See and be seen! If you want to present your products and services to an interested audience, there is no way around taking part in a trade show. Here you can not only present new products and position yourself on the market, but also make and strengthen valuable business contacts. Choosing the right exhibition is crucial to the success of exhibition planning. Avoid an inefficient “hanging game” and take a strategic approach to trade fair planning – with this first smart move, you are sure to find the right exhibition.
From marketing objectives to exhibition planning
Before you start selecting and planning the exhibition or your exhibition stand, you should precisely define your company’s objectives and the sales and marketing strategies derived from them. These goals form the basis for selecting the right exhibition. A valuable source of information in this regard is the website of AUMA, the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry, where you can obtain comprehensive data and tips on both B2B and B2C trade fairs free of charge. You can also search for specific exhibition venues and show dates. Read more in our blog post: AUMA – Support for your trade fair presence
First: Considerations regarding the type of exhibition or event
There are 3 basic trade fair types to choose from when planning a trade fair:
- Consumer fairs: Consumer fairs are usually aimed at end consumers in the region. Well-known consumer fairs include the Maimarkt Mannheim, the largest regional consumer fair in Germany, the offerta Karlsruhe shopping and experience fair and the Plaza Culinaria gourmet fair in Freiburg.
- Regional, national and European exhibitions: These exhibitions are aimed at a specific professional audience and offer a platform for exchange between experts. Well-known German trade fairs include the Essen Motor Show, logiMAT, The Battery Show Europe and the Leipzig Book Fair. In Freiburg, for example, the GETEC
- Leading international exhibitions: These exhibitions are global leaders in their industry and attract exhibitors and visitors from all over the world. Leading global trade fairs include Intersolar, Medica, electronica, IFAT, Interpack, EMO and Agritechnica.
Important: The trade fair world is also dynamic and always on the move. New industries are constantly giving rise to new exhibitions such as ADAS, the exhibition for autonomous driving in Stuttgart, Heat Expo Dortmund, Polis Mobility Cologne and Quantum Effects in Stuttgart. It is therefore quite possible that next year another exhibition will be more relevant for your company than the one currently favored.
Congress, symposium, annual conference – other event types:
There are also numerous trade fairs and exhibitions that take place as part of national and international congresses, symposia and annual conferences of professional associations. These are important industry platforms for networking, presenting current developments and finding out about the latest trends and innovations. The industry is regularly represented there with exhibition stands to present its technical innovations. These accompanying exhibitions form a fourth “trade fair type”. Congresses often change their venues from year to year. In 2025, for example, the IAACD / EACD World Congress is taking place in Heidelberg and the ECerS in Leipzig. National congresses such as the HNO Congress, the DGPRÄC Annual Conference and the DOG Congress take place every year. Examples in our region include the DGKFO, which will take place in Freiburg in 2024, and the annual CloudFest at Europapark in the IT sector.
Secondly: further selection criteria for your exhibition planning
In addition to the basic decision in favor of one of these three or four exhibition types, you should consider other important criteria when selecting an exhibition.
- Status in the industry – How well-known and renowned is the exhibition?
- Location, date and frequency – Where, when and how often does the exhibition take place?
- Quality and development of the exhibition – Is the exhibition growing or shrinking?
- Thematic focus – Does the focus match the company and product portfolio?
- Visitor structure and expectations – Does the desired target group come to the exhibition?
- Other exhibitors – In which environment will we present our company?
- Exhibition costs and available budget – Can the company afford the exhibition or does it need to make adjustments?
Thirdly: A step-by-step guide to exhibition selection
As you can see: The variety of exhibitions, congresses and events is huge. To ensure that you present your company at the right exhibition, you should take the following steps in your exhibition planning:
- Basic research: Use the AUMA database to search specifically for exhibitions that match your specialist field and company focus.
- Check the organizer websites: Find out about exhibitor lists and visitor numbers published on the websites of trade fair organizers.
- Obtain the experiences of other exhibitors: Talk to exhibitors from the same or similar sectors about their experiences.
- Visit the exhibition in advance: If possible, visit the exhibition as a visitor first to get your own impression of the quality of the event.
- Use of quality indicators: Check available quality indicators such as floor space, visitor and exhibitor numbers in the AUMA database.
- Check funding programs: Federal and state funding programs can be helpful, especially for companies exhibiting at an exhibition for the first time or going abroad. Information on this can also be found on the AUMA website.
Double check: How do you recognize that an exhibition is the right one for you?
- Your company’s product range is included in the exhibition’s nomenclature (list of products and product groups that may be exhibited at an exhibition).
- Your competitors will also be exhibiting there.
- The cross-section of visitors largely matches your company’s target customers.
- The exhibition is growing, i.e. the number of exhibitors and visitors is increasing from year to year.
- Industry associations support the trade fair concept.
- The best-known trade journals in your industry are media partners of the exhibition.
You should always plan your trade fair presence carefully and strategically. Use the variety of information sources and experience to make your trade fair presence a success. You are also welcome to contact us, the Externe Messeabteilung. As a booth constructor with more than 20 years of experience in the exhibition and congress industry, we have designed and realized exhibition stands for our customers at countless exhibitions in Germany and abroad. We can therefore assess very well whether a visit to a particular exhibition is promising for your company.
