19-05-2025
Germany Heads Into IMEX With Fewer Events – But They're Longer and Larger
The number of events held in Germany dropped 6.2% in 2024 to roughly 2 million, according to the latest annual market report from the German Convention Bureau. That figure is down more than 30% compared to 2019 levels, even as total attendance rebounded 21.5% year-over-year to 377.6 million.
On the flip side, based on surveys of planners and venue suppliers, the report showed that average event duration increased from 1.4 days in 2019 to 1.7 days in 2024, the highest since at least 2013.
Small events continue to make up the vast majority of total events, but the average attendance of events shifted significantly from 145 in 2023 (146 in 2019) to 187 last year, representing a 30% increase.
Impact on Sustainability
Larger, consolidated events could shrink the industry's carbon footprint. About 70% of planners believe high emissions could hurt event success. Only 55% of suppliers agree.
The extent to which sustainability is part of the decision-making process of planners is subject to debate. But the report found that 79% of planners prefer suppliers with sustainability standards. While 60% of venues hold sustainability certifications, rising to 85% for hotels. However, a key challenge is the significant variance of standards. The most common in Germany is fairpflichtet, but it's only used by 14% of venues.
Germany Growth Outlook: Planners vs. Suppliers
Venue revenue grew by 4.7% in 2024, outpacing Germany's 2.2% inflation rate. Event centers saw 10.4% growth, while hotels managed just 2%. Looking ahead, suppliers expect 6.6% growth in 2025.
Event budgets increased 15.6% in 2024, and planners expected an 11.4% rise in this year. However, planners only projected a 15.3% budget growth from 2024 to 2026, suggesting less certainty.
Growth projections on the number of events and attendees vary significantly. Planners forecasted 27% more events and 25% more attendees in Germany, while suppliers projected increases of 9% and 8% respectively.
One clear positive trend is the share of international attendance reached 9.5% in 2024, nearing the pre-pandemic peak of 10.2%. According to the survey, conducted January-March 2024, 80% of planners expected increased European attendance, and 65% expected more attendees from outside Europe. Suppliers are less optimistic: 53% expected more European attendance, and 24% projected more overseas attendees.
One area that can be seen as both a challenge and an opportunity is venue capacity, which remains underutilized. In 2024, venues were empty for 160 days, while events took place on 142 days, and 36 days were used for event setup.
The survey found planners more positive about artificial intelligence (AI) adoption than suppliers. More than three-quarters (78%) of planners reported using AI, compared to 46% of suppliers who used the technology. This gap extended to AI policies, with 59% of planners having guidelines in place, versus 16% of suppliers.
Views on AI's potential to address staffing challenges also differed: 68% of planners saw AI as a staffing solution, while only 41% of suppliers agreed.
