Current organiser survey confirms positive trend from the start of the year
Celebration of 75 years of the International Trade Fair Programme with Federal Minister of Economics Habeck
AUMA Chairman Harting: "Openness to the world is a guarantee of success"
Berlin, 11 June 2024 | The German trade fair industry is confident about the second half of the year and 2025: almost three quarters of trade fair organisers in Germany expect their trade fair formats to develop at least as well or even better than the international competition. This is the result of an initial evaluation of the annual survey of trade fair organisers in Germany. By the end of the year there will still be 130 trade fairs, with at least 318 planned for the coming year. With around 70 exhibition centres, an average of 330 trade fairs per year and the highest internationality in terms of visitors and exhibitors, Germany is regarded as the world's leading trade fair venue.
At the beginning of the year, the trade fair industry was already much more optimistic than other sectors, according to a survey by the German Economic Institute. This trend is now solidifying. The downer for the organising and exhibiting industries remains the rapid increase in a number of costs, for example for energy, mobility and materials. On Thursday (13 June), the leaders of the trade fair industry will discuss the situation of the sector at their annual meeting in Berlin.
- Philip Harting, Chairman of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA): "The trade fair industry is an anchor of hope after the low blow of the coronavirus pandemic, which has prevented us from doing anything for almost two and a half years. Since the beginning of the year, I have seen a lot of confidence, an enormous drive for action and many reasons to celebrate. We will remain world leaders if we tackle challenges instead of bemoaning them. Then we can celebrate impressive anniversaries together, such as the 50th birthday of NürnbergMesse in April, the 60th of Messe München in May and the 100th of Koelnmesse at the end of June."
This Thursday in Berlin, Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck will be celebrating the international trade fair programme, which is now 75 years old. What is probably the oldest support programme for small and medium-sized German companies looking to expand was launched shortly after the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany. To date, it has supported an estimated 210,000 German companies with their first trade fair appearances abroad, which in turn secures jobs, added value and tax revenue in Germany. This is confirmed by the most recent evaluation of the programme, according to which one invested tax euro generates 216 euros in added value. The federal budget for the programme currently stands at around 44 million euros. AUMA coordinates the programme for the exhibiting industry.
In 2023 alone, 65 per cent (96,000) of all exhibiting companies and 33 per cent (2.5 million) of all visitors came to trade fairs in Germany from abroad.
- Philip Harting: "Our international audience makes a huge contribution to the success of Germany as a top trade fair venue. Cosmopolitanism is a guarantee of success for the German trade fair industry. Anyone who doesn't understand how diverse and international our industry is these days is sawing at the branch we are sitting on. We have no room for hatred and hate speech."
The vast majority of industry trade fairs celebrated their post-coronavirus comeback in 2023 with great success. Almost 320 trade fairs took place. In total, around 183,000 companies exhibited at trade fair venues in Germany - an increase of 30 per cent compared to 2022. All trade fairs attracted around 11.4 million visitors, over 3.8 million (+ 50 per cent) more than in 2022. Stand space increased from 5.7 to 6.34 million square metres (+ 11 per cent).
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. Both nationally and internationally, it represents the interests of all large and medium-sized trade fair companies in Germany, international organisers in Germany and the associations representing exhibitors, service companies and visitors.
