Frankfurt Trade Fair Events Generate 3.6 Billion Euros in Annual Revenues

On behalf of the Messe Frankfurt GmbH, the ifo Institute assessed the economic impact of expenditure by exhibitors and visitors to trade fairs, congresses and other events in Germany for 2017. Based on empirical surveys of selected events, an estimation model was used to evaluate total expenditure, and building on these results, to calculate the purchasing power, employment and taxation effects of the average events year for Frankfurt, Hessen and Germany. According to the study, exhibitors and visitors worldwide spend an average of 2.83 million euros on events at the Frankfurt Trade Fair in an average trade fair year. Expenditure on hotels and restaurants accounted for the large share (around 38%) of total expenditure by trade fair visitors. This figure was only outstripped by spending on long-distance transport to and from events, which accounted for 41% of expenditure. Smaller amounts were spent by exhibitors on building stands (27%), while only 17% of total spending went towards covering the personnel costs of participating in a trade fair. Around a quarter of expenditure by exhibitors went to trade fair organisers. Almost 13% of expenditure covered journeys to and from trade fairs by exhibitor staff. Spending on board and lodging totalled almost 14%. Around 33,260 jobs nationwide depend on expenditure by trade fair visitors and exhibitors, with 18,500 jobs in Frankfurt alone. An average events year generates tax revenues of 657 million euros for all of Germany's regional authorities. For Frankfurt this sum amounts to 32 million euros, versus 176 million euros for the rest of Hessen. Over half of trade-fair based tax revenues, or 330 million euros, go to the federal government.