Berlin – November 02, 2026 -- Almost 82% of surveyed trade fair visitors say fairs let them experience things that are not possible in the digital space in the same way, the highest agreement score in a new study by German trade fair association AUMA. The survey of 1,855 respondents is the first of its kind. It was launched because winning visitors for exhibition stands increasingly appears as a challenge in AUMA's annual exhibitor and organiser surveys.
Germany hosts more than 300 trade fairs a year, drawing around 13 million visitors.
Visitors rate fairs as reliable and professionally run
More than 71% of respondents consider fairs a reliable source of information. Some 72% say innovations are presented in a comprehensible way, and 73% describe the atmosphere as open and relaxed. Organisation is the strongest quality feature and is rated similarly positively across all visitor groups.
Chance encounters are the most significant form of human contact at fairs, according to the study.
Digital offerings rank low among visitor needs
Digital services are not at the centre of visitor expectations. Visitors want a bundled overview of the market and products they can experience directly. Clear presentation of the offering and good orientation on the exhibition grounds rank among the most important expectations, and visitors want better guidance through the fair.
Almost 40% decide to attend one to four weeks ahead
Attendance decisions are made at short notice. Almost 40% of respondents decide one to four weeks before an event starts, and just under 23% decide even later. AUMA describes this as a period of hoping and fearing for organisers and exhibitors.
A personal recommendation is the most frequent trigger of interest in a visit.
Consumer and trade visitors weigh different criteria
Private visitors look first at entry prices and travel effort, and only then at the relevance of exhibitors. About 40% of fairs in Germany target end consumers, while 60% are trade-visitor fairs.
For trade visitors, offering quality decides. Around 60% name exhibitor relevance as the most important criterion, ahead of travel and entry price.
The survey covered German-speaking visitors aged 18 to 64 who attended at least one fair in Germany between April 2025 and April 2026.