STUDIES
EMECA EXHIBITION VENUES – SAFE AND HEALTHY PLACES FOR EXHIBITIONS
All EMECA exhibition venues have proactively developed advanced health and safety protocols that take into account the respective Covid-19 situation and are based on WHO and on national as well as local health guidelines. And they have established a comprehensive EMECA database for the best measures, practices and technologies.
EMECA MEMBERS: DRIVING ECONOMIC IMPACT AND CATALYSING GROWTH
A new Economic Impact Study conducted by KPMG on behalf of EMECA in 2025 highlights the relevance of the European exhibition industry. It examined the years 2023 and 2024 and reveals solid growth in nearly all fields, confirming the performance and resilience of EMECA Members. The full study will be published in full in the coming weeks and will showcase more quantitative results as well as a qualitative section.
The activities of EMECA Members generated a total impact on the economy of more than €81.9 billion in 2024. In the same year, they supported employment for over 567,000 staff. The study also shows that the EMECA Members’ activity generates approximately €6.4 billion euros in tax revenue.
EMECA Members organised and hosted more than 1,800 exhibitions and 4,200 additional events in 2024. They welcomed roughly 378,000 exhibitors, of whom 57% were national and 43% international. Over 39.2 million visitors attended EMECA Members' exhibitions and events, 77% national and 23% international attendees. This offers European companies the opportunity to trade with the world on their doorstep.
EMECA Members hold almost two-thirds (63%) of the large exhibition venues in Europe, and nearly one-third (29%) of the total European indoor exhibition capacity.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF MAJOR EUROPEAN EXHIBITION CENTRES
Operating exhibition venues with outside and inside space requires exact handling of energy in order to achieve an optimal climate for different types of trade fairs under different weather conditions. Further to the general aim of operating exhibition venues in a responsible and ressource-efficient way, the energetic performance of an exhibition venue may have a significant influence on the economic performance of the exhibition venue operators. Emeca Members continuously invest important sums into their infrastructure to offer highest quality venues to their customers.
With the aim to obtain general recommendations as to construction, refurbishment and operation, EMECA conducted a study on the Energy Efficiency of exemplary exhibition halls at their Members' venues. The initiative measured the properties and energy consumption of representative fair and exhibition venues in Europe. The main focus was the relationship between construction materials and facade techniques and the energy consumption for space heating and cooling. The exhibition centres selected for the study include the newer facilities in Milan (2005) and Stuttgart (2007) and the older exhibition centres in Madrid (1991) and Utrecht (1916). The background to the study is the complex building structure of the European exhibition centres, which according to an initial survey of the 18 EMECA members offered considerable development potential in terms of energy savings.
The idea of the study was developed by the EMECA Technical Working Group set up under the direction of Veronafiere in 2009. It was conducted by the Polytechnic University of Milan.
ACCESSIBILITY OF EMECA EXHIBITION SITES
In view of the “European Year of Equal Opportunities for All” in 2007, EMECA commissioned an infrastructure study on accessibility at big European exhibition venues. The study was prepared by the Technical University of Milan and the University of Brescia, renowned in engineering, urban planning, architecture and design.
It sheds light on the following research goals:
- Guaranteeing access to vulnerable users, thereby improving accessibility for all users
- Pursuing and enhancing the autonomy of individual users in visiting trade fairs
- Improving visitors’ reception, comfort and safety
- Enhancing the continuity in the connection between the trade fair’s collective space and the public spaces in the urban fabric
- Allowing for good access to fairs from urban public and international transport systems
Read our brochure "Ease of access - Ease of success"
AUMA, the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry provides an exhibition database containing information about all the dates, services and key figures for more than 5,000 exhibitions worldwide. Find the exhibition at www.auma.de
