Hannover: Trade Fairs Secure 13,300 Jobs and Billion-Euro Revenue

<p>The Hannover trade fair location is far more than a collection of exhibition halls – it is a concrete economic factor with nationwide significance. A current study by the business research and consulting company Prognos AG commissioned by Deutsche Messe AG for the first time details the economic footprint left by trade fairs on the grounds in Lower Saxony's state capital. The figures presented on September 22, 2026 are impressive: 13,300 secured jobs and a total economic turnover effect of approximately 1.4 billion euros per year.</p>

<h2>Billion-euro turnover with regional focus</h2> <p>According to the Prognos study, proprietary and guest trade fairs on the Hannover exhibition grounds generate total turnover of approximately 1.4 billion euros in Germany in a cycle-weighted average fair year. The lion's share of this value creation remains in the region: the city and region of Hannover benefit from turnover effects of 688 million euros. The rest of Lower Saxony accounts for 245 million euros, while 454 million euros flow to other federal states.</p> <p>According to the study, trade fair services and the hospitality industry particularly benefit from the economic impulses. This is also evident in overnight stay figures: In Hannover alone, approximately 460,000 trade fair visitors stay overnight per year, with a further approximately 210,000 overnight stays in the surrounding area. These figures highlight how closely the trade fair industry and local hotels, restaurants, and retail are intertwined.</p>

<h2>Labor market benefits significantly</h2> <p>Generating these turnover effects requires substantial personnel deployment – with correspondingly positive effects on the labor market. Specifically, the trade fairs held on the Hannover exhibition grounds secure a total of approximately 13,300 jobs, calculated as full-time equivalents, throughout Germany. More than half of these – approximately 7,000 jobs – are located in the city of Hannover itself. Further significant employment impulses occur in the rest of Lower Saxony with 2,800 jobs and in other federal states with 3,500 jobs.</p> <p>This distribution makes clear: The Hannover trade fair location is not only a local but a supraregional job engine that sets value chains in motion far beyond state borders – from logistics service providers to caterers to specialized exhibition construction companies.</p>

<h3>Leadership change at Deutsche Messe AG</h3> <p>The publication of the study coincides with a phase of organizational realignment at Deutsche Messe AG. Following a decline in visitors, the board was restructured: Holger Feist and Konstantin Kühl are to position the company more ready for the future, while Jochen Klöckler remains as fair director. The study results thus provide the newly formed board with a strong argument to underscore the strategic importance of the location to politics and business.</p>

<h2>Hannover Messe 2026 as flagship</h2> <p>How relevant the location remains in content is demonstrated by Hannover Messe 2026, which took place from April 20 to 24. As the world's leading trade fair for industrial technology, it covered central future topics, including <strong>AI & Machine Learning</strong>, <strong>Automation</strong>, <strong>Sustainability</strong>, <strong>Energy Efficiency</strong>, and <strong>Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies</strong>. Major corporations such as Siemens, Bosch, and Volkswagen presented their innovations alongside numerous medium-sized companies and start-ups – evidence that Hannover serves as an innovation platform for tomorrow's industry.</p> <p>The traditional Hermes Award, presented annually for particularly innovative products and solutions, also underscores this ambition. This year, Schaeffler was among the nominees, entering with an invention to improve joints in humanoid robots.</p>

<h2>A trade fair venue with a future</h2> <p>In addition to Hannover Messe, other major events such as IAA Transportation, Infa, EuroBLECH, or EuroTier contribute to the economic significance of the grounds and ensure year-round capacity utilization. The Prognos study thus provides not only a snapshot but underscores the long-term importance of Hannover as one of Europe's most important trade fair locations. Given the ongoing restructuring of Deutsche Messe AG's board, the figures presented should also serve as an incentive to consistently pursue the strategic realignment course – with the aim of securing and further expanding the economic relevance of the location in the coming years.</p>