According to the latest annual market report of the German General Assembly Bureau, the number of events held in Germany fell 6.2% to about 2 million in 2024. Compared to the 2019 level, the figure fell by more than 30%, even with a total attendance of 21.5%, which was 377.6 million year-on-year.
On the other hand, according to surveys by planners and site suppliers, the report shows that the average event duration increased from 1.4 days in 2019 to 1.7 days in 2024, the highest since at least 2013.
Small events continue to form the vast majority of the overall events, but the average attendance rate for events has changed significantly from 145 in 2023 (2019) to 187 last year, an increase of 30%.
Impact on sustainability
Larger mergers events could narrow the industry’s carbon footprint. About 70% of planners believe that high emissions may harm the success of the incident. Only 55% of suppliers agree.
Sustainability is a degree to which the planner’s decision-making process is part of the planner. But the report found that 79% of planners prefer suppliers with sustainability standards. While 60% of venues have sustainability certification, hotels have risen to 85%. However, a key challenge is the significant differences in standards. The most common thing in Germany is Fairpflichtet, but is used by only 14% of the venues.
Germany Growth prospects: Planners and suppliers
In 2024, venue revenue increased by 4.7%, surpassing Germany’s inflation rate of 2.2%. Event centers grew by 10.4%, while hotels managed only 2%. Going forward, suppliers are expected to grow by 6.6% in 2025.
The activity budget grew by 15.6% in 2024, with planners expecting an increase of 11.4% this year. However, planners only expect a 15.3% increase in budgets from 2024 to 2026, indicating less certainty.
The growth forecasts for events and attendee numbers vary widely. Planners predicted an increase of 27% of events and 25% of attendees in Germany, while suppliers were expected to increase by 9% and 8% respectively.
A clear positive trend is the 9.5% international attendance rate in 2024, close to a large peak peak of 10.2%. According to the survey, a survey conducted in March 2024 showed that 80% of planners expect an increase in attendance in Europe, while 65% of planners expect more from participants outside Europe. Suppliers are less optimistic: 53% of European attendance is expected to increase, and 24% of overseas attendees are expected.
One area that can be seen as both a challenge and an opportunity is venue capability, which is still underutilized. In 2024, the venue is 160 days, while the event occurs on 142 days and is set up with 36 days.
The survey found that planners are more aggressive in adopting artificial intelligence (AI) than suppliers. More than three-quarters (78%) of planners reported using AI, compared with 46% of vendors using the technology. This gap widens to AI policy, with 59% of planners having appropriate guidelines, while 16% of suppliers.
The perceptions about the potential of AI to address staffing challenges are also different: 68% of planners view AI as a staffing solution, while only 41% of suppliers agree.
