Berlin, 28 October 2025 / In the coming year, German trade fair companies are planning 330 events in almost 40 countries, ten percent more than in 2024. This is shown by a recent survey by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA. Many of these projects are spin-offs of established trade fairs that have been successfully held in Germany for years. With their renowned trade fair concepts and strong networks in important regions of the world, German trade fair companies are opening up new opportunities for SMEs to export and position themselves internationally. All foreign trade fairs organised by AUMA members in 2026 can now be found in the trade fair database.
The most important foreign market for German trade fair organisers is South, East and Central Asia with 202 events. This is followed by the markets of Latin America (36), Europe (35), the Near and Middle East (20), North America (19), Africa (14) and Australia/Oceania with four trade fairs. A total of 16 members of AUMA and the Trade Fairs and Exhibitions Association (FAMA) will be organising trade fairs abroad next year. The trade fairs cover almost the entire industry spectrum - from automation to construction technology, the energy industry, food and vehicles to agriculture and forestry, mechanical engineering and the textile industry.
325 trade fairs abroad were planned for 2025, 80 of them in the fourth quarter. Two dozen trade fairs are new events. More than half of these are based on their own new concepts, while the others are based on the purchase of existing events or on cooperations. In 2024, AUMA and FAMA members organised around 300 trade fairs abroad with around 135,000 exhibiting companies, 8.9 million visitors and a booked stand area of almost 3.5 million square metres. The number of new events totalled just under 30.
More than half of trade fair and event organisers worldwide are planning to expand their activities into new countries and regions. This is the result of a survey conducted by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) and published in July 2025. Germany is at the top of the list: for 87 per cent of trade fair organisers here, expansion abroad is a strategic priority. This is followed by Colombia (73%), South Africa (71%), the Emirates (70%) and Saudi Arabia (63%).
