Industry Trends & Innovation

A new guidance document supports companies in the trade fair and events sector as they begin voluntary reporting and helps them to meet the transparency requirements of their customers and partners.

New implementing regulations under the Act to Strengthen Accessibility are tightening the requirements for digital customer interfaces relating to bookings and events.

From 2 August 2026, media generated by AI or heavily manipulated by AI must be clearly labelled as AI content.

Munich/Hüttwilen – The merger of eps and NÜSSLI creates a provider of temporary event infrastructure with a strong European presence and a global reach.

Messen Austria and the Swiss LiveCom Association EXPO EVENT have joined FAMA. This creates the largest alliance in the German-speaking trade fair industry.

The Research Institute for Exhibition and Live Communication e. V. (R.I.F.E.L.) has officially appointed a new advisory board at its inaugural meeting. The committee brings together expertise from the fields of corporate events and marketing, the trade fair industry, agencies, entertainment, technology, stand construction, logistics, catering and professional development, and is intended to integrate the institute’s academic work even more closely with practical applications in future.

Free travel by bus and train to a concert? This is made possible by so-called combined tickets, which combine an event ticket with a public transport ticket. The new feasibility study “Kombiticket ohne Limit” (Unlimited Combination Ticket) by The Changency, in collaboration with the Federal Association of the Concert and Events Industry, highlights just how much untapped potential such tickets currently hold. For the first time, it provides facts on the added value and potential from various perspectives.

The Association of Music Venues has criticised structural inequality in the culture budget and is calling for socially appropriate and necessary support during these difficult times.

Uniform standards for assessing sustainable measures are becoming increasingly important in the events industry. Until now, there has been no officially recognised framework in Germany for their reliable assessment. For this reason, DMSZ Deutsche Managementsystem Zertifizierungsgesellschaft mbH, in collaboration with fwd: Bundesvereinigung Veranstaltungswirtschaft e. V., has developed a conformity assessment programme for DIN ISO 20121 and submitted it to the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS).

The events industry is calling for less red tape and better conditions for international events in Germany.

With ‘wtf26 – we transform future’, fwd: Bundesvereinigung Veranstaltungswirtschaft e. V. once again created a forum at the PALAIS FRANKFURT on 25 and 26 June 2026, where key issues facing the events industry were discussed and explored in depth.

An association thrives on the commitment of its members and on direct dialogue with them. This became clear at the 2026 Annual General Meeting of fwd: Bundesvereinigung Veranstaltungswirtschaft e.V., which took place on 26 June as part of wtf26 – we transform future at the PALAIS in Frankfurt. Through dialogue, perspectives from across the industry were brought together, relevant developments were analysed, and impetus was provided for the association’s future work.

Konstanz, 3 July 2026 – The specialist portal EVENTFAQ will resume active operations in August. Furthermore, the newly established Cosima GmbH will serve as a new centre of excellence for event safety and event management from September onwards. The aim is to carry on Thomas Waetke’s life’s work in keeping with his vision and to support the events industry with high-quality training, up-to-date specialist knowledge and practical expertise.

Karben, 1 July 2026 – satis&fy AG is setting the course for the future and its structural development: With effect from 1 May 2026, the company expanded its Executive Board from two to three members and appointed Norbert Tomkiewicz to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). At the same time, two key management roles within the company have been filled – with a new Managing Director for the headquarters in Karben and a new Head of IT.

Berlin, 1 July 2026 – The Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies e. V. (APWPT) has criticised recent proposals by telecommunications companies to reallocate the 600 MHz frequency band from cultural uses to mobile communications. The association’s analysis shows that such a reallocation would lead to a significant net reduction in overall economic prosperity within the European Union.

The latest issue of *Politik & Kultur*, the German Cultural Council’s newspaper, focuses on the cultural, social and economic significance of concerts, festivals and clubs

Four academic studies provide insights for festival organisation, club culture and event management

From July, public contracting authorities will be able to award contracts for services worth up to 50,000 euros in a much simpler way.

The proposed new regulations are intended to allow for longer working days whilst at the same time making digital time recording compulsory.

The Association of Event Centres has warned of a loss of frequency spectrum for wireless microphones and in-ear systems. A study commissioned by Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica recommends reallocating spectrum in favour of mobile communications – the EVVC believes this threatens the very existence of concerts and shows.

The events industry in Central Germany is gaining a new voice: on 2 June, the industry association fwd: established its regional branch covering the three federal states. The aim is to foster regional networking, raise the profile of industry issues and engage in dialogue with policymakers. The executive board, led by Ulf Künemund, is now getting down to work.