German trade fairs for Chinese exhibitors

The German fairs that matter, by industry

Chinese manufacturers exhibit at German fairs across many industries. Which show is right depends on what you sell and whom you want to meet: importers, distributors, OEM buyers or retail chains. A starting point:

Other important shows for Chinese manufacturers, such as bauma for construction machinery, K for plastics and interpack for packaging, only take place every few years. Check the cycle and the next date in the trade fair calendar.

Before the show: documents, compliance and IP

European buyers ask about compliance early. Depending on the product, that means CE marking, declarations of conformity, test reports, material data and, for food or cosmetics, registration and labelling. Have these documents ready in English, as PDFs on a tablet and as printed copies. A clear answer on the stand moves the conversation to the next step; “we will check” without a date often ends it.

Check your intellectual property as well. German trade fairs are a place where rights holders enforce trademarks, designs and patents, sometimes during the show itself. Make sure your products, names and designs do not conflict with protected rights in the EU, register your own where needed, and keep the documents at hand. Ask a lawyer with EU experience, and check the exhibitor manual or ask the organiser whether there is a procedure for IP disputes during the show.

Start the visa process as soon as the stand is confirmed; many organisers provide invitation letters for registered exhibitors. Our guide Visas and travel for German trade fairs explains the general process and where to find the official rules.

On the stand: people, language, meetings

Staff the stand with people who can talk to European buyers directly. English is the working language at international fairs; a German-speaking colleague or local distributor helps with smaller German companies. Put someone on the stand who can discuss prices, minimum order quantities and delivery terms, not only product specialists.

German buyers in particular tend to book meetings in advance, arrive on time and ask detailed technical questions. Send invitations with hall and stand number a few weeks before the show, and confirm them the day before. More on this in German trade fair culture.

Chinese companies often exhibit in group pavilions organised by provinces or industry associations. That makes organisation easier, but stands in a pavilion can look alike. Make your stand (booth) recognisable: one clear product focus, a readable English headline, good light, and a team that stands at the aisle rather than behind the counter.

Content for two audiences: European buyers and home

A German fair produces material for two very different audiences. European buyers and distributors need clean stand photos, product details and conversation photos for LinkedIn, the English website and follow-up emails, plus a short film in landscape format. For head office and the home market, on platforms such as WeChat, WeChat Channels, Douyin or Xiaohongshu, vertical 9:16 clips with Chinese captions work better than long films.

Plan both in one shoot. A useful shot list: the stand before opening, the team with the hall signage visible, conversations with European visitors (with their consent), product demonstrations, a short statement from the general manager, and the stand at a busy moment. The hall signage shows the audience at home where you were.

Our crew works in English, German, Arabic and Persian. We do not speak Chinese, but Chinese captions and subtitles can be provided through translation partners. Tell us when you book, and whether you need Simplified or Traditional characters, so translation and proofreading are planned. If your managers prefer to give interviews in Chinese, a colleague from your team can ask the questions while we handle camera, sound and edit. The workflow is described in Multilingual subtitles for show videos.

Delivery across time zones, invoice and payment

When a German show day ends in the early evening, it is already night in China. Pixer sends first selected photos on the same day and the complete edited set with the highlight video within 24 hours after the event ends. The first pictures are waiting when head office in Shenzhen, Shanghai or Ningbo starts work the next morning, while the fair is still running.

Prices are fixed: Basic €990 for two hours, Professional €1,490 for four hours and Full Day €1,990 for eight hours, each with edited photos, a highlight video and vertical clips. Companies from outside the EU, including China, are invoiced without German VAT. Unlimited usage rights are included, so distributors and head office can use the material without further licences. Details on Trade fair photographer Germany; an overview in Chinese is on our Chinese page.

The short version

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