© Robert Kneschke | Adobe Stock
Trade fairs on the upswing: growth, change and vision
Hendrik Hochheim, Head of Trade Fairs Germany at AUMA, looks back on the 2024 trade fair year and gives a perspective on developments in 2025 and 2026.
Hendrik Hochheim and his team monitor and evaluate developments in the trade fair industry in Germany - based on scientific surveys, database analyses and member surveys.
© AUMA | Steffen Kugler
Germany as a trade fair centre is a meeting place for the global economy. New trade fair themes provide innovative impetus and show how versatile and forward-looking the industry is. At the same time, traditional formats, historic locations and established trade fair organisers show that the industry has lost none of its relevance. The industry shows what trade fairs are essentially about: bringing people together - for dialogue, for exchange, for trade. Trade fairs are far more than just economic platforms. They are vital meeting places and a reflection of economic, technological and social development. Trade fairs bring business to life.
2026
The AUMA Exhibitor Outlook 2025/2026 clearly shows that most exhibiting companies do not want to do without trade fairs in the future. With a share of almost 79 per cent, trade fair participation is one of the most prioritised measures in the marketing mix - well ahead of virtual B2B formats. Impressive: trade fairs are the most important marketing tool for companies, right after their own website.
Nevertheless, the ongoing economic downturn in Germany is leaving its mark: companies are weighing up investments more carefully than ever before. While 71 per cent of companies kept their trade fair activities in Germany at a constant level in 2024/2025, this figure is now only 57 per cent. On average, almost 21 per cent are planning to increase their trade fair participation, while more than 18 per cent are considering a reduction.
It is particularly striking that small and larger companies are planning more trade fair appearances. In contrast, there is a decline among large exhibitors with more than eleven trade fair participations - their average number of participations fell from 24.6 to 22.1. Overall, trade fair planning is becoming more dynamic, even if the average number of participations per exhibitor remains stable at around five trade fairs in two years.
Most companies are planning to keep their trade fair budgets largely constant in 2026. There are clear differences depending on company size and sector: on average exhibitors at consumer goods trade fairs are more than willing to increase their expenditure. Companies in the service sector, on the other hand, are more cautious. Around 47 per cent of those surveyed expect budgets to remain the same, while 23.2 per cent expect an increase of more than ten per cent. In contrast, 13.8 per cent expect a decrease of the same size.
Trade fairs in Germany 2024
International exhibitors
Exhibitor numbers rounded, June 2025
© AUMA
AUMA category international/national events, deviations due to missing information of origin
2025
The trade fair industry is one of the few sectors in Germany that is looking at 2025 with confidence. This is confirmed by an annual survey of German industry associations conducted by the German Economic Institute. Over 310 trade fairs are planned for 2025 - including more than a dozen new formats on future-relevant topics such as home care, energy and building industry.
At the same time international competitive pressure is increasing noticeably. While around 75 per cent of organisers surveyed in the previous year expected trade fairs in Germany to perform as well as or even better than international competition in 2024/2025, this figure has fallen to 66 per cent for the period of 2025/2026. 34 per cent expect a decline compared to global competition.
The industry is facing a variety of challenges - such as the volatile economic situation of exhibiting companies, rising costs and the demanding task of attracting new visitors. At the same time, new opportunities for innovation and growth are opening. Increased efficiency, creative marketing strategies, the use of AI-based solutions and sustainable measures are considered key success factors for securing the future.
Many organisers see specific strategic adjustments and a stronger focus on the individual needs of exhibitors and visitors as key to a successful advancement of the industry.
AUMA expects a slightly positive trend in all relevant key figures for 2025.
Trade fair year 2024
322 trade fairs took place.
Eight trade fairs were held for the first time. The themes were IT & digitalisation, finance, logistics and luxury food.
Over 204,000 exhibiting companies and 11.7 million visitors were registered.
2.46 million trade fair visitors came from abroad to the 176 national and international trade fairs in Germany.
107,370 exhibitors came from abroad, around 16 per cent more than at previous events.
Almost 40,000 exhibiting companies took part in 138 regional events. The occupied space was around 1.3 million square metres and attracted around 4.5 million visitors.
2024
The trade fair industry has noticeably gained momentum in 2024 - as a reminder: 2023 was the first full trade fair year since the end of all coronavirus restrictions in the second quarter of 2022. All key figures show significant growth compared to the respective previous events. Trade fairs are needed! A total of 322 trade fairs were held in Germany in 2024 - including 176 international and national events and 138 regional events. Eight trade fairs celebrated their premiere and set new trends in areas such as IT & digitalisation, finance, logistics and luxury food.
Around 70 trade fair venues in Germany provided a platform for more than 204,000 exhibiting companies - an increase of 9.2 percent compared to previous events. Over 11.7 million visitors were counted, which corresponds to an increase of 3.2 per cent. The amount of exhibition space occupied also rose significantly to almost 7.2 million square metres - an increase of 7.2 per cent.
Trade fairs in Germany 2024
The 322 trade fairs in comparison to their previous events
Numbers rounded, May 2025
© Auma
These positive figures are particularly noteworthy as the first quarter generally shows trade fairs’ intense activity. The beginning of 2024 was severely impacted, though, by public and air transport strikes. According to AUMA estimates, this resulted in up to 250,000 fewer potential visitors - an average decline of 11 per cent at the affected events.
2024 Around 2.46 million visitors from abroad travelled to the 176 international and national trade fairs in Germany - a foreign share of 34 per cent, compared to 33 per cent in the previous year. No other country attracts a comparable number of international visitors.
Germany also underlines its global significance as an exhibitor location: almost 107,400 companies from abroad exhibited at national and international trade fairs - their share of 66 per cent is the highest figure ever recorded in trade fair statistics.
Hendrik Hochheim (born 1970) has been Head of the Trade Fairs Germany Division at AUMA since 2021. He is responsible for analysing and evaluating the German trade fair market and promoting exhibitor participation at German trade fairs. He is also Managing Director of the Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics (FKM). Hochheim has been with the AUMA trade fair association since 2001. After finishing his studies, the business graduate worked for the tourism trade fair organiser TMS in Berlin.
