Messe München generates economic impact of EUR 4.45 billion and supports 34,400 jobs

One of Messe München’s core corporate objectives is to strengthen the regional economy. A new study conducted by economic research institute Prognos examines the economic impact generated by Messe München in an average trade fair year. The results show that events held at the Munich exhibition center generate an average nationwide economic impact of EUR 4.45 billion and support approximately 34,400 jobs across Germany.

The objective of the current Prognos study was to quantify the economic significance of events held at Messe München’s venue in an average trade fair year—for the City of Munich, the surrounding region, and beyond.

Significant increase compared to the previous study

The findings reveal a substantial increase in economic impact compared to the previous study (2019: EUR 3.29 billion / 27,000 jobs). Nationwide revenue effects rose by 35 percent compared to the earlier analysis.

Key drivers behind this growth include a higher share of international exhibitors and visitors, as well as consistently strong exhibitor and visitor numbers at the Munich exhibition venue.

“These figures clearly show that trade fairs and conferences in Munich are far more than platforms for innovation and exchange. They are a powerful economic engine for Munich, Bavaria, and Germany as a whole. With a purchasing power effect of EUR 4.45 billion and around 34,400 supported jobs, our events make a substantial contribution to the stability and long-term resilience of the regional economy,” said Messe München’s two CEOs, Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel, in a joint statement.

In the mega trade fair year 2025, Messe München events attracted a total of 34,600 exhibitors and more than 2.5 million visitors to the Munich site. This means the number of visitors significantly exceeded Munich’s population of approximately 1.6 million residents.

Job engine: Growth in employment created

Trade fairs and conferences have a particularly positive impact on the creation and safeguarding of permanent jobs. Compared to the previous study, the number of jobs supported nationwide increased by 26 percent to a total of 34,400. In Munich, employment rose by 8 percent to 17,600 jobs. Across Bavaria, including the state capital, the number of supported jobs increased by 10 percent to 24,800.

Trade fair-related services and hospitality benefit strongly

Trade fair-related services as well as the hotel and hospitality sector benefit significantly from events at the Munich exhibition center. In Munich alone, around 7,700 jobs are created in trade fair-related services, including stand construction and design, logistics, exhibition technology, catering, and marketing. The hospitality industry in Munich accounts for approximately 5,000 jobs that are created and secured over the long term. In the Bavarian state capital alone, conferences and trade fairs generated around 1.7 million of the city’s 19.7 million overnight stays in 2025.

Growing number of international exhibitors and visitors

“We particularly welcome the growing share of international exhibitors and visitors. Many exhibitors and guests come to Munich from countries where Messe München operates locations and hosts trade fairs. Against the backdrop of global challenges, these figures underscore how important Messe München’s international activities are for its home exhibition venue,” emphasized CEOs Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel.

The study confirms this trend: among the top ten fastest-growing exhibitor countries are China, India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. A similar pattern can be seen among visitor countries, with China, India, Turkey, and Brazil ranking among the top fifteen fastest-growing markets.

This not only increases visitor numbers in Munich, but also generates above-average purchasing power effects, driven by longer stays associated with long-haul travel.

Growth in event-related tax revenues

Tax revenues generated by Messe München events increased by 12 percent compared to the previous study. In total, EUR 726 million in nationwide tax revenues were generated. Of this amount, EUR 47 million accrued to the City of Munich, EUR 266 million to the rest of Bavaria, and EUR 69 million to other regions in Germany outside Bavaria. The federal government received the largest share, amounting to EUR 344 million. The analysis focused on fiscal effects attributable to value-added economic activities.

Economic impact on the regional economy

As in the previous study, the distribution of economic effects remains largely unchanged. Approximately half of the total impact benefits the City of Munich, a further 20 percent goes to the rest of Bavaria, and the remaining 30 percent is distributed across the rest of Germany.

Beyond the City of Munich, the districts of Freising and Munich benefit most in an average trade fair year. In Freising, EUR 136 million of Bavaria’s total EUR 861 million in revenue effects are generated, while the Munich district accounts for EUR 86 million.

Messe München ranks among Germany’s top exhibition venues

In a nationwide comparison, Messe München ranks among the top performers in terms of economic impact. According to a study by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA), Germany’s trade fair industry as a whole generates purchasing power effects totaling EUR 29.9 billion and supports approximately 280,000 jobs. With a purchasing power effect of EUR 4.45 billion, Messe München accounts for around 15 percent of the total nationwide trade fair industry impact, ranking it among the leading trade fair companies out of approximately 70 in Germany.

About the study

The purchasing power study was conducted by Prognos AG on behalf of Messe München. The core of the analysis is the assessment of the economic significance of both proprietary and guest events held at the Messe München venue in an average trade fair year. To this end, approximately 2,600 exhibitors and 6,200 visitors were surveyed at seven Messe München events in 2024 and 2025. The study primarily captured exhibitor and visitor spending behavior during trade fair participation and calculated the resulting economic effects across the entire event portfolio.