AUMA publishes guidelines for the German trade fair industry
Guideline is intended to promote standardised calculation
Classification into ten emission categories
Berlin, 6 March 2025 | The German trade fair industry is taking another step towards greater sustainability: on Thursday, the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) published a guideline for the uniform calculation of greenhouse gases when organising trade fairs. The aim is to ensure reliability, comparability and transparency of emissions calculation at trade fairs in Germany. Measuring emissions helps to identify the main sources of emissions and using them to derive climate protection measures.
The 60-page guideline was developed by the AUMA Sustainability Working Group, in which experts from the German trade fair industry are represented. It is based on the methodology of a global initiative of organisers and associations with the aim of reducing emissions at events to net zero (Net Zero Carbon Events Initiative). AUMA was the first national association to specify this for the German trade fair indus-try. The guideline divides emissions into ten categories: from production and materials, freight and logistics, to food and beverages, energy, mobility, and waste. The work is supplemented by an extensive library of databases for calculating emissions.
- Jörn Holtmeier, Managing Director of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA: "Germany is the world's number one trade fair centre - we want it to stay that way. To achieve this, the successful trade fair model must continue to develop as a centre of trade and a hub for all industries. The guideline for calculating emissions is a further building block on the way to a more environmentally friendly trade fair. This guideline is pioneering work. The guideline creates the standard for calculating greenhouse gas emissions at trade fair events in Germany. Only what is measured can be reduced."
The guideline is primarily aimed at trade fair organisers but also offers valuable support for exhibiting organisations, service providers and visitors. The document offers help for both beginners and professionals. The guide contains calculation methods for different data availability and is intended to improve the accuracy of calculations. The guideline is continuously updated. The document is available in German and in English.
In summer 2022, the German trade fair industry agreed on an industry position on sustainability that formulates the 2040 climate target - five years ahead of Germany's national target. This year's milestone is the use of 100 per cent green electricity on German exhibition grounds. AUMA recently published a study on the sustainability of trade fair visits. Among other things, it showed that a single visit to a trade fair prohibits five business trips.
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.
Up to 230,000 jobs are secured by trade fairs in Germany. With no fewer than 70 exhibition centres between the North Sea and Lake Constance, Germany is a unique trade fair destination worldwide. Two thirds of all leading trade fairs in the global economy take place here. At peak times, international, national and regional trade fairs in Germany attract over 235,000 exhibiting companies and 16 million visitors. On average, 60 per cent of exhibitors and 35 per cent of all trade visitors at the leading trade fairs come from abroad.
