AUMA, the association for the German trade fair industry, has released research that paints a picture of the economic impact of exhibitions in the country.
Among the headline findings was annual average total expenditure by visitors and exhibitors, which comes to around €14.5bn (US$17bn), of which €9.6bn is attributed to exhibitors and €4.7bn to visitors (both foreign and domestic).
International and national trade fairs account for the lion’s share of expenditure, over 81 per cent, with 10 per cent occurring at regional trade events.
Visitor expenditure is dominated by overnight accommodation and board and lodging, as well as travel to and from events. Expenditure on accommodation accounts for the largest share of expenditure at around 26 per cent, followed by travel costs (21.6 per cent) and expenditure on board and lodging (21.5 per cent).
The association also looked into the increased levels of production in the country as a direct result of trade fairs and exhibitions, estimating that around 231,100 jobs were guaranteed in an average trade fair year during 2014/17.
There are also resulting gains in income and profits, as well as additional tax revenues generated by private consumption. Across all regional authorities in the Federal Republic of Germany an average trade fair and exhibition year generates tax revenues of around €4.5bn. This figure is €700m higher than for an average trade fair year during the 2005/8 period.
