- Fair trade experiences a favorable beginning to the year
The trade show sector is feeling quite content as they reflect on the first half of the year. Approximately 6.7 million attendees graced about 190 trade shows during this period, as reported by the German Trade Fair Association (Auma). This represents a slight upgrade of 1% compared to the same time frame last year.
The number of exhibitors saw a substantial rise, jumping by 7% to around 120,000 participating businesses. Furthermore, the size of these shows expanded, with the total exhibition space growing by 7% to approximately 4.2 million square meters.
Despite some strikes by Deutsche Bahn at the beginning of the year, affecting around 50 trade shows and resulting in an average decrease of 11% in attendance compared to previous events, the trade show season commenced under tough circumstances.
Philip Harting, chairman of Auma, stated, "The international presence of our exhibitors and attendees has scarcely been higher." He also highlighted that numerous regional trade shows are now recuperating from the influence of the Corona pandemic following international and national trade shows held therein.
The revitalization of regional trade shows can be attributed to the influx of international attendees during the spring, making these events more vibrant than before. The spring trade shows, in particular, benefited from this international presence, contributing to their overall success.
