 Trade fairs in Germany have once again recorded a slight increase. The 176 international and national events in 2014 registered a 1.5% gain in exhibitors, bringing the current number of participations up to 179,645. The number of visitors has now reached 9.72 million, a 0.3% increase compared with previous events. Stand space increased to 6.82 million m² (likewise a change of +0.3%). German trade fairs are thus a key source of support for the economy, which needs strong trade fairs as a means to present innovations and acquire new customers. Walter Mennekes, chairman of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA), emphasised this point at the association’s annual press conference in Cologne, saying that German businesses needed not only to invest in product quality but also to make ever greater investments in marketing to secure the long-term strength of their export business. There has been another marked increase in the number of foreign participants in German trade fairs – by an average of 5.2% compared with previous events. 102,665 international exhibitors – 57% of all exhibitors – were registered, exceeding the 100,000 mark for the first time. The largest number (13,494) came from the People’s Republic of China, followed by Italy (11,800) and the United Kingdom (5,907). For 2015, AUMA expects another slight increase in the number of exhibitor, the amount of stand space and the number of visitors, probably to the order of about 1 to 2% |
