A spike in inbound international exhibitors is giving German trade fair organisers cause to celebrate, after the country welcomed more than 100,000 foreign participants for the first time.
Figures released by AUMA, the Association of German Trade Fair Industry, reveal 102,665 international exhibitors participated in the country’s trade fairs during 2014, an average annual increase of 5.2 per cent.
Foreign businesses accounted for 57 per cent of exhibitors to register for Germany’s 176 international and national events in 2014.
The strongest interest came from China, which had 13,494 exhibitors (13.14%), followed by 11,800 from Italy (11.4%) and 5907 from the United Kingdom (5.75%).
Participation by international exhibitors outpaced the country’s overall trade fair growth last year, with 179,645 exhibitors participating in trade fairs, a rise of 1.5 per cent.
AUMA chairman Walter Mennekes said: “Even more important for the position of trade fairs is what happens at exhibitors' stands.
“Surveys of exhibitors and visitors have demonstrated the high level of satisfaction on the part of industry with the trade fairs in Germany.
“72 per cent of trade fair visitors stated that they had done well or very well in achieving the objectives they set for themselves. And 85 per cent of trade fair visitors would recommend the visit to others with no major reservations,” Mennekes added.
Mennekes cautioned that investment in German exhibition products and marketing was needed to protect the country’s future export business.
In 2014, visitor numbers to German trade fairs remained stable, with 9.72 million visitors attending trade fairs, a rise of 0.3 per cent.
Similarly, stand space also increased 0.3 per cent, with 6.82 million sq m added.
The association expects stand space and visitor numbers will grow between 1 to 2 per cent in 2015.
