EuroShop 2026 Impulses: «Willingness to invest - budgets remain demanding»
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
"The trade fair construction industry is under pressure," was a common sentiment at EuroShop 2026, and our mystery shopper noted the lack of immersive experiences. However, significant economic benefits are expected from the 81,000 trade visitors from 141 (!) countries and the 1,840 exhibitors from 61 nations in the retail and trade fair construction sectors. Visitors from the international trade fair construction industry, as listed below, were euphoric about the industry gathering.
EuroShop 2026 opening speech from left: Jörg Zeißig, Elke Moebius, Alex Ostermaier, Han Leenhouts.
“I hope you are full of energy on Thursday after the trade fair,” said Holtmann+ CEO and IFES President Jörg Zeißig in his opening speech at EuroShop on Sunday, February 22.
He hit the nail on the head. Trade fairs, at least leading trade fairs, elicit euphoric comments from exhibitors, visitors, and of course the trade fair management for various reasons.
First of all, of course, we postulate this with 30 years of trade fair experience because there is no better marketing tool than a personal meeting.
This applies first and foremost to exhibitors who want to reward themselves for their extensive trade fair commitment, including planning, construction, and follow-up. And because, in some cases after years, it's finally possible to meet numerous industry professionals in one place to exchange ideas.
Trade fair director Elke Moebius said in her opening speech: "Numerous visitors come from overseas. When it comes to experiences, this (note: Hall 1 with the exhibition stand builders) is the hall you can't miss."
This euphoria, the feeling that after months of effort and hope it was finally starting, could be felt at many stands on the first two days of the trade fair when we were there.
“This trade fair is not about square meters, but about business growth, about engaging with people,” said moderator Han Leenhouts.
Alex Ostermaier, chairman of fwd (formerly Famab), also spoke of the trade fair euphoria: "It's all about personal meetings; that's what we thrive on. Visitors can expect big ideas and inspiration," he said. How right he is, because—when was the last time we were inspired online?
With over 81,000 trade visitors from 141 countries and 1,840 exhibitors from 61 nations, the world's leading trade fair for retail investment needs underscores its claim as a "Global Retail Festival". Two-thirds of the visitors come from abroad, with one in five coming from countries outside Europe .
Marius Berlemann (pictured above), CEO of Messe Düsseldorf. "The international appeal, the extremely high level of decision-making authority among visitors, and their concrete willingness to invest confirm how important EuroShop is as the leading global trade fair for the industry."
Ulrich Spaan (pictured), Managing Director of the EHI Retail Institute. “The retail sector is seizing every opportunity to shape its future creatively and proactively. AI and digital technologies, for example, serve not only to increase efficiency but also to develop new business models and further improve the shopping experience.”
And this is what the exhibitors and visitors we interviewed said:
Jörg Zeißig, CEO Holtmann+, President IFES:
“As part of the IFES network, EuroShop was a particularly valuable platform for Holtmann+ this year. Our presence within the international network impressively demonstrated the power of cross-border partnerships and the resulting innovative potential. Furthermore, Holtmann+ exhibited alongside other partners, showcasing our diverse expertise and extensive network. This close collaboration not only strengthened existing partnerships but also fostered promising new collaborations. EuroShop was a resounding success for us – characterized by inspiring discussions, strategic exchange, and concrete project proposals.”
Nabila Gertzen, BRACE Group:
“EuroShop is one of the industry’s most high-profile trade fairs. Large, visually dominant stands compete for maximum visibility. BRACE Group’s trade fair presence deliberately sets a counterpoint. Instead of noise and sensory overload, the focus is on closeness. Closeness is intentionally created here – through spatial design, atmosphere, and genuine conversation. We offer a haven of tranquility.”
Hans Bruder, founder of Octanorm, with Gabriela Müller:
“Unlike EuroShop 2023, which was marred by public transport strikes, we expect a larger number of visitors this year. Even so far, on Sunday of the trade fair, we've found a great platform here, and our new products are being very well received. We anticipate that things will go even better on the weekdays during our partner week.”
Michael Raschke, Memo Team with Sophie Messerschmidt (left), fwd: and Larissa Klegraf (right), fwd:
"We made many good contacts on both Sunday and Monday; I hope this continues."
Siegbert Hieber, CEO of Meplan, with Michael Berger, Marketing Manager of Meplan:
Siegbert Hieber (left): “Meplan is promoting its modular and recyclable exhibition stands with high design standards at EuroShop. EuroShop is well suited for us in this regard. Since this is our first time participating, we don't yet have any comparative data.”
Michael Berger (right): “We had the ecological footprint of our first exhibition calculated. Compared to conventional exhibition stands, we achieved savings of 52 percent. That's of interest.”
Nathalie Vandeweerdt, COO The Inside:
“The Inside is celebrating its 30th anniversary at EuroShop. EuroShop is the place to meet customers, partners, colleagues and competitors. It’s good to see them all and meet potential new customers.”
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Smart PEOPLE at EuroShop 2026
The visitors we met at EuroShop 2026 were also euphoric because they didn't want to miss the triennial get-together and the exchange with industry colleagues:
Business relationship with Urs Seiler for 30 years: Gentleman Frank Schendel, founder of Schendel Pawlaczyk.
Björn Duphorn, messeprojekt Leipzig. Volker Baumann, dsv fairs & events. David Oost, messeprojekt. Soenke Westphal, «nice to seat you»-JMT.
Paolo Octavio Almeida, Managing Director with Press Officer, Ubrave Brazilian Trade Fair Association.
Stephan Hoffmann, Gantner Group with Carsten Nadler, ASB Arena & Event Services.
Urs Seiler with Friedemann Rühle, Burkhardt Leitner.
Girl power with Ella Grossmann, Z3 Live Communication. Nelly Zeißig and Louise Lorenz, both Holtmann+.
Gregor Bischkopf, Managing Director of IFES, with Mike Seidensticker from the Seidensticker Communication office.
Meplan booth staff with Marketing Manager Michael Berger (left).
Ella and Eric Grossmann, Z3 Live Communication. Thomas Hasslinger, hasslingermessemanufaktur. Nathalie Vandeweerdt, the Inside. Urs Seiler, smartville digital.
Thomas Berger, Roger Wyss, Jan Tatic from SYMA.
Hello & goodbye EuroShop 2026 at Düsseldorf Airport: Annina Fallegger, Manfred Ettlin, Philipp Kiwiz, Dirk Wolf, Tyrone Tomezzoli, all Neuerdings Eventdesign.
Thomas Hasslinger, Juan Becerra von Nüssli. Sven Bonifer, Meplan. Gunnar Heinrichs, adventics. Siegbert Hieber, meplan.
Silke Schulte, fwd: Michaela Kruse. Larissa Klegraf, Alex Ostermaier, fwd:
Alex Ostermaier, Larissa Klegraf, both fwd:. Christian Tjo, bird singer.
Urs Seiler, on the left, with his good friend Stephan Schäfer-Mehdi from BachmannKern – a little enhanced with artificial intelligence. Just click on the image!
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No trade fair without press.
My impression of the exhibitors' presentations at EuroShop, where I focused on Hall 1 with the companies from the live communication sector, especially exhibition stand construction companies, was that intelligent trade fair communication has taken a back seat to opulent exhibition stands.
In our classic book "Making Trade Fairs Measurable: More Intelligence per m²" from 2005, we coined the motto "No trade fair without press." Much time has passed since then, and it's obvious that parts of the communication have shifted online, particularly to social networks.
But the relatively young BRACE Group, comprising the companies Schendel & Pawlaczyk , Zeeh Design , MMD Live Design , and Conform, had one of the most emotionally engaging and inspiring presentations, making it a notable exception. What was inspiring about the BRACE Group wasn't the backdrop, but the booth staff: communicative, fully aware of the trade fair's objectives, and approachable. It was refreshing. The BRACE Group was the only (!) exhibitor who actually provided us with any information about the fair.
"Blinki, blinki - everything is so beautifully colorful here"
Nina Hagen sang "Everything is so beautifully colorful here" 30 years ago.
A mystery shopper at EuroShop told us: "I found the exhibitors' booths lacking in substance. And why don't they make their trade fair appearances measurable? I missed the messages and the experiences."
And regarding the dominance of opulent exhibition stands: "If you have no idea, put up an LED wall. That's how the stands at EuroShop seemed to me. I wonder why everyone has to put up an LED wall? It would make much more sense to simply write down what you do and how your solution can help which target group. Unfortunately, very few people do that; instead, there's a lot of flashy, gimmicky stuff..."
Nevertheless, the exhibitors we spoke to were highly satisfied; for many, especially suppliers of exhibition stand systems, EuroShop is a must-attend event and something of a sure thing, judging by the lively interest shown by buyers at the exhibition stands, where new products are presented live every three years.
Steve Otto and Florian Staiger from hms design, as trade fair visitors, say: "Second day for visitors at #EuroShop in Düsseldorf – and the mood is noticeably positive. After years of restraint, the willingness to invest is growing again. Budgets remain ambitious – but one thing is clear: future-proof concepts, sustainable materials, and technological integration are no longer a "nice-to-have," but a fundamental planning principle. The expo and event sector, in particular, demonstrates how rapidly these requirements are evolving.
According to the organizer, Messe Düsseldorf , both the thematically curated guided tours of the exhibition grounds and the store tour showcasing selected innovative retail concepts in Düsseldorf were very well received. The prestigious reta awards, the EuroShop Retail Design Award, the EXHIBITOR Magazine's EuroShop Award, and the Science Prize once again recognized outstanding technological and design achievements.
The next EuroShop will take place from February 18th to 22nd, 2029.
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