Co-operation among trade fair organisers is increasing. This is one of eight current trends in the trade fair industry in Germany, according to the annual publication, AUMA Trends 2024/2025, by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA – now also available in English.
The annual publication provides an overview of the issues affecting the industry at the world's number one trade fair destination. The AUMA team has distilled the trends in the German trade fair industry from surveys, observations and discussions. AUMA uses facts and figures to document the development of the German trade fair industry and provides an update on the sustainable transformation of the industry in the country. The report concludes with an article on the modernisation of AUMA, the umbrella association of the German trade fair industry.
Jörn Holtmeier, AUMA managing director, says: “The recent geopolitical crises and conflicts, in particular, call for new ideas for trade and business. The German trade fair industry is offering new marketplaces with impressive speed. Trade fair formats are evolving, addressing new target groups and focusing on the market. Change has always been and remains a constant companion of the German trade fair industry.”
Key figures up in first-half
The first half of 2024 was very successful for trade fairs in Germany, the AUMA surveys show: Compared to the same period last year, the 188 trade fairs between January and June already attracted 120,000 exhibiting companies (+7%) and 6.7 million visitors (+1%). The positive results are impressive considering the numerous strikes in local, rail and air transport in Germany in the first quarter, which affected 50 trade fairs. Exhibition space on the exhibition grounds increased by 7% to 4.2 million sqm.
Around 130 trade fairs are planned throughout Germany in the second half of the year. These include the recently held European trade fair for packaging, technology and processing FACHPACK in Nuremberg (24-26 September), the international trade fair for plastics processing Fakuma in Friedrichshafen (15-19 October) and the leading trade fair for professional animal husbandry Eurotier in Hanover (12-15 November).
After more than 20 years, the UFI World Congress of the Exhibition Industry will also be held in Germany again. The top meeting of the organising and exhibiting industry will take place in Cologne, 20-23 November.
The AUMA annual publication Trends 2024/2025 is available at: https://trends.auma.de/en and all major Germany trade fair dates for the second half of the year can be found here: https://www.auma.de/en/exhibit/find-your-exhibitions?list=u4xo
