Industry Trends & Innovation

The industry event “wtf26 – we transform future”, taking place at the end of June, will focus primarily on artificial intelligence, the circular economy and new requirements for sustainable event concepts.

Event organisers, sponsors and service providers must prepare for a more challenging market environment and greater risks.

The new BDKV guidelines provide guidance on direct licensing and help event organisers make legally sound decisions.

Anyone offering in-person, online and hybrid tickets will need to take a closer look in future to avoid tax risks.

New clarifications under employment law regarding on-call duty could significantly alter staff planning in the events industry.

The temporary reduction in energy tax could provide some relief for the events industry during the peak season.

Revised guidelines for petrol and diesel prices make it easier to budget for transport and shuttle services.

On 28 May 2026 in Berlin, the two event platforms eventbook.com and eventlocations.com were once again awarded the title ‘Germany’s Best Online Portals 2026’. The prize is awarded by the German Institute for Service Quality (DISQ) in collaboration with the news channel ntv.

Festivals, clubs and security services must adapt their security and control measures to the stricter requirements.

14 associations, including DEHOGA, AUMA, BDKV and EVVC, are backing the "Weekly Working Hours Now" campaign. The aim is to modernise working time legislation – not to increase the amount of work, but to allow greater flexibility in how it is organised. This sends an important signal, particularly for the events, trade fair, hospitality and tourism sectors.