annually. These figures come from the German economic research institute Prognos, which assessed the sector's economic impact on behalf of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA.

The current Executive Committee of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) took up its work in November 2025. The trio consists of Panittha Buri, Hugh Jones and Wolfram N. Diener (photo), Chairman and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf.

Artificial intelligence is about to change the German trade fair industry, according to a recent AUMA study. Across roughly 70 pages, the study outlines future scenarios and shows in detail, where AI is already being deployed within a trade fair context, which opportunities it offers and where its limits currently lie. A summary in English is available now.

During the night of 9 December, the EU Commission, Council and Parliament agreed on the key points for simplifying sustainability reporting. The results of the trilogue negotiations must now be formally confirmed in mid-December.