AUMA

What AUMA does

AUMA (Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.) is the umbrella association of the German trade fair industry, founded in 1907 and headquartered in Berlin. It represents approximately 70 member organizations comprising all major German trade fair organizers and venues (NürnbergMesse, Messe München, Koelnmesse, Messe Düsseldorf, Deutsche Messe AG, Messe Berlin, Hamburg Messe und Congress, Spielwarenmesse eG) plus industry associations representing exhibiting companies (BDI, BDLI, BDI, BDSV, Spectaris), service companies, and visitors. The association functions as the unified political, economic, and informational voice of the German trade fair industry, citing €30 billion in annual economic effects, 280,000 jobs secured, and €5.4 billion in tax revenue generated by trade fairs in Germany.

AUMA's core digital product is the Messedatenbank (Trade Fair Database), a searchable platform covering more than 3,500 trade fairs filterable by title, industry, country, city, and date. Complementary offerings include the AUMA Compact triweekly newsletter, the Ausstellungsfrage podcast, industry publications (Exhibitor Outlook, key figures reports), and the members-only AUMA Extranet. The association also runs industry events (annual AUMA-MesseTreff for ~330 leaders, MesseForum Young Professionals, MesseForum WebTalks, M1 Zukunftskongress Messe) and co-organizes the International Spring University (ISU) with Koelnmesse. On the policy side, AUMA coordinates the federal Auslandsmesseprogramm (AMP) with BMWi and BMEL, deploying 191 German pavilions across 42 countries to subsidize SME export participation, and represents German trade fair interests in EU and UFI bodies plus the new ISO Technical Committee 354 on Events.

AUMA's revenue model is anchored in recurring membership dues from its ~70 member organizations, supplemented by administrative fees for the federal AMP export promotion program and publication/event-related income. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization operates as a registered German association (e.V.) under an honorary board chaired by Philip Harting (HARTING Technology Group), with Peter Ottmann (NürnbergMesse) and Klaus D. Kremers (Paradies GmbH) as Deputy Chairmen and Jörn Holtmeier as Managing Director. It is a non-profit, member-funded entity with no external investors and no subsidiaries.

Name

AUMA

Legal name

Association of the German Trade Fair Industry e.V

Website

https://www.auma.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AUMA is a non-profit organization that provides trade fair planning, export promotion, trade fair research, and sustainability services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: AUMA generates revenue through membership fees from its approximately 70 member organizations, which include trade fair organizers and industry associations representing exhibiting companies, service companies, and visitors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

AUMA is the umbrella association of the German trade fair industry, providing industrial advocacy, market research, trade fair data, and export promotion services to its approximately 70 member organizations. The association operates a comprehensive trade fair database (Messedatenbank) covering more than 3,500 events, coordinates the federal Auslandsmesseprogramm (AMP) for SME export promotion, publishes industry research and the AUMA Compact newsletter, hosts the Ausstellungsfrage podcast, and runs industry events including the AUMA-MesseTreff and MesseForum Young Professionals.

Product overview

AUMA (Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.) is the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry, serving as the umbrella organization for Germany's trade fair sector. Founded in 1907, AUMA operates a comprehensive trade fair database as its core digital product, offering searchable information on over 3,500 trade fairs in Germany. The organization complements its database with publications (AUMA Compact Newsletter, Ausstellungsfrage Podcast, research reports), industry events (AUMA-MesseTreff, AUMA-WebTalk, MesseForum Young Professionals), and the AUMA Extranet member platform. AUMA's portfolio centers on information services, industry advocacy, networking platforms, and educational resources rather than a traditional software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Messedatenbank (Trade Fair Database) A comprehensive database containing information on more than 3,500 trade fairs in Germany, searchable by title, dates, industries, countries, and cities. Serves as the primary tool for exhibitors and visitors to find relevant trade fair events.
• AUMA Compact Newsletter A triweekly newsletter providing industry news, trends, interviews, and event information for the German trade fair industry. Delivered via email with current and archived issues available.
• Ausstellungsfrage Podcast A podcast series offering insights into the German trade fair industry, featuring interviews with industry professionals and discussions on trade fair operations and best practices.
• Messelexikon (Trade Fair Encyclopedia) An online glossary explaining all terms related to trade fairs, providing definitions and explanations for industry-specific terminology.
• AUMA-MesseTreff Annual meeting event bringing together industry professionals, politicians, media representatives, ministry officials, and association leaders to recognize trade fairs as a central economic factor.
• AUMA-WebTalk (#aufgeMessen) Online discussion series providing updates on trade fair industry developments, featuring industry experts and covering topics such as business climate, digitalization, and internationalization.
• MesseForum Young Professionals Professional development program bringing together young professionals in the trade fair industry, covering topics from social media to artificial intelligence and data protection.
• AUMA Publikationen (Publications) Exclusive publications from AUMA including the AUMA Exhibitor Outlook, industry studies on economic significance, key figures reports, and forecasts for the trade fair sector.
• AUMA Extranet A secure online platform for registered members providing information exchange and member-specific resources for AUMA members, service providers, and association bodies.
• Auslandsmesseprogramm (AMP) Coordination Federal export promotion program coordinated by AUMA on behalf of BMWK (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) and BMEL (Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture), providing subsidized participation in 191 German pavilions across 42 countries for SMEs and German exhibiting companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 billion EUR annual economic effects from trade fairs in Germany
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UFI - Global Association of the Exhibition IndustrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2026AUMA is a member of UFI, the world trade fair association. AUMA Managing Director Jörn Holtmeier serves as Chair of the UFI Associations' Committee and sits on the UFI Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Stefan Rummel (Messe München CEO) was elected Chair of UFI Europe Chapter.
• Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIN entrusts AUMA with expert representation in international standardization bodies (ISO), enabling AUMA to represent German trade fair industry interests in norm development.
• FKM - Gesellschaft zur Freiwilligen Kontrolle von Messe- und AusstellungszahlencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFKM is the central institution for certification and publication of trade fair and exhibition data in Germany. AUMA maintains close ties with FKM which certified data for 144 events in 2025.
• BMWi/BMEL - Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action / Federal Ministry of Food and AgriculturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAUMA coordinates the federal Auslandsmesseprogramm (AMP) for both BMWi (export promotion for industry) and BMEL (agricultural and food economy export promotion), supporting SME participation in trade fairs abroad.
• EMECA - European Major Exhibition Centres AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUMA collaborates with EMECA, which represents major European exhibition centres, including co-organization of the International Spring University (ISU) with Koelnmesse and Cologne University's Institute for Exhibition Management.
• ISO Technical Committee 354 (Events)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUMA participates in the newly established ISO TC 354 for international event standards. Barbara-Maria Lüder (AUMA) was sent as expert via DIN. The committee addresses topics including waste management, crowd management, and health and safety in exhibition construction.
• Bundesverband der Deutschen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungsindustrie (BDSV)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBDSV was newly admitted as member to AUMA in June 2026, expanding the association's membership base in the defense and security industry sector.
• facts and fiction (Köln)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacts and fiction was awarded the content concept, exhibition design, and cultural program for the German pavilion at Expo 2027 in Belgrade, coordinated by Messe Düsseldorf.
• VDR - Verband Deutsches ReisemanagementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVDR and AUMA collaborate on business travel analysis, with VDR's annual business travel analysis showing trade fairs as efficient platforms for bundled business contacts and markets.
• KoelnmessecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKoelnmesse is a member of AUMA and co-organizes the International Spring University (ISU) with AUMA's support. The companies share expertise on AI applications, sustainability, and industry trends.
• Bundesvereinigung Veranstaltungswirtschaft (fwd:)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUMA collaborates with fwd: on sustainability reporting guidance for the event industry, including VSME template development and sector-specific orientation papers.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UFI - Global Association of the Exhibition Industry: UFI is the Paris-based global trade association for the exhibition industry, serving as AUMA's international counterpart. AUMA's Managing Director Jörn Holtmeier chairs UFI's Associations' Committee, and the two organizations share advocacy, research, and training roles across the exhibition industry globally.
• EMECA - European Major Exhibition Centres Association: EMECA represents Europe's leading exhibition centers and operates as AUMA's direct European-level peer. The two associations co-organize programs (such as the International Spring University) and share member venues like Koelnmesse, providing comparable trade association infrastructure at a regional level.
• SISO - Society of Independent Show Organizers: SISO is the US-based trade association for independent exhibition organizers, performing the same industry advocacy, networking, and education role as AUMA but for the North American market. It is the closest functional analog to AUMA in a different geography.
• IAEE - International Association of Exhibitions and Events: IAEE is a Dallas-based individual-membership association for exhibition and event professionals globally. It overlaps with AUMA in offering industry education ( CEM program), advocacy, and research, and competes for the same industry mindshare and best-practice authority.

Broad incumbents

• Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI): BDI is the umbrella association of German industry and an AUMA member. While much broader in scope than AUMA, BDI shares the advocacy, policy representation, and member-services model and is a comparable reference point for German trade association scale and governance.
• ZVEI - Verband der Elektro- und Digitalindustrie: ZVEI is a major German industry association where AUMA Chairman Philip Harting serves on the executive board. Like AUMA, ZVEI runs industry advocacy, trade fair support (light+building is a flagship fair), and policy work, making it a useful broad-incumbent comparison for German sector association operations.

Regional players

• Spectaris - Deutscher Industrieverband: Spectaris is a Berlin-based German industry association for consumer optics, medical technology, and laboratory equipment. Its CEO Heike Jordan recently joined AUMA's board, illustrating how German sector associations intersect with AUMA's member network and advocacy agenda at the industry-vertical level.

Others

• Bundesvereinigung Veranstaltungswirtschaft (fwd:): fwd: is the German event-industry association for the live communications sector. AUMA collaborates with fwd: on sustainability reporting templates and sector-wide advocacy, making it a peer in adjacent event-industry representation rather than direct trade fair competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Messewirtschaft
• Facebookfacebook.com/AUMA.Messeverband
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auma-ausstellungs-und-messe-ausschuss-der-deutschen-wirtschaft
• Instagraminstagram.com/auma.messewirtschaft
• Xx.com/AUMAeV

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AUMA