Artificial intelligence is about to change the German trade fair industry, according to a recent AUMA study. Across roughly 70 pages, the study outlines future scenarios and shows in detail, where AI is already being deployed within a trade fair context, which opportunities it offers and where its limits currently lie. A summary in English is available now.

How is the German trade fair industry holding its own in a changing world? The new AUMA annual publication "Trends 2025/2026" shows: Between digitalisation, sustainability and AI, personal interaction remains at the heart of the industry. Seven key developments provide insights into the future of trade fairs.

Germany is the leading trade fair venue in the world - also in terms of the high internationality of exhibitors and visitors: last year alone, 2.46 million people came from abroad to the 176 national and international trade fairs in Germany - which corresponds to a foreign share of 34 per cent

AUMA Chairman, Philip Harting, has been elected for a third term of three years. Charlotte Finger, who represents the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), was newly elected to the AUMA Board of Directors.

German trade fair venues are planning extensive investments to modernise and further develop their infrastructures by 2029. The aim is to improve the service for exhibiting companies and visitors and to fulfil sustainability goals and high digital standards.

This Tuesday, Germany's 70 or so trade fair centres will kick off the new trade fair year. A total of more than 310 trade fairs are planned in Germany this year, including bauma - the world's largest trade fair for construction machinery and mining.

Trade fairs contribute to climate protection and sustainability by efficiently bundling personal contacts and thus avoiding further travelling. This is a key finding of the recently published study by the Institute for Sustainable Tourism at the Harz University of Applied Sciences on behalf of AUMA.

After the summer break, business life begins again this week at around 70 trade fair centres in Germany. 130 trade fairs are planned for the second half of the year. The Gamescom computer games trade fair in Cologne will kick things off. AUMA takes positive stock of the first half of the year.

More than 100 trainees are starting their careers in the German trade fair industry these days. Event management assistants, event technology specialists and IT specialists are the most sought-after job profiles among trade fair organisers.

Alliances are becoming stronger and cooperation between trade fair organisers is on the rise. This is one of eight current trends in the trade fair industry in Germany, according to the recently published annual publication "AUMA Trends 2024/2025" by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA.