German Venue Report 2026: First comprehensive market study maps out the German B2B events market

Hamburg, 1 September 2026. The German B2B events market now has a new knowledge base. The publication of the German Venue Report 2026 marks the first time a comprehensive study has been produced that brings together both the supply and demand sides of the events industry in a single report.

The study is a joint initiative by Venue Marketing and eventlocations.com. It shows how professional event planners search for, select and book venues. At the same time, it provides insights into how event venues organise their marketing and sales, what trends they anticipate and where opportunities lie to strengthen their competitiveness in the long term.

Two perspectives – a complete picture of the market

The particular strength of the German Venue Report lies in combining two perspectives. On the one hand, event venues and MICE hotels were surveyed on topics such as marketing budgets, sales organisation, digitalisation, sustainability, platform strategies and market developments. On the other hand, professional event planners were interviewed about their search behaviour, selection criteria, communication with venues and their expectations during the booking process.

By comparing these two perspectives, a comprehensive picture of the German B2B events market emerges.

The competition begins long before the first enquiry

One of the most striking findings of the study is that the competition begins much earlier than many venues realise. Event planners draw up an initial shortlist of potential venues whilst conducting their online research. Poor accessibility, confusing websites, a lack of information or slow response times mean that venues are ruled out at this early stage, often before an enquiry has even been made.

Furthermore, the study shows that digitalisation, transparency, sustainability and speed are increasingly crucial to the success of event venues.

Practical insights

The German Venue Report provides numerous insights into the following topics, amongst others:

• Development of the German B2B events market

• Marketing and sales strategies of event venues

• Search and booking behaviour of professional event planners

• The importance of websites, platforms and social media

• Sustainability as a selection criterion

• Communication between event planners and venues

• In addition to the findings, the report contains specific recommendations for action. These enable venues to improve their visibility, the customer experience and their sales performance in a targeted manner.

From Assumptions to Reliable Data

According to the initiators, Stijn Oude Vrielink (Venue Marketing) and Pascal von Seth (eventlocations.com), the demand for objective market data is growing steadily.

“The events industry is changing faster than ever. Yet many strategic decisions are still made on the basis of experience and gut feeling. With the German Venue Report, we are bringing together the perspectives of event planners and venues for the first time. This creates an objective picture of the market and the opportunities for those who wish to position themselves successfully in the future.”

 Available free of charge

The German Venue Report 2026 is now available to download free of charge at:

German Venue Report