German trade fairs for Italian exhibitors

Which German fairs fit Italian industries

For Italian companies, Germany is close: a short flight or a drive across the Alps, the same time zone, the same currency. That makes German fairs a natural extension of the Italian show calendar. The table lists German fairs for industries in which Italian exhibitors are typically active.

Several of these shows run every two years, and dates shift. Our trade fair calendar lists the next editions.

Photographing a design-led stand

Italian stands are often designed by architects, with carefully chosen materials, light and colours. The stand is part of the product story, and the photos should show your stand (booth) the way it was designed.

• Architecture before opening. The cleanest pictures of the stand are taken on the build-up day or early in the morning, with the lights on and the aisles empty. Our guide to using the build-up day explains the timing.
• Materials and details. Surfaces, joints, fabrics and finishes: close-ups show the quality that buyers cannot touch in a photo. Tell us which details matter most to your designers.
• Light as designed. We work with the stand lighting rather than against it and add light only where faces or products need it.
• People in the space. Once the show is open, conversations and visitors show that the stand works, not only that it looks good.

For wine and food, the same principle applies to tastings: bottles, labels, glasses and the producer's hands tell the story better than a wide shot of a busy counter.

Language: English handling, subtitles in English and German

At Pixer we handle the job in English or German: briefing, coordination on the stand, interviews and approval. You are welcome to write to us in Italian; we reply in English or German, and coordination on the stand works without difficulty. Our Italian page summarises our services for colleagues at head office. Companies from South Tyrol often work in German anyway.

For interviews, that suggests a simple plan:

• English for international buyers and LinkedIn.
• German if a colleague or your German agent speaks it well, for buyers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
• Italian for the founder or designer who tells the story best in their own language. A colleague from your team asks the questions while we handle camera, light and sound.

English and German subtitles are standard. For an Italian transcript or Italian subtitles, tell us when you book, and have a native speaker from your team read every Italian text before publication.

Content for Italy and for the German-speaking market

Italy and Germany share a time zone, so there is no time difference to plan around. What matters is that one show produces material for two markets at once:

Many Italian manufacturers sell through agent networks in German-speaking markets. Photos and clips from the show give these agents fresh material for their customer visits in the weeks after the fair. The edited highlight video follows within 24 hours after the show ends. Our guide to material for distributors covers how to package it.

Invoicing: reverse charge with your VAT ID

Italy is in the EU, so our invoice to your Italian company is issued without German VAT under the reverse charge. You account for the VAT in Italy, as with any service from another EU country. For this we need:

• the full company name and address as registered;
• your VAT number (partita IVA) with the IT prefix, which must be valid in the EU's VIES system;
• the contact in your administration who receives the invoice.

If no valid VAT ID can be given, for example because a consortium or association without VAT registration books, the reverse charge cannot be applied and German VAT is usually charged. Clarify who books before you confirm, especially for collective stands organised by a regional agency or trade promotion body. Your accountant will know how invoices from EU suppliers are recorded in Italy.

Our prices are fixed: Trade Fair Basic €990, Professional €1,490 and Full Day €1,990, plus VAT where it applies. Two revision rounds and unlimited usage rights are included.

Local crew or your own photographer from Italy

Because Germany is close, some Italian companies bring their own photographer. That can work, but compare the full picture: travel, hotel nights in a show week, equipment transport, passes and the question of who edits the video overnight. A local crew knows the halls, the light and the organisers' procedures, and delivers within 24 hours after the show ends.

Travel within NRW is included, which covers ProWein and boot in Düsseldorf as well as imm cologne, interzum and Anuga in Cologne. For other German cities, travel is quoted once per trip and shared between exhibitors of the same show week. If you also exhibit at a fair in Italy, see our page on trade fair photography in Italy.

The short version

Related guides and services

Common questions