New Study highlights importance of German trade fair industry
Clear demands addressed to German economic policymakers
320 trade fairs scheduled in 2026; growth in all key figures in 2025
Berlin, 6 January 2026 | 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 study, which will be published in full in the coming weeks, also shows that the trade fair industry secures at least 280,000 jobs in Germany and generates approximately 5.4 billion euros in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments.
The study is based on surveys of over 33,700 visitors and 17,700 exhibiting companies. These were conducted between September 2024 and October 2025 at 30 trade fairs across ten German trade fair venues. Messe Frankfurt was the first to publish its figures, which form part of the overall survey. According to these figures, it secures more than 30,000 jobs in Germany alone and generates €667 million in tax revenue.
- Philip Harting, Chair of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA: "The German trade fair industry is a key industry for international networking and export promotion of the highest order. Two thirds of all leading trade fairs in the global economy take place here. Their importance for the German SMEs cannot be overstated, as trade fairs provide the ideal platform for building international business. Trade fairs provide an invaluable economic boost to entire regions, particularly the hospitality sector, retail and skilled crafts and trades. Ministers for economic affairs at federal and state levels must work to strengthen Germany's position as trade fair location number 1 worldwide. This would involve implementing a modern and digital visa issuance process for our foreign trade fair guests, improving transport infrastructure and reducing reporting obligations to enable us to focus fully on our core business, as well as introducing trade fair funding programmes worthy of a leading export nation. These measures are essential for maintaining our top position worldwide."
The 2026 trade fair season begins with PSI, the leading European trade fair for the promotional products industry, in Düsseldorf. A total of 320 trade fairs is planned at the approximately 70 trade fair venues in Germany this year. Stuttgart will be particularly busy in 2026, hosting 25 trade fairs, followed by Cologne and Nuremberg with 24 each.
Initial AUMA projections show positive signs for 2025 across all essential industry figures: At the 304 trade fairs held the previous year, 190,490 exhibitors were counted (an increase of 0.7 per cent compared to their respective previous events). Stand space also increased slightly by 0.7 per cent to over 6.9 million square metres. The number of visitors increased significantly by three per cent to over 12.8 million.
AUMA is the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.), the umbrella organisation of the German trade fair industry. Representing the interests of large and medium-sized exhibition companies, international organisers, and the associations representing exhibitors, service companies, small trade fair organisers, and visitors, AUMA acts both internationally and nationally.
With 70 exhibition venues stretching from the North Sea to Lake Constance, Germany is unique in its ability to host trade fairs. Two thirds of all leading trade fairs in the global economy take place here. On average, 65 per cent of exhibitors and 35 per cent of trade visitors at all leading trade fairs come from abroad. At peak times, international, national and regional trade fairs in Germany attract over 235,000 exhibiting companies and 16 million visitors.
Trade fairs in Germany secure more than 280,000 jobs. Year after year, the trade fair industry in Germany contributes approximately €30 billion to the country's prosperity in terms of economic impact. The federal government, states and local governments alone collect €5.4 billion in taxes from trade fairs in Germany.
