Schall Messen

What Schall Messen does

Schall Messen (legally P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG) is a private, family-owned German trade fair organizer founded in 1962 by Paul Eberhard Schall in Frickenhausen, Baden-Württemberg, and currently led by Managing Director Bettina Schall. The company develops and operates a portfolio of eight internationally recognized industrial B2B trade fairs: Control (quality assurance, since 1983), Optatec (optical technologies, since 2007), Stanztec (stamping technology), Motek (production and assembly automation, since 1982), Bondexpo (adhesive technology), Fakuma (plastics processing, since 1981), Blechexpo (sheet metal processing), and Schweisstec (joining technology). These events are hosted at major German exhibition venues including Messe Stuttgart (partnership extended to 2030), Messe Friedrichshafen (renewed November 2025), Frankfurt Exhibition Centre, and Congress Centrum Pforzheim. The Schall Group additionally includes wholly-owned subsidiary Messe Sinsheim GmbH (founded 1989), which operates consumer-oriented public exhibitions including Faszination Modellbau, Faszination Modellbahn, Echtdampf-Hallentreffen, and the International Model Railway Exhibition (IMA).

The company's underlying business is the curation of recurring physical B2B marketplaces that connect industrial manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers with professional trade visitors in specialized vertical sectors. Schall's core technology is its trade fair organization platform, supported by advisory boards of industry leaders (including TRUMPF, Andritz Kaiser, Werth Messtechnik, and ARBURG), long-tenured exhibitor relationships spanning four decades, dedicated trade fair websites per event, a Mailjet-based newsletter system, and a LinkedIn presence. The company produces complementary formats including the best-Award innovation prize at Blechexpo/Schweisstec and the Control Expert Days specialist conference.

Schall generates revenue by renting exhibition space and providing event infrastructure to exhibitors across its fair portfolio. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base spans enterprise industrial firms (TRUMPF with 16,000+ employees, ARBURG with 3,400 employees, Satisloh, Andritz Kaiser, Werth Messtechnik with 350+ employees and 10,000+ installed machines globally) and mid-market automation specialists (IEF Werner, KMT Produktions- und Montage-Technik, Föhrenbach Positionier-Systeme, URT Utz Ratio Technik). Exhibitor mix is international, with nearly half of Control exhibitors and approximately 60% of Optatec exhibitors traveling from abroad. The company has remained family-owned throughout its six decades with no disclosed external institutional investment.

Name

Schall Messen

Legal name

P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://schall-messen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schall Messen is a private, family-owned German trade fair organizer founded in 1962 that operates eight internationally recognized industrial B2B fairs (including Fakuma, Motek, Control, and Blechexpo) at venues such as Messe Stuttgart and Messe Friedrichshafen, serving industrial manufacturers, suppliers, and trade visitors across specialized vertical sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Fair and Exhibition Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Manufacturing, Industrial Equipment & Automation Shows Organizers (THAHABAF)

Keywords

• Industrial trade fairs
• B2B exhibition organization
• Quality assurance events
• Plastics processing fairs
• Automation trade shows

Headquarters

HQ city

Frickenhausen

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Trade Fair Organization and Hosting: Schall generates revenue by organizing and hosting international B2B trade fairs. Exhibitors pay to rent exhibition space and participate in industry-specific trade fairs. The company provides the event platform connecting exhibitors with trade visitors, operating trade fairs across eight industrial sectors at major German exhibition venues.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schall Messen organizes and hosts international B2B trade fairs across eight specialized industrial sectors: quality assurance (Control), optical technologies (Optatec), stamping technology (Stanztec), production and assembly automation (Motek), adhesive technology (Bondexpo), plastics processing (Fakuma), sheet metal working (Blechexpo), and joining technology (Schweisstec). The company provides physical exhibition venues at Messe Stuttgart, Messe Friedrichshafen, Frankfurt, and Pforzheim, bringing manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, and end-users together for direct exchange. Schall also operates the Messe Sinsheim subsidiary, which runs consumer-facing hobby and model-building exhibitions.

Product overview

Schall Messen (P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG) is a private trade fair organizer founded in 1962 and headquartered in Frickenhausen, Germany, led by Managing Director Bettina Schall. The company operates a portfolio of internationally recognized B2B trade fairs for industrial sectors: Control (quality assurance), Optatec (optical technologies), Stanztec (stamping technology), Motek (production and assembly automation), Bondexpo (adhesive technology), Fakuma (plastics processing), Blechexpo (sheet metal processing), and Schweisstec (joining technology). These events are held at venues including Messe Stuttgart, Messe Friedrichshafen, and CCP Congress Centrum Pforzheim. The Schall Group also includes subsidiary Messe Sinsheim, which organizes public exhibitions including the International Model Railway Exhibition (IMA), Echtdampf-Hallentreffen, and Faszination Modellbau/Faszination Modellbahn. The portfolio also features the best-Award innovation prize at Blechexpo/Schweisstec and the Control Expert Days specialist conference. The company partners with Messe Stuttgart through a contract extended to 2030.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Control: International trade fair for quality assurance
• Optatec
• Stanztec
• Motek
• Bondexpo
• Fakuma
• Blechexpo
• Schweisstec

Products and services

• Control International trade fair for quality assurance, showcasing vision technologies, image processing, sensor technology, and measuring and test technology solutions for industrial buyers and exhibitors in the QA sector.
• Optatec International trade fair for optical technologies, components, and systems, serving manufacturers and users in optotechnology, image processing, and modern manufacturing. Held at the Exhibition Centre Frankfurt/Main.
• Stanztec International trade fair for stamping technology, focused on stamping and forming technology with high-end solutions for the expert community. Held at Congress Centrum Pforzheim.
• Motek International trade fair for production and assembly automation, covering the complete process chain from components and subsystems to complete systems. Held at Messe Stuttgart.
• Bondexpo International trade fair for adhesive technology, held alongside Motek to address bonding solutions within the production automation ecosystem. Held at Messe Stuttgart.
• Fakuma International trade fair for plastics processing, featuring injection molding technology, extrusion, thermoforming, 3D printing, and recycling solutions. Held at Messe Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, with nearly 1,700 exhibitors in the 2023 and 2024 editions.
• Blechexpo International trade fair for sheet metal processing, held biennially at Messe Stuttgart alongside Schweisstec, showcasing industrial processing of sheet metal, pipe, and profiles.
• Schweisstec International trade fair for joining technology, held concurrently with Blechexpo at Messe Stuttgart, covering welding and joining solutions.

Named customers9 records

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Messe FriedrichshafencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 November 2025Schall organizes the Fakuma trade fair (international trade fair for plastics processing) at Messe Friedrichshafen. The partnership was renewed in November 2025. Fakuma is held annually at Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance.
• Messe StuttgartflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 June 2023Schall and Messe Stuttgart have a long-standing partnership that was extended until 2030. Schall organizes Blechexpo, Schweisstec, Control, Motek, and Bondexpo at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre. This partnership has significant economic importance for the Stuttgart region, attracting international exhibitors and visitors and strengthening the regional economy.
• Messe Sinsheim (Schall Group)coreOthersMesse Sinsheim is part of the Schall Group. Founded in 1989 by Paul E. Schall, it hosts technically oriented public trade fairs of national and international rank, particularly in the world of model building miniatures.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Hyve Group: UK-headquartered B2B events organizer running industry-focused exhibitions. Comparable business model to Schall in specialized B2B trade fairs but with a more international footprint and portfolio that overlaps Schall's industrial verticals.

Direct peers

• NürnbergMesse: Organizes international B2B trade fairs including Spielwarenmesse, BrauBeviale, and embedded world. Similar business model to Schall, with comparable scale and a portfolio of specialized B2B exhibitions across consumer and industrial sectors.
• Koelnmesse: Cologne-based trade fair organizer running Anuga, gamescom, spoga+gafa, and ISM. Operates a similar B2B trade fair business model anchored at a major German exhibition venue with international exhibitor participation.
• Messe Düsseldorf: German trade fair organizer operating major B2B events including drupa, K, Medica, and interpack. Directly comparable to Schall in organizing industry-specific international B2B trade fairs with strong exhibitor communities at major German venues.
• Deutsche Messe (Hannover): Operates HANNOVER MESSE, Ligna, and CeMAT — leading industrial B2B trade fairs. Directly comparable to Schall in industrial automation, manufacturing, and capital-goods event organization, with strong overlap in target exhibitor segments.
• Messe München: Operates world-leading B2B trade fairs including Bauma, IFAT, and electronica. Comparable to Schall in organizing specialized international B2B industrial exhibitions, particularly overlapping in industrial automation, manufacturing technology, and capital goods.
• Messe Frankfurt: One of the world's largest trade fair organizers, headquartered in Frankfurt. Operates a global portfolio of B2B trade fairs (Ambiente, Light + Building, Automechanika, ISH) and shares Schall's core business model of organizing specialized B2B exhibitions at premium German venues, though at much larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• GL Events: French-headquartered global events organizer operating trade fairs, conventions, and venue management. Comparable to Schall in B2B trade fair organization, with broader geographic spread across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
• Informa Markets: Global B2B events and exhibitions division of Informa plc, running hundreds of trade shows worldwide. Operates the same B2B trade fair organization model as Schall but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• RX (Reed Exhibitions): Global B2B exhibition organizer running major events across multiple industries worldwide. Directly comparable business model to Schall but with a much larger, internationally diversified portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schall-messen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Schall Messen