Global exhibition industry back to pre-Covid days

The Global Exhibition Day 2024 theme reinforces the role of exhibitions as platforms to bring people together face-to-face to connect, collaborate on global solutions aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and drive progress for economies worldwide

The latest from the international trade fair association UFI is that there are around 1,360 trade fair venues worldwide and 31,000 trade fairs are held every year.

Germany’s share of surface area is eight per cent given that four out of ten of the world’s largest exhibition grounds are located in Germany: Hannover, Frankfurt am Main, Cologne and Düsseldorf. There are over 40 million square metres of exhibition hall space worldwide, over three million of which are in Germany. Some of the German trade fair organisers are among the top 10 in the international sales ranking.

The outlook for 2024 is very positive, with revenues expected to grow by an average of 15%, setting the industry up to record the highest ever revenue levels in 2024. Globally, 52% of companies declare that they plan to increase their workforce in the coming 6 months, and 45% declare that they will keep current staff numbers stable. “State of the economy in home market” is the most pressing issue (22% of answers globally), followed by “Global economic developments” (17% of answers). Globally, there is an overwhelming consensus that AI will affect the industry, with 91% of companies stating this, up from 87% in the previous edition. The latest indications are that the exhibition industry did not reach pre-pandemic levels in 2023 but is planning to grow in 2024 and many new jobs in exhibitions are coming up around the world.

The year 2023 saw full recovery of exhibitions, with revenues reaching a comparable level to 2019, on average. Revenues from 2023 compared to 2019 vary from 127% in India, 120% in Spain, and 110% in Italy, to 88% in Colombia and 85% in South Africa, or to 82% in Germany and 80% in Thailand. Revenues from 2024 compared to 2019 vary from 154% in India 151% in Greece to 99% in China and 94% in South Africa.

In terms of operating profits compared to 2019 levels, around half of the companies are declaring an increase of more than 10% for 2023, and one in four a stable one.

Globally, 52% of companies declare that they plan to increase their staff numbers in the next six months, and 45% declare that they will keep current staff numbers stable. The highest proportion of companies planning to add staff is identified in Saudi Arabia (100%), the UAE (82%), India (80%), Greece (73%) and Malaysia (67%).

An analysis by industry segment (organiser, venue only and service provider) shows no differences regarding the three most pressing issues for organisers and service providers, which remain “State of the economy in home market”, “Global economic developments” and “Geopolitical challenges”. For venues, “Geopolitical challenges” are preceded by “Internal management challenges” and “Competition from within the exhibition industry”.

The Global Exhibition Day 2024 theme reinforces the role of exhibitions as platforms to bring people together face-to-face to connect, collaborate on global solutions aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and drive progress for economies worldwide.

The four key messages in this year’s theme include: 1. Exhibitions drive progress: Exhibitions are platforms to discuss, create and showcase solutions to the universal challenges; 2. Exhibitions facilitate economic growth: Exhibitions are engines of economic growth, connecting industries and driving job creation; 3. Exhibitions are sustainable: Exhibitions are a sustainable way to drive business and development, gathering communities in one place and managing our environmental impact; 4. Exhibitions connect people: Exhibitions are community builders, bringing people together face-to-face to connect, collaborate and contribute.

According to initial estimates by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry, AUMA, at least 180,000 exhibiting companies and 11.5 million visitors were guests at German exhibition grounds in 2023. This represents an increase of around 40,000 exhibitors and almost four million visitors compared to the figures of the previous year. Following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, international leading trade fairs in Germany particularly have recovered well.

More than 330 trade fairs are planned in Germany for 2024. Almost 180 are national or international trade fairs within their respective branches of industry.

German trade show organisers are planning around 310 trade fairs in 40 countries in 2024. This is the finding of a current survey conducted by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry, AUMA. Many of these projects are satellite events associated with trade fairs that have been successfully running in Germany for many years.