Key figures for the trade fair industry
There are so many new topics in business and society, including controversial ones, and there is an urgent need for dialogue and platforms for explanation and discussion. Trade fairs are one of these important meeting places. They are essential for driving change.
Trade fair year 2026
More than 320 trade fairs are planned in Germany in 2026 - including more than 160 leading national or international trade fairs in the economic sectors. The high importance of trade fairs is confirmed by the current AUMA survey of 400 exhibiting companies. Around three quarters of those surveyed intend to participate in as many or more trade fairs this year and next. However, the ongoing mix of recession, inflation and political uncertainties is making the decision to participate in trade fairs increasingly dynamic.
320
Trade fairs
planned in Germany.
166
Leading trade fairs
national or international economic sectors in Germany.
73%
of the companies
are planning the same number or more trade fair participations in 2026.
A Look Back at 2025
In 2025, 304 trade fairs took place in Germany, including twelve new events that explored new themes and market segments. Across 6.91 million square metres of exhibition space, 191,990 exhibiting companies showcased their products – slightly more than at the respective previous editions. In total, the trade fairs attracted around 12.75 million visitors, an increase of 1.9 per cent compared with the respective previous editions.
304
Trade fairs
took place in 2025.
12.75
millions
visitors attended the approximately 70 exhibition centres across Germany.
1.9%
Plus
This results in a difference in visitor numbers compared with previous events.
The German trade fair market
Home of the trade fair and centre of attraction for the world: today there are a good 70 trade fair venues between Husum on the North Sea and Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, between Leipzig in the east and Essen in the west. Many of the world's industry trade fairs take place here. There are currently around 3.25 million square metres of hall space available on the exhibition grounds in Germany. The 25 exhibition centres of national or international importance account for 2.8 million square metres of hall space. This hall space will remain largely constant over the next few years. Priority will be given to investing in quality, sustainability and energy efficiency. In addition, around 446,000 square metres of hall space is available at exhibition venues with a regionally oriented trade fair programme.
Gross exhibition capacity* in m²
| Location | Hall | Open-air site |
| Hanover | 392,453 | 58,000 |
| Frankfurt/M | 391,554 | 64,326 |
| Cologne | 290,000 | 100,000 |
| Düsseldorf | 262,727 | 43,000 |
| Munich | 200,000 | 414,000 |
| Berlin ExpoCenter City with CityCube | 190,000 | 157,000 |
| Nuremberg | 180,000 | 50,000 |
| Stuttgart | 119,800 | 40,000 |
| Leipzig | 111,300 | 70,000 |
| Essen | 110,000 | 20,000 |
| Friedrichshafen | 87,500 | 35,500 |
| Hamburg | 87,000 | 10,000 |
| Dortmund | 60,000 | 80,000 |
| Karlsruhe | 60,000 | 105,000 |
| Location | Hall | Open-air site |
| Augsburg | 48,000 | 10,000 |
| Bremen | 39,000 | 100,000 |
| Berlin Estrel Congress Centre (ECC) | 30,000 | 2,000 |
| Event Centre Messe München (MOC) | 28,765 | |
| Erfurt | 24,120 | 21,600 |
| Freiburg | 21,500 | 81,000 |
| Offenbach | 20,100 | |
| Berlin station | 19,186 | 3,.800 |
| Wiesbaden | 10,000 | |
| Schkeuditz, Globana Trade Fair Centre Leipzig | 6,737 | 4,000 |
| Husum | 4,800 | 70,000 |
*Exhibition centres with at least one regularly held event in the AUMA categories international or national/status: April 2026
Download graphic: Exhibition Centre Germany 2026: Exhibition capacities.
Comparison with the global trade fair market: Germany's role among the top exhibition centres
According to the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), there are more than 1,530 exhibition centres worldwide with 44.3 million square metres of hall space. Europe leads the way with 520 exhibition centres. It is followed by Asia/Pacific with just under 450, North America with over 370, Latin America with over 100 and the Middle East and Africa with more than 80 exhibition centres. In global terms, the Asia/Pacific region and Europe have the largest hall capacities with 16.9 million and 16.1 million square metres respectively. With its 70 exhibition centres, Germany alone accounts for a fifth of European exhibition space and 7.5 percent of the total exhibition space worldwide.
A comparison of the 158 international and national trade fairs with their previous editions
In 2025, 158 national and international trade fairs took place in Germany. A total of 150,260 exhibitors took part across 5.6 million square metres; 8.3 million people attended the events. Compared with previous years, the trend has been stable with slight increases: the number of exhibitors rose by 0.6 per cent, exhibition space by 0.3 per cent and visitor numbers by 3.9 per cent.
Strong international interest in German trade fairs
Germany is the world’s leading trade fair destination – not least due to the high level of international participation among both exhibitors and visitors: in 2025 alone, 2.78 million visitors from abroad attended the 158 national and international trade fairs in Germany. Specifically, the largest numbers of trade fair visitors to Germany most recently came from the Netherlands (204,000), Austria (197,000), Italy (188,000), Switzerland (179,000) and China (126,000).
Germany also remains the leading trade fair destination in terms of exhibitors at national and international trade fairs from Husum to Friedrichshafen, Essen and Leipzig: in 2025, a total of 99,190 foreign companies exhibited at the 158 national and international trade fairs. The leading exhibiting nation is the People’s Republic of China (17,990 companies), followed some way behind by Italy (10,640), the Netherlands (44,930), Spain (4,490) and the USA (4,410).
Foreign activities of the German economy
In addition to participating in trade fairs in Germany, German companies also make considerable use of trade fairs abroad for their export marketing. On average, German companies take part in ten trade fairs within two years: six of them in Germany and four abroad.
Foreign trade fair programme
German companies that exhibit at trade fairs abroad secure and strengthen the export of German goods and services. With its foreign trade fair programme, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular. At trade fairs - primarily outside the EU - the BMWE organises the "German Pavilions" (joint stands of the Federal Government) under its umbrella brand "made in Germany". AUMA Association of the German Trade Fair Industry i is involved in the planning of the German Pavilions and coordinates the interests of industry vis-à-vis the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) supports the BMWE in the technical implementation of joint stands as part of the foreign trade fair programme.
Trade fairs abroad organised by German companies
The German trade fair companies, which are members of AUMA and FAMA, organise over 300 trade fairs of their own on all continents every year. In many cases, trade fair concepts that have proved successful in Germany are transferred abroad. All key figures for German trade fairs abroad increased regularly in the years before the coronavirus pandemic - apart from fluctuations due to rotation. AUMA supports these trade fairs abroad with the "German Trade Fair Quality Abroad" quality label.
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