Trade fair records without euphoria: When the ghost of transformation haunts us
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German trade fair venues are reporting record revenue figures for 2025. But 2026 will mark the first negative turning point since Covid. Exhibiting companies are cutting their trade fair budgets. How much pressure is the trade fair business model under?
By Urs Seiler || July 30, 2026
Exhibitor feedback on the Hannover Messe.
I hope you are enjoying your holiday. But trade fairs don't take a break, not even during the trade fair break.
It would have been so nice to simply enjoy the leisurely summer season and look forward to the start of the trade fair season in August. But the AUMA press release from June 4th, stating that the economic downturn is now also impacting trade fairs, with the traditional delay, has jolted everyone out of their comfortable summer lull.
Messe Essen achieved an absolute record turnover of 83 million euros in 2025.
Hamburg Messe & Congress generated its highest revenue in an odd-numbered trade fair year in 2025, at 91 million euros.
The Leipzig trade fair reports its second-highest revenue ever, at 109 euros.
Messe München reports a record result of 594 euros in the mega trade fair year .
The Westfalenhallen Dortmund (Messe Dortmund) also reported record sales of 76 million euros in 2025.
Second highest total value added:
The 2025 sales figures of the largest German trade fair organizers
Economically challenging environment
On June 4th, however, AUMA's press release ran the headline for the first time: "Economic downturn now also impacts trade fairs: Individual key figures for 2026 turn negative." The German trade fair industry is declining for the first time since Covid, causing alarm.
In almost every press release from the organizers, a phrase like "optimistic attitude", "economically challenging environment" or "economically demanding times" appears.
Anyone who only reads the financial figures might consider this choice of words excessive caution. In fact, however, it describes the core of the current situation. The German trade fair industry is not experiencing a contradiction – but rather two realities simultaneously. One reality is the excellent financial results. The other reality is the uncertainty about the future.
Due to the cyclical nature of the trade fairs and the prevailing economic and geopolitical conditions, Koelnmesse anticipates a challenging year for trade fairs in 2026 .
Messe Frankfurt had predicted a record year for 2026. Now it is revising its forecasts downwards to a "seven-figure million number".
Two similar quotes give a very precise picture of the divided situation in the trade fair industry.
Fabienne Meyerhans (pictured above) has been CEO of Messe Luzern since July 1, 2026. In a smartville digital interview, she states, "Everyone wants to go to the trade fair, but nobody wants to pay for it."
Wolfgang Marzin (pictured above), CEO of Messe Frankfurt, says on smartville digital : "The customers are there, but in many cases costs are being reduced."
This suggests that the trade fair business model itself is not under criticism. However, it must continuously adapt to the times and enable more measurable results. Not because trade fairs are losing importance, but because their customers are becoming more cautious.
What's going on here?
What is the reason for this contradictory situation? Simply put, exhibiting companies have smaller budgets available for their trade fairs. The reasons for this are the geopolitical situation of recent years and, in Germany, the weak economy, which has led to a sometimes drastic increase in costs.
In addition, there are a kind of "homegrown problems" in Germany. Philip Harting (pictured below), Chairman of AUMA, provides a very precise analysis in the aforementioned press release of what is lacking in the German trade fair sector, which also reflects the European trade fair industry:
"A genuine economic policy for domestic companies must become noticeable by the end of the year. The gradual dismantling of foreign trade subsidies, high location costs, and excessive reporting requirements are avoidable, self-inflicted problems . Given the escalation of crises and conflicts worldwide, these are also having a negative impact on future investments such as trade fair participation."
It appears that this transformation is irreversible, meaning that trade fair budgets will remain under pressure and will no longer increase in the overall market.
Are trade fairs currently being transformed?
Of course, the assumption that trade fairs could be replaced by "virtuality" (or rather, by online) was and still is nonsense. This has been a myth ever since the advent of the internet, and it has never proven true.
Artificial intelligence won't change that; on the contrary, it will make trade fairs even more valuable. Dr. Jan Trenczek, an expert at the economic research institute Prognos, stated in the AUMA press release of July 13th that artificial intelligence is a key lever for the future viability of the trade fair industry. It will not replace personal interaction, but rather increase its relevance .
When we talk about transformation here, we don't mean replacing trade fairs, but rather their ongoing professionalization with fewer resources, and AI will be key. Exhibitors demand more measurability, more leads, and proof of a higher return on investment.
Trade fair organizers play a key role in this transformation process . The challenge lies not in proving the legitimacy of trade fairs, but in improving their relevance for the exhibiting (and the visiting!) economy. Trade fair organizers must and can assume a leading role here, essentially under the motto "From square meter to value meter."
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