Deutsche Fachpresse

What Deutsche Fachpresse does

Deutsche Fachpresse (legal name: Verein Deutsche Fachpresse) is a Frankfurt am Main-headquartered non-profit industry association founded in 1992 through the merger of 'Fachverband Fachpresse im VDZ' and 'Arbeitsgemeinschaft Zeitschriftenverlage im Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels'. It serves as the central marketing and service platform for approximately 450 member companies representing nearly 5,600 specialist media titles in the German B2B Fachmedien sector across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The association is structurally anchored by two founding organizations (Träger): IG Fachmedien within the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels and Fachvertretung Fachmedien within MVFP Medienverband der freien Presse, each contributing five elected board members to the Vorstand.

The association's product portfolio is organized around four pillars: events (annual B2B Media Days congress in Berlin, Subscription Tours including international editions, Young Professionals' Media Academy training program), awards (Fachmedium des Jahres since 2005, originally Fachzeitschrift des Jahres and rebranded in 2008, plus Fachjournalist:in des Jahres co-sponsored with Karl Theodor Vogel Stiftung), market research (annual Fachpresse-Statistik documenting the €8.55B German specialist media sector in 2024, Yellow Papers expert publications priced €19.80–€129, B2B-Entscheider-Analyse), and industry representation through 14 specialized commissions and working groups spanning editorial, IT, media sales, events, distribution, digital media, corporate media, and HR. The association does not develop proprietary technology products; its digital footprint consists of a website, weekly newsletter, bi-annual 'Letter' member magazine, and RSS feed. Marketing channels include a sector-wide 'WIR SIND FACHMEDIEN' genre campaign positioning specialist media as reliable B2B information sources.

The revenue model is recurring subscription/membership-based, generated through membership dues, paid event registrations, Yellow Paper and market study purchases, award submission fees, and supporting-member sponsorships (Fabasoft xPublisher, Jobware, Bardohn, Gold Key Media, Heinold & Friends, and others). Governance is provided by a 10-member elected Vorstand led by Speaker Holger Knapp (Sternefeld Medien) and Deputy Speaker Marion Winkenbach (DIN Media), with Managing Director Bernd Adam overseeing operations since January 2009. The association's GTM motion is event-driven, centered on the B2B Media Days congress as the primary convener of the German B2B specialist media community.

Name

Deutsche Fachpresse

Legal name

Verein Deutsche Fachpresse

Website

https://deutsche-fachpresse.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deutsche Fachpresse is a German non-profit industry association (Verein) serving approximately 450 member companies across nearly 5,600 specialist B2B media titles in DACH markets through events, awards, market research, and 14 specialized commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Media Association

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C) (MPAJADAJ), Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing (EDAGAFAL)

Keywords

• Trade press association
• Specialist media publishers
• B2B media events
• Media market research
• Industry awards programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues and services: Deutsche Fachpresse serves as the central marketing and service platform for 450 member companies. Revenue is generated through membership fees and paid services including Yellow Paper publications, market studies, event registrations, and awards entry fees. The association also benefits from industry benchmarking activities and sponsorships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Deutsche Fachpresse (Verein Deutsche Fachpresse) is a non-profit professional association serving as the central marketing and service platform for the German B2B specialist media (Fachmedien) industry. The organization represents approximately 450 member companies and nearly 5,600 specialist media titles through industry representation, market research (Fachpresse-Statistik), networking events (B2B Media Days, Subscription Tours), professional development programs (YPMA), industry awards (Fachmedium des Jahres, Fachjournalist:in des Jahres), expert publications (Yellow Papers), and 14 specialized working commissions.

Product overview

Deutsche Fachpresse is a professional association for German specialized media publishers (Fachverlage/Fachmedien), not a unified software product. The organization serves approximately 450 member companies through a portfolio of industry platforms, events, and publications. Core offerings include the annual B2B Media Days congress, the Young Professionals' Media Academy training program, Subscription Tour event series, and the awards programs (Fachmedium des Jahres and Fachjournalist:in des Jahres). Supporting offerings include the annual Fachpresse-Statistik market report, Yellow Papers expert publications, the Letter member magazine, and weekly newsletter. The association is jointly run by Fachvertretung Fachmedien im MVFP Medienverband der freien Presse (Berlin) and IG Fachmedien im Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (Frankfurt am Main).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• B2B Media Days: Annual congress of Deutsche Fachpresse bringing together trade media professionals and B2B experts
• Young Professionals' Media Academy (YPMA)
• Fachmedium des Jahres
• Fachjournalist:in des Jahres

Products and services

• B2B Media Days Congress
• Young Professionals' Media Academy (YPMA)
• Subscription Tours
• Fachmedium des Jahres (Specialist Medium of the Year Award) Annual industry award recognizing the best German-language specialist media offerings across eight categories including Best Specialist Journal (three revenue tiers), Best Podcast, Best Event, Best Website/App, Best Workflow Solution, and Best Newsletter. Entry-fee based award program for specialist media publishers.
• Fachjournalist:in des Jahres (Specialist Journalist of the Year Award) Annual award recognizing outstanding specialist journalism in German B2B media, co-sponsored by Karl Theodor Vogel Stiftung. Three winners receive 1,000 EUR each in prize money. Entry-fee based award program.
• Yellow Papers Expert publications and white papers from Deutsche Fachpresse commissions covering topics such as CMS evaluation, strategic publishing management, B2B decision-maker typology, and event organization. Priced at 19.80 EUR for members and 129 EUR for non-members (CMS Yellow Paper); 25-50 EUR for strategic topic Yellow Papers.
• Fachpresse-Statistik Annual industry statistics publication providing authoritative market revenue figures and trends for the German specialist media sector, including breakdowns by digital, print, events, and other revenue streams (e.g., 8.58 billion EUR total in 2023; 8.55 billion EUR in 2024).

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (IG Fachmedien)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (Frankfurt am Main) is one of two founding organizations ('Träger') of Deutsche Fachpresse. Through its IG Fachmedien (Interest Group Specialist Media), it contributes five elected board members to the Vorstand (executive board) of the association. This partnership provides institutional legitimacy, political representation, and a shared membership base.
• MVFP Medienverband der freien Presse (Fachvertretung Fachmedien)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MVFP Medienverband der freien Presse (Berlin) is the second founding organization ('Träger') of Deutsche Fachpresse. Through its Fachvertretung Fachmedien (Specialist Media Representation), it also contributes five elected board members to the Vorstand. This partnership anchors the association in the broader German media landscape.
• Karl Theodor Vogel StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Karl Theodor Vogel Stiftung (Würzburg), founded in 1984 by the Vogel Medien Group, co-sponsors the 'Fachjournalist:in des Jahres' award with Deutsche Fachpresse. Since 2005, the award has been jointly presented annually, with the foundation providing 1,000 EUR prize money for each of the three winning entries (total 3,000 EUR per year). This partnership leverages the foundation's prestige and financial commitment to professional journalism quality.
• Jobware (Award Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerJobware has been a long-term award partner of Deutsche Fachpresse, supporting the 'Fachmedium des Jahres' and 'Fachjournalist:in des Jahres' awards in 2026 and previous years. As a recruitment solutions provider, its sponsorship aligns with the association's talent and HR-related programming.
• Lennart Schneider / Subscribe Now (Subscription Tour Partner)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubscription expert Lennart Schneider of Subscribe Now co-organizes and leads the Subscription Tours of Deutsche Fachpresse in various German cities, providing expertise on subscription business models and economics. The tours offer hands-on visits to leading subscription media companies and expert insights.
• Fördermitglieder (Supporting Members)minorOthersDeutsche Fachpresse lists a group of supporting member companies who participate at a higher membership tier. These include: Fabasoft xPublisher, Bardohn, Gold Key Media, Heinold & Friends, Kirchner & Robrecht, united Kiosk, Steinroeder Publishing Consulting, VU.solutions, frevel & fey, GBI, Argestes Managementberatung, Bartholomaeus & Cie, BDL, Grün Software Medien. These companies provide financial and/or strategic support to the association.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• European Magazine Media Association (EMMA): European-level federation representing magazine publishers across the EU; complements national associations like Deutsche Fachpresse and runs its own awards and policy work relevant to German B2B publishers operating internationally.
• MPA – The Association of Magazine Media: The principal US magazine media trade association; comparable role in advocacy, research (e.g., audience data), and industry events for American publishers, with some overlap in B2B/specialist media through adjacent organizations.
• Professional Publishers Association (PPA): UK trade association for professional and business-to-business publishers; structurally very similar to Deutsche Fachpresse — sector representation, awards, events and training for B2B media — but focused on the UK market rather than DACH.

Others

• FIPP – Global Media Alliance: Global trade body for the magazine and B2B media industry; offers international networking, awards and research that are complementary to Deutsche Fachpresse's domestic DACH focus rather than directly competitive.
• INMA – International News Media Association: Global association for news publishers covering subscriptions, advertising and reader revenue; thematic overlap with Deutsche Fachpresse via the Subscription Tour program and digital subscription benchmarking work.

Direct peers

• Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels: The other founding Träger of Deutsche Fachpresse; a German publishing industry body whose IG Fachmedien interest group has an almost identical constituency to Deutsche Fachpresse, providing political and industry representation that overlaps with the association's remit.
• VDZ – Verband Deutscher Zeitschriftenverleger: The German magazine publishers trade association; like Deutsche Fachpresse it represents German publishers, runs sector events and awards, and publishes industry data, but VDZ's remit is broader (consumer magazines) whereas Deutsche Fachpresse focuses on B2B/Fachmedien.
• MVFP Medienverband der freien Presse: One of Deutsche Fachpresse's two founding Träger organizations; a German media industry association representing publishers with a specialist media constituency that overlaps significantly with Deutsche Fachpresse's membership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fachpresse_de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verein-deutsche-fachpresse

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 Deutsche Fachpresse