In addition to global and regional venue capacity data, the report details 22 global markets with over 300,000 square metres (sqm) of gross indoor exhibition space.
Kai Hattendorf, UFI CEO, says: “Exhibition venues are key drivers of the development of our industry globally. The 2024 World Map of Exhibition Venues offers unparalleled insight into the scale and distribution of this vital resource. This is helping industry professionals make informed decisions in an ever-changing global landscape. As a forward-looking indicator, venue developments are investments into future exhibition business. With this in mind, one key development is that Asia-Pacific now offers more total venue space than Europe – for the first time since UFI began tracking venue sizes.”
Jochen Witt, President and CEO of jwc GmbH notes: “The growth in venue capacity worldwide underscores the resilience and adaptability of the exhibition industry. This report tracks this growth and highlights emerging markets and infrastructure investments shaping the future of exhibitions on every continent.”
This global census covers all exhibition venues with a minimum of 5,000 sqm of gross indoor exhibition space at the end of the year 2023, and key highlights include:
- On a regional level, the Asia-Pacific region now accounts for 38.5% of global venue capacity, surpassing Europe (36.7%) for the first time. North America ranks third at 17.1%.
- On a country level, China continues to dominate globally, representing 31.3% of total venue capacity, followed by the USA (14.2%) and Germany (7.3%). Collectively, the top five markets (China, USA, Germany, Italy, and France) have grown by 1.1 percentage points to a new total of 63.5% of total space globally.
- Mega venues – facilities with over 100,000 sqm of indoor exhibition space – continue to grow in number, with 83 tracked globally. Europe retains a small lead here with 39 such venues, ahead of Asia-Pacific with 38. The remaining ones are North America (5) and the Middle East and Africa (1).
- For the first time, venues from Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast have been included in the report
The 2024 UFI World Map of Exhibition Venues covers the following markets: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, and the USA. These dedicated country profiles provide a deep dive into venue capacity and trends, offering valuable benchmarks for industry stakeholders.
The following organisations are thanked for their support with collecting data for this or previous editions of this research: ABEOC Brasil (Brazil), AEFI (Italy), AEV (United Kingdom), AFE (Spain), AFEP (Peru), AFIDA (Colombia), AIFEC (Colombia), AMEREF (Mexico), AMPROFEC (Mexico), APPCE (Panama), AOCA (Argentina), AUDOCA (Uruguay), AUMA (Germany), BDO (Portugal), BEIA (New Zealand), BSG (UFI/BSG Asia-Pacific report), CAEM (Canada), CENTREX (Central Europe), CLC VECTA (the Netherlands), EECA (Egypt), FAIRLINK (Scandinavia), FEBELUX (Belgium/Luxemburg), Malta Tourism Authority (Malta), MediaAudit (Finland), PCEI (Poland), Qatar Tourism (Qatar), Serbia Convention Bureau (Serbia), TFYD (Turkey), UBRAFE (Brazil) and UNIMEV (France).
Tags: Jochen Witt, jwc GmbH, Kai Hattendorf, UFI
