A trade fair takes place on private grounds under the organiser's house rules. Who may photograph or film, which passes your crew needs and what is allowed beyond your stand is in the exhibitor manual. Here is where to look. Not legal advice.
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A trade fair takes place on private property. The organiser and the venue company exercise the house rules there and set out what is allowed in the terms of participation, the technical guidelines and the exhibitor manual. When you book your stand you accept these rules, and as a rule you are also responsible for making sure your service providers follow them, including your photographer and videographer.
On your own stand you have plenty of room within those rules. In the aisles, in other halls, on stages and in the entrance areas, the organiser decides. The rules differ from one show to the next and sometimes from one year to the next. Exhibitors who fly in for several fairs a year often assume that what worked in Dubai or Paris works in Düsseldorf. Do not rely on that; read the current edition of the manual for this show.
This guide is practical guidance, not legal advice. For questions about the rules, the organiser's exhibitor service is the right contact; for legal questions, your legal team.
Exhibitor manuals are long, and the parts that matter for photo and video are often spread across several chapters. Search for terms such as photography, filming, recording, service providers, passes and technical guidelines. Clarify these points:
If you find nothing on a point, ask the exhibitor service in writing. An answer by email is worth more on the show day than something said on the phone, because you can show it to hall staff.
Without a valid pass, the crew does not get into the hall, at least not before opening and not with equipment. Depending on the organiser, these are the usual routes:
Press accreditation is meant for journalists reporting editorially. For a photographer you have hired, it is not the right route. More on this in our guide to photographer accreditation.
Allow two to three weeks before the show for passes. If they are personalised, you need the crew's full names. At Pixer we give you the names early, so you can order all passes in one go. If your stand (booth) is part of a national pavilion, passes and registrations are often handled by the pavilion organiser, so ask them first.
For a show film, pictures from outside your stand are valuable: the entrance, hall signs, busy aisles, a view across the hall. These shots are not automatically allowed.
One principle applies everywhere: anyone who blocks walkways or emergency exits can expect to be approached by hall staff, whatever pass they carry.
The crew should know your stand team and who makes decisions on the show day. One contact person with a phone number solves most questions before they become problems.
The principles above apply everywhere, but each venue company sets its own details. In October 2026 we checked the house rules, terms and information sheets that the major German venues publish on their websites. The table shows what they say about recording your own stand, working outside opening hours and drones, with the document and its date.
| Venue | Own stand during opening hours | Outside opening hours | Drones | Source/date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messe Düsseldorf | Photo and film allowed on the grounds and in the halls within the law (GDPR, personality rights). Do not disturb visitors, keep escape routes clear. Exhibitors may declare a marked photo and film ban for their own stand. | Shooting your own stand needs a paid special permit from the security control centre next to Gate 2: ID card and a written order from the stand holder, valid for one day until midnight. | only with special permission | House rules 03/2026 and exhibitor leaflet, March 2026 |
| Koelnmesse | Commercial photo, film and video need prior written permission from Koelnmesse. Other stands, products and people need the written permission of the rights holder. | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | House and ground regulations, September 2020 |
| Messe Essen | Commercial photo, film, video and audio recording, especially of stands and exhibits, is prohibited. Exceptions need written permission from Messe Essen GmbH. | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | House and usage regulations, 5 February 2020 |
| Messe Dortmund (Westfalenhallen) | Commercial image recording only by people the organiser has admitted, with a valid pass. | Stand shoots that need special lighting require prior consent; the exhibitor pays the costs. | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | General terms for its own fairs, April 2025. At guest events, the organiser’s rules apply. |
| Messe Frankfurt | Recordings must respect personality, trademark and design rights and the house rights of venue, organiser and exhibitors. Posted photo bans, especially on stands, must be observed. Organisers may add rules. | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | House rules, June 2025 |
| Deutsche Messe Hannover | Commercial photo, film and online productions need prior written permission. Exempt: productions that exhibitors run on their own stand, themselves or through a commissioned third party. | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | only with prior written consent | House and grounds regulations, July 2025 |
| Messe Berlin | Commercial photo, film, video and audio recording, especially of stands and exhibits, only with prior written permission from Messe Berlin. | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | House rules, January 2016 (copy dated April 2024) |
| Messe München | No permit needed during exhibitor opening hours (stand area only, not the aisles) or during official build-up and dismantling. Only your own stand and exhibits may be recorded. The crew enters on exhibitor passes, or during visitor hours on day tickets or visitor vouchers. | At night only with a permit from the 24-hour Security Center at Gate 1, obtained in person; a commissioned crew brings the exhibitor’s written order. According to the info sheet (September 2026) €80 incl. VAT per exhibitor or order; an escort guard is mandatory (form 9.1, minimum 4.5 hours). | banned everywhere, at all times | Info sheet on photo and film permits, September 2026 |
| Messe Stuttgart | Commercial photo and video only with prior written permission (house rules 5.8). The exhibitor signs the “Bestätigung für Fotografie- und Videoaufnahmen” (confirmation for photo and video recording); the photographer registers at the main security office at Gate 1 or at the info desk at Entrance East or West. Only the named stand and the area directly next to it; aisles stay clear. Lighting runs on the exhibitor’s power; hall lighting may not be switched on. | A paid guard is required, ordered at least one week ahead via the service portal; according to the form (dated 02.2019) €29 per hour plus €6. | not allowed | House rules section 5.8, confirmation form, guard order form dated 02.2019 |
| NürnbergMesse | Paid photo and film jobs on the stand only for providers approved by the organiser, with a pass (general terms § 15). An external photographer needs a paid special permit, applied for at least 21 days before the show; video included. Book early. | Only the approved providers may work before and after opening hours. | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | General terms § 15 and service information, checked October 2026. Show-specific terms may differ. |
| Hamburg Messe | Photography in the halls is generally allowed. Commercial photo and video need the prior consent of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC); other stands only with that exhibitor’s consent. HMC records the show itself and posts notices about it. | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | General terms 17.2 and 17.3, checked October 2026 |
| Messe Friedrichshafen | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | Terms of participation and exhibitor manual of the show, checked October 2026 |
| Leipziger Messe | Photo, video and audio recording of stands or exhibits only with prior permission of the entitled party, that is Leipziger Messe or the exhibitor. | no general rule found – check the exhibitor manual | drones and model aircraft banned | House rules, checked October 2026 |
These are the venues’ general house rules. The organiser of an individual show can add stricter rules, and fees, deadlines and forms change. Check the current exhibitor manual before every show and settle open points in writing. This is practical guidance, not legal advice.
Once more: this is practical guidance, not legal advice. The binding rules are in the exhibitor manual for your show, and they take priority over anything you know from other events or other countries.
The organiser decides who may photograph and film on the grounds.
Read the current edition: photo, film, service providers, passes, equipment.
Exhibitor or service passes, ordered in good time and with full names.
Press accreditation is for journalists, not for photographers you hire.
Recording the official programme only with consent from the organiser and speakers.
Send open questions to the exhibitor service by email and bring the answer.
Usually yes, within the organiser's rules. Check the exhibitor manual to see whether external photographers have to be registered and which passes they need.
No. Press accreditation is meant for journalists. A photographer you hire usually enters the grounds with an exhibitor or service pass.
Allow two to three weeks before the show. Shortly before opening, online shops and the exhibitor service are very busy, and follow-up questions take time, especially across time zones.
If the stage is part of the organiser's programme, you need the organiser's consent. Ask early and clarify at the same time what you may use the footage for.
The consequences are set out in the organiser's terms of participation. In the simplest case the crew is asked to stop recording. Avoid the risk by clarifying open points in writing beforehand.
The house rules do not distinguish between cameras. What applies to the crew also applies to your team filming with phones, especially outside your own stand.
Want passes and rules sorted before the show day? Tell us the fair and the dates, and we will agree access, times and recording locations with you.
We reply within 24 hours. During a show week, WhatsApp is fastest.
