degefest

What degefest does

degefest e.V. (full legal name: degefest – Verband der Kongress- und Seminarwirtschaft e.V.) is a registered German non-profit professional association (Fachverband) founded in 1984 and headquartered in Oberhausen, Germany (registered at Amtsgericht Duisburg, VR 5242). It serves as the leading independent interest representative for the German MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) industry, with a member base spanning conference and event venues, hotels with conference facilities, cultural and congress centers, caterers, event organizers, and event technology/service providers across Germany.

The association's core offerings fall into three categories. First, member services include annual membership dues providing access to the Tagungsstättenprüfung venue certification, the degefest-TrendAnalysen annual research publications (e.g., 2026 cybersecurity analysis), the degefest-Ratgeber knowledge products (e.g., €19.50 sustainability guide), and a monthly newsletter distributed via Sendinblue. Second, professional services are delivered through degefest Institut GmbH, the wholly-owned consulting subsidiary, offering venue inspection/certification, Train-the-Trainer consulting, and sustainability advisory aligned with the German Sustainability Code (DNK). Third, events include the flagship annual degefest-Fachtage (2026 record attendance at Jugendstil-Festhalle Landau; 2027 at Philharmonie Essen), the Fachbereichstreffen specialist group meetings (e.g., Tagungsgastronomie at Waldschlößle Fellbach), and a community stand at BOE International (Messe Dortmund). Technology use is limited to standard association infrastructure (WordPress/All-Inkl, Sendinblue, Google Analytics).

The business model is a hybrid of recurring subscription revenue (membership dues), professional services fees (degefest Institut GmbH), and event-based revenue (Fachtage, BOE presence). Distribution is direct, domestic-only, and event-driven, supported by an elected honorary board (Chairman Jörn Raith, Deputy Markus Brandt, Treasurer Dirk-James Annas) and a small professional secretariat (Head of Office Jutta Schneider-Raith plus Celine Gürtler from August 2026). Revenue and member counts are not publicly disclosed.

Name

degefest

Legal name

degefest – Verband der Kongress- und Seminarwirtschaft e.V.

Website

https://degefest.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

degefest e.V. is a German non-profit professional association founded in 1984, representing the country's MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) industry. It serves conference venues, hotels, caterers, and event service providers through membership services, consulting via its subsidiary degefest Institut GmbH, venue certification, research publications, and annual industry events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK), Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

Keywords

• MICE industry association
• Venue certification services
• Sustainability consulting
• Event industry networking
• Trade fair participation

Headquarters

HQ city

Oberhausen

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: Annual membership fees from venue operators, hotels, caterers, event service providers, and other MICE-sector businesses. Membership includes access to services such as the Tagungsstättenprüfung (venue inspection/certification), consulting via degefest Institut GmbH, publications (degefest-Ratgeber, TrendAnalysen), events, and networking.
2. degefest Institut GmbH – Consulting & Training: The wholly-owned consulting subsidiary offers professional services including consulting, training based on the 'Train-the-Trainer' principle, and venue inspection (Tagungsstättenprüfung). Revenue generated from consulting engagements and certification/inspection fees.
3. Publications & Knowledge Products: Sale of specialized publications including the degefest-Ratgeber on sustainability management (19.50€ per PDF), authored by Jörn Raith and Gerhard Hötger. TrendAnalyses on current industry topics are distributed free to members and sold to non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

degefest e.V. – Verband der Kongress- und Seminarwirtschaft is a German professional association for the congress and seminar economy (MICE sector). It delivers membership-based services including industry representation, venue inspection and certification (Tagungsstättenprüfung), professional consulting and training through its wholly-owned subsidiary degefest Institut GmbH, sustainability advisory aligned with ESG principles, industry publications and trend analyses (degefest-TrendAnalysen, degefest-Ratgeber), and flagship events including the annual degefest-Fachtage conference and Fachbereichstreffen specialist group meetings.

Product overview

degefest e.V. operates as a professional association for the German congress and seminar industry (MICE sector), offering a portfolio of event-based products and professional services. The core offerings include the annual degefest-Fachtage conference, specialized Fachbereichstreffen sector meetings, and the Tagungsstättenprüfung venue certification service. The association provides consulting services through degefest Institut GmbH, sustainability advisory aligned with ESG principles, and publishes authoritative guides including the Nachhaltigkeits-Ratgeber on sustainability management. Additional services include a member directory and access to the degefest-TrendAnalysen research publications developed by the Scientific Advisory Board.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• degefest Membership (Mitgliedschaft) Annual membership in the German professional association for the congress and seminar economy, providing industry representation, access to Tagungsstättenprüfung, publications, TrendAnalysen, degefest-Fachtage participation, Fachbereichstreffen networking, and consulting via degefest Institut GmbH.
• degefest-Fachtage Annual flagship MICE industry conference and trade show for the German congress and seminar sector, featuring workshops, keynotes, and networking opportunities for venues, hotels, caterers, and service providers.
• Fachbereichstreffen Specialized sector meetings and working-group gatherings for different MICE industry segments (e.g., conference gastronomy), enabling focused peer exchange among member professionals.
• Tagungsstättenprüfung Proprietary venue inspection and certification service that evaluates and certifies conference and event venues against degefest quality standards.
• Consulting: degefest Institut GmbH Professional consulting and training services for the conference and seminar industry, including venue management and operational optimization, delivered by the wholly-owned subsidiary degefest Institut GmbH on a Train-the-Trainer basis.
• Nachhaltigkeits-Beratung Sustainability consulting services helping conference and event venues implement ESG principles, including workshops, advisory engagements, and collaboration with the German Sustainability Code (DNK).
• degefest-TrendAnalysen Annual trend studies and analyses published by the degefest Scientific Advisory Board, providing research-based working materials on current MICE industry topics such as cybersecurity, ESG, and service quality; free for members and sold to non-members.
• degefest-Ratgeber Nachhaltigkeit Specialized guide on establishing sustainability management systems in conference and event venues, authored by industry experts Jörn Raith and Gerhard Hötger, priced at 19.50€ per PDF.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual TrendAnalysis publications provide benchmarking data on key industry topics including cybersecurity, sustainability (ESG), and service quality.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BOE International / Westfalenhallen DortmundcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026degefest participates as a partner at BOE International (Best of Events), the leading trade fair for the event industry in Germany held at Westfalenhallen Dortmund. degefest operates a community stand (Gemeinschaftsstand) in Hall 7, offering members a platform to showcase their venues and services. The partnership was active in 2026 and renewed for 2027.
• Smartville.digitalminorMedienpartnerSmartville.digital is a media partner that reports on international trade fair and congress economics and degefest activities. It provides flexible, fast news publication services for the MICE industry in the DACH region.
• memo-media Verlags-GmbHminorMedienpartnermemo-media is a media partner publishing the Eventbranchenbuch (industry directory), the showcases magazine, and the Eventmoods collected publication. It serves event planners with a database of over 21,000 providers and reaches 36,000 newsletter subscribers monthly.
• BTA Verlags- und Medienservice (EVENTLOCATIONS)minorMedienpartnerBTA publishes the Handbuch EVENTLOCATIONS (annual glossy catalogue and e-catalogue), the EVENTLOCATIONS newsletter (6x/year), the eventlocations intermezzo magazine, and maintains an online portal for event planners.
• mep – Die Fachzeitschrift für's MICE-BusinessminorMedienpartnermep is a bimonthly trade magazine covering news, topics, and trends in the events industry with a focus on destinations, locations, conference hotels, framework programs, and associations. It has a circulation of 9,800 copies.
• working@office – Magazin für professionelles Office-ManagementminorMedienpartnerworking@office is a leading trade magazine for professional office management in the DACH region, covering event & travel management, executive assistance, and career development. It reaches administrative professionals who are key decision-makers for event bookings.
• Best of HR – Berufebilder.de®minorMedienpartnerBest of HR publishes 4 e-magazines and 1 Best-of-Edition on Bleisure-Travel and Business-Lifestyle. degefest members receive free access to all e-magazines. The publisher has been active for over 20 years.
• VDVO – Verband der Veranstaltungsorganisatoren e.V.coreOthersVDVO is a Verbandspartner (association partner) representing event organizers with around 600 planners and service providers in its network. It operates regional networking groups (Netzwerkstatt), Mastermind groups, the ITB MICE DAY congress, and a Start-Up Messe (Captain Mice Future). It offers over 100 training events per year.
• VCH – Verband Christlicher HoteliersminorOthersVCH is an association partner representing around 60 hotels in Germany and neighboring European countries under Christian hospitality traditions. Members include city, holiday, spa, and conference hotels, many in church or charitable ownership.
• Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus e.V.minorOthersListed as a national link-tip partner; DZT promotes Germany internationally as a tourism destination, which complements degefest's work promoting German conference and seminar venues.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EVVC – Europäischer Veranstaltungsverband der Veranstaltungs-Centren: European association for event and congress centers. Directly comparable as both EVVC and degefest serve venue operators across Germany/Europe with certification, advocacy, and industry events, addressing overlapping member segments.
• GCB German Convention Bureau: Germany's national convention bureau promoting the country as a MICE destination. Directly comparable as both organizations represent German MICE stakeholders, run industry events, and produce market intelligence, though GCB focuses on destination promotion while degefest focuses on venue/supplier members.
• VDVO – Verband der Veranstaltungsorganisatoren e.V. German association for event organizers with ~600 planners. Listed as a Verbandspartner of degefest; serves overlapping MICE ecosystem from the planner side, making it both a partner and a directly comparable professional association.
• VCH – Verband Christlicher Hoteliers: German association for ~60 Christian-led hotels including conference hotels. Listed as a Verbandspartner of degefest; directly comparable as both are small German membership associations serving hotels with MICE capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• ICCA – International Congress and Convention Association: Global association for the international meetings industry with a much larger footprint. Comparable as both serve MICE associations/venues and run congress rankings, but ICCA operates globally and offers broader advocacy and data services.
• MPI – Meeting Professionals International: Global community for meeting and event professionals with education, certification (CMP), and chapter network. Comparable as both serve the MICE professional community with training, events, and thought leadership, though MPI is global and event-planner-focused.
• AIPC – International Association of Convention Centres: Global association for convention centre management. Comparable as both serve venue operators with industry standards, training, and networking, but AIPC focuses on large convention centers globally versus degefest's German venue breadth.
• PCMA – Professional Convention Management Association: North American-headquartered association for business event strategists. Comparable as both deliver education, certification, and industry events for MICE professionals, though PCMA's scale and North American focus make it a broader incumbent.

Emerging players

• VDR – Verband Deutsches Reisemanagement: German business travel association representing corporate travel managers. Comparable as both are German associations serving adjacent sides of corporate MICE spend, with VDR focused on buyer-side travel managers and degefest on supplier venues.
• IAPCO – International Association of Professional Congress Organizers: International association for professional congress organizers with quality standards and training. Comparable as both serve the professional congress/seminar market with standards and education, though IAPCO focuses on PCOs globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQRLz02L4Ail-wzbiQPvVLA
• Facebookfacebook.com/degefest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/degefest-verband-der-kongress-und-seminarwirtschaft-e-v

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 degefest