Article

This article explains

• why the trade show business model is currently undergoing noticeable changes 
• what expectations exhibitors and visitors have, and what this means for the coming years
• which five key areas determine whether a trade show is perceived as a cost factor—or as an indispensable part of a company's business.

Intended as practical guidance for trade show organizers who want to secure the long-term future of their events and manage them even more effectively.

2026: Between Proving Its Worth and the Threat of Irrelevance

The trade show industry has survived the pandemic. And in 2026, the next test awaits.

After COVID, people returned with great enthusiasm. They wanted real encounters, real conversations, real business, and the good old booth parties. Trade shows benefited greatly from this: around 28 billion euros in annual value creation speaks for itself (AUMA 2024). But now the mood is shifting. 

Economic conditions have noticeably worsened. The German economy is stagnating; companies are proceeding cautiously and waiting for political solutions that are unlikely to materialize in the short term. Budgets are being scrutinized more closely, investments are being postponed, and marketing expenditures are being called into question. For trade shows, this marks the beginning of a make-or-break phase.

Today, exhibitors and visitors alike are scrutinizing more closely than ever whether the effort—in terms of time, money, and organization—is actually worth it. By 2026, trade shows must demonstrate that they are indispensable while simultaneously finding a way to manage themselves effectively. If they fail to do so, they face the dangerous chain reaction all too familiar to the trade show industry—what we call the tipping point: A key exhibitor cancels, visitors cancel, more exhibitors stay away, and the sentiment spreads through the event halls that the trade show has seen better days.

In our work with trade shows, we have repeatedly asked ourselves the following question: How can we prevent this negative tipping point? And how can we create more value instead?

Our answer:

1. Identify the truly relevant success factors of your own trade show that are valued by exhibitors and visitors.
2. Capture these success factors in a strategy to make them both intentional and effectively manageable.
3. Bring these success factors to the forefront of awareness. 

As a first step, it is necessary—but not sufficient—to address the desires of exhibitors and visitors.