At least 330 trade fairs planned for 2024, including 180 flagship fairs
Organisers are recovering, industry trade fairs in high demand
Over 40 per cent of companies are increasing their trade fair budgets
Berlin, 8 January 2024 | The German trade fair industry is starting the new year with a tailwind: according to an initial forecast by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA), at least 180,000 exhibiting companies and 11.5 million visitors were guests at German trade fair venues in 2023. In the previous year, there were around 40,000 fewer exhibitors and almost four million fewer visitors. Following the end of the coronavirus restrictions, leading international trade fairs in Germany in particular have recovered strongly.
More than 330 trade fairs are planned in Germany in 2024 - including almost 180 leading national or international trade fairs for the economic sectors. The international trade fair for home and contract textiles, Heimtextil, in Frankfurt am Main and the leading European trade fair for the promotional products industry, PSI, in Düsseldorf will kick off this Tuesday. In addition, the world's leading trade fair for carpets and floor coverings, Domotex, begins this Thursday in Hanover. Next weekend, ten trade fairs will open their doors across Germany. The first quarter of the trade fair calendar will be particularly busy at the beginning of February and throughout March, when a good dozen trade fairs will be running at the same time in some cases.
- Philip Harting, Chairman of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA: "Trade fairs bring the economy to life. We were able to celebrate the success of strong trade fairs throughout Germany in 2023. The popularity of our leading global trade fair venue among international exhibitors and trade visitors is outstanding. We expect trade fair organisers to continue their recovery in 2024. The economy, which is under enormous pressure due to increasing global tensions and political U-turns, needs its industry trade fairs more than ever. They are of paramount importance in driving the transformation of economic life. The German government is called upon to strengthen Germany as a trade fair centre."
The high importance of trade fairs is confirmed by the first, as yet unpublished AUMA survey of 400 exhibiting companies since the end of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the survey, respondents are planning to participate in just as many trade fairs this year and next year as in the past two years - provided the political framework conditions do not deteriorate. 43 per cent of companies are even planning higher trade fair budgets. The full survey will be published in the coming weeks.
The start of Drupa, the most important trade fair for the print media industry, in Düsseldorf at the end of May is noteworthy in the 2024 trade fair year in Germany. It will take place again for the first time since 2016 - after the forced break due to the pandemic. The world's leading trade fair for textile care was also last held in 2016. Like Drupa, Texcare International actually takes place every four years. The trade fair for the global laundry, cleaning and textile service industry opens its doors again at Messe Frankfurt at the beginning of November.
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. No fewer than 70 exhibition centres between the North Sea and Lake Constance make Germany 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 trade visitors at all leading trade fairs come from abroad.
