Berlin, 14 August 2026 | The international reach of German trade fairs is one of their defining strengths and key competitive advantages. At the same time, significant international demand is being shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, the need for infrastructure investment and domestic factors that are slowing economic growth. Modern visa procedures, robust infrastructure and tailored trade fair support programmes are crucial to the competitiveness of Germany, the world’s leading trade fair destination. This is one of eight trends analysed by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) in its recently published annual report. With “AUMA Trends 2026/2027”, the association highlights the developments currently shaping the sector and the challenges and opportunities that will define the future.
- Jörn Holtmeier, Managing Director of AUMA, the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry: “The German trade fair industry is proving resilient in these volatile times. It combines economic stability with innovative strength, global reach with strong regional roots, and face-to-face encounters with digital progress. Its ability to drive transformation while maintaining its role as a central platform for business, knowledge transfer and personal interaction is what makes the German trade fair industry resilient.”
Titled ‘The German trade fair industry: Resilience in times of volatility’, the fifth edition of AUMA Trends brings together analyses, data, interviews and practical examples on the development of the German trade fair industry.
Representatives from organising and exhibiting companies report on how they are contributing to the sector’s resilience. They describe successful projects, innovative pilot schemes and the importance of stability and change in meeting customers’ expectations and attracting new groups of exhibitors.
Among the experts featured, Dr Jan Trenczek of the economic research institute Prognos regards AI as a key driver of the industry's future resilience. He argues that it will not replace face-to-face interaction, but will enhance its relevance. It will help demonstrate the value of face-to-face interaction more clearly and create new opportunities for matchmaking, performance measurement and international networking.
The digital version of “AUMA Trends 2026/2027” is now available at trends.auma.de. Through 15 articles, interviews, analyses and data evaluations, as well as interactive elements and infographics, it highlights the developments currently shaping the German trade fair industry and determining its future. The interviews with industry experts are published in German. International readers can use their browser’s translation function to access the interviews in their preferred language.
AUMA is the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.), serving as the umbrella organisation for the sector. 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, 66 per cent of exhibitors and 33 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 230,000 exhibiting companies and 13 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 euros to the country's prosperity in terms of economic impact. The federal government, states and local governments alone collect 5.4 billion euros in taxes from trade fairs in Germany.
