NürnbergMesse Looks Forward Confidently to a Record 2026

NürnbergMesse Group CEO Peter Ottmann: “We’re delighted that in 2025, we generated the highest sales figure yet for an odd-numbered events year – and our international customers contributed a solid half of that amount. In the new year, we’ll be holding steady to our programme of investing in our analogue and digital products, as well as our exhibition centre, to ensure we remain one of the most solidly scheduled exhibition venues in Europe. We’re looking forward with great confidence to the 2026 year, and expect to set a new sales record in the history of NürnbergMesse: about EUR 390 million.” 

The NürnbergMesse Group continues to grow significantly. The 2025 events year – an odd-numbered year, when the schedule is always cyclically lighter – defied geopolitical tensions, rising protectionism, and a languishing German economy to generate a new high in sales for such a year: about EUR 350 million (2023: EUR 265.1 million). The year’s worldwide total of 150 events (2023: 177) logged more than 31,000 exhibitors in all (2023: 28,153; +12 %) and about 1.4 million visitors (2023: 1.3 million; +12 %) on some 1.1 million square metres of exhibition space (2023: 0.9 million; +18 %). At the same time, the company continues to lay the groundwork for a successful future by investing in its exhibition centre, its portfolio of events, its services/digital capabilities, and its employees.

Product: Strong event brands

“Trade fairs and conferences in Nuremberg and around the world are still a successful platform for meet-ups and growth – often bucking the trend in many other industries,” says Petra Wolf, Senior Vice President Product Management, savouring the good business showing. Especially strong performers during the year were specialty trade shows focusing on security – whether internal, external, or in IT:  EnforceTac (security and defence), it-sa (IT security) and Perimeter Protection (building security). Other very successful performers were KOMMUNALE (municipal procurement needs) and the SPS guest event (automation technology). The substantial growth in Interlift (lift industry; an AFAG guest event), held in Nuremberg for the first time, proved that the change of location was a sound choice. Outside Germany, the outstanding performers in 2025 were the Brazilian and Greek subsidiaries, which followed up on their 2024 highs by setting new records. 

Acquisitions in the international events portfolio

In September, Greek subsidiary FORUM acquired the O.MIND trade fair and publishing company, a specialist in logistics. NürnbergMesse India likewise stepped into the publishing business, acquiring WOODNEWS magazine in December to support its portfolio of trade fairs in the woodworking industry. NürnbergMesse China, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is expanding its portfolio by founding a joint venture with event organiser Hangzhou Fima Expo, whose RACC is one of China’s leading trade fairs in refrigeration and HVAC equipment. In 2026 the NürnbergMesse subsidiary also plans to join forces with this partner to debut RACC ASEAN in Thailand. 

Investments in the venue and employees 

“Thanks to our sound business approach during the pandemic, our successful business performance in the subsequent years, and our positive outlook for the years ahead, we’re in a position to invest EUR 500 million in our exhibition centre over the next ten years. That will make NürnbergMesse fit for the future”, explains Dirk Blum, Senior Vice President Finance, Facility & HR. The focus here will be on modernising Hall 11 (the “Frankenhalle”, or Franconia Hall) as well as a new structure preceded by a new entry building to replace the former Hall 3. Further milestones for 2026 will be reached by completing the photovoltaic system and the updated NXT74 employee centre, which is being modernised to the standards of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and will offer new working environments for more than 200 employees. The NürnbergMesse Group has 1,250 employees in total, 591 of them working for NürnbergMesse GmbH (as at 31 Dec. 2025; 2024: 1,181/590). These investments highlight the NürnbergMesse Group’s role as an attractive employer.

Investments in services and e-commerce 

The Services business also continues to grow, and now contributes about one-quarter of consolidated sales: “We’re still expanding our range of services for all aspects of our customers’ attendance at trade fairs, with a focus on growing our network of ServicePartners. At the same time, we’re optimising our digital touchpoints”, explains Dr. Martin Kassubek, Senior Vice President Business Development. The new e-commerce platform is an important waystation here in the effort to centre ordering processes better on the customer. It will be used for the first time for FENSTERBAU FRONTALE, and will then be extended to all the company’s own events over the course of 2026.

Outlook: The 2026 events year

NürnbergMesse is looking forward very confidently to the 2026 events year, with roughly 150 events scheduled around the world – 66 of them in Nuremberg. Among the outstanding guest events will be the 75th iteration of the great Spielwarenmesse toy fair, as well as the 50th anniversary of the IFH trade fair for sanitary, home and building technology. The geopolitical situation has put a special spotlight on the security cluster, which includes trade fairs like Enforce Tac and it-sa, as well as Perimeter Protection, held biennially in odd-numbered years. This powerful portfolio makes Nuremberg Europe’s leading site for trade fairs in internal and external security, cybersecurity, building security, and protection of critical infrastructures. 

Strong registration figures lead the NürnbergMesse Group to expect a new sales record of some EUR 390 million for 2026 (previous record set in 2024: EUR 367.8 million). 

^{About NürnbergMesse Group}

^{The NürnbergMesse Group was entered in the commercial register on 5 April 1974 as Nürnberger Messe- und Ausstellungsgesellschaft mbH (NMA) and is now one of the 15 largest exhibition companies worldwide. The Group employs more than 1,200 people at 15 international locations in Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, Brazil, China, India, and the USA. It also has a network of international sales partners in more than 100 other countries. Its portfolio comprises around 120 on-site and online events focusing on five main areas: Retail & Consumer Goods, Building & Construction, Process Technology, Electronics & Security, and Social & Public. Overall, its events secure more than 12,000 jobs and generate billions of euros in purchasing power and tax revenue every year, making NürnbergMesse a major economic driver for the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region and Germany as a whole. As an employer and organiser of major events, NürnbergMesse takes its responsibilities for people and the environment seriously. Its business activities are aligned with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim of achieving a CO2-neutral energy supply by 2028.}