An organiser-run event (in German: Eigenveranstaltung) is a trade fair that a venue company plans, markets and runs itself on its own grounds. Organiser and venue operator are the same company.
Many German venue companies are both operator and organiser. They develop fairs for particular industries, allocate the space and take care of visitor marketing and the supporting programme. Well-known examples are MEDICA by Messe Düsseldorf, Anuga by Koelnmesse, Ambiente by Messe Frankfurt and HANNOVER MESSE by Deutsche Messe.
The counterpart is the guest event, where an external organiser rents halls at the venue and runs its own fair there. Some organiser-run events are regarded as the leading trade fairs of their industry and take place in a fixed cycle.
At an organiser-run event everything comes from one source: registration, stand allocation, passes, technical guidelines, services and house rules. The exhibitor portal usually brings these topics together in one place, and the contacts know both the fair and the venue. Questions about stand construction, connections or passes do not need coordinating between two organisations, and deadlines and ordering routes are usually consistent.
Large organiser-run events often fill many or all of the halls on the grounds. For exhibitors that means registering early, long walks between entrance and stand (booth) and high demand for hotels during the show week. Plan travel and accommodation for your team early.
For photo and video, the venue company's rules apply. The exhibitor manual states which passes your crew needs and what is allowed outside your own stand.
We work regularly at the major German venues, from Düsseldorf, Cologne and Essen to Frankfurt, Hannover and Munich. At large organiser-run events we allow more time for getting around and are at the stand before the doors open to take the calm shots without visitors. Our office is right at Messe Essen, 30 seconds from the entrance, and for fairs in NRW travel is included in the price.
Exhibitors from abroad benefit from us being local: no crew that has to be flown in and no extra hotel rooms in a fully booked show week. The guide The largest trade fairs in Germany shows which fairs are the biggest.
At an organiser-run event, the venue company organises the fair itself. At a guest event, an external organiser rents halls and runs the fair.
The venue company's rules apply, as set out in the exhibitor manual. Shooting on your own stand is usually straightforward.
Send us the fair, dates and hall. We plan the shoot around your stand and deliver within 24 hours after the show ends.
We reply within 24 hours. During a show week, WhatsApp is fastest.
