In brief
Koelnmesse offers around 290,000 sqm of hall space in 11 halls and is one of Europe's major exhibition venues. Its best-known fairs in Cologne include Anuga, gamescom, imm cologne, interzum and IDS. EXFAIR is on site with its project management and plans system stands and custom builds for Koelnmesse, including setup, dismantling, logistics and storage.
Koelnmesse at a glance
Koelnmesse organises around 80 trade fairs and events a year in Cologne and worldwide; around 2.5 million visitors are reported for 2025. The leading international fairs on the Cologne site include Anuga (food and beverages), gamescom (games and entertainment), imm cologne (furniture), interzum (furniture production and interior design), IDS (dental), Spoga+Gafa (garden), FSB (sports facilities) and ISM (sweets), as well as ProSweets.
The grounds at Messeplatz 1, 50679 Köln, are directly next to Köln Messe/Deutz station, which is served by ICE and regional trains. The city centre is a few minutes away by U-Bahn; by car, the venue is reached via the A4 and A3, exit Köln-Messe. Parking is available directly on site.
Key points for an exhibition stand at Koelnmesse
- Approval and deadlines: Single-storey standard stands that comply with the Technical Guidelines generally need no approval. Two-storey stands, special constructions and structures above the hall-specific building heights must be submitted with dimensioned drawings at least 6 weeks before build-up starts.
- Rear walls: Rear walls above 2.50 m must be finished neutrally towards neighbouring stands.
- Lead time: Allow approx. 4–8 weeks for system stands and 8–24 weeks for custom builds, depending on scope. For Anuga and gamescom, it pays to start particularly early.
- Storage: After the fair, EXFAIR stores the stand in Villingen-Schwenningen. It is then ready for the next exhibition without being rebuilt.
Last updated: October 2026. Prices and lead times are guide values; the written quote is binding.
Stand construction for Koelnmesse: EXFAIR plans and builds exhibition stands for exhibitors from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the rest of Europe.
Services from a single source
EXFAIR develops custom exhibition stands for every hall at Koelnmesse. These include system stands, LED light walls, two-storey custom builds, show kitchens for Anuga exhibitors and gaming stages with media technology. Production takes place in our own facility; setup, dismantling, storage and logistics are also handled by EXFAIR.
How a trade fair project with EXFAIR works – from concept and assembly to storage – is explained on our page Exhibition stand construction in Germany.
References at Koelnmesse
EXFAIR has worked in exhibition stand construction since 1987. At Koelnmesse, EXFAIR has completed projects including this exhibition stand:
More exhibition stands can be found in our project overview.
Exhibition stands in Köln – with on-site project management
Planned and produced in Villingen-Schwenningen, delivered at the venue in Köln: during set-up our project management is on site, acts as site manager and leads the installation. On request, someone from EXFAIR is also available during the fair.
Briefings and coordination take place at your premises or online. Transport, travel and installation are either itemised in the quote or included in the total price; prices may vary by venue.
Is EXFAIR also on site in Köln?
Yes. EXFAIR builds exhibition stands at all major trade fair venues in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. During set-up at Koelnmesse, our project management is on site and leads the installation; on request, someone from EXFAIR is also available during the fair.
Stand building for the EUROBAUSTOFF Forum
For the EUROBAUSTOFF Forum in Cologne, the annual conference of Germany's largest building materials trade association, EXFAIR has built this exhibition stand:
- GUTEX: system stand with 30 sqm, fabric-covered walls, LED-lit rear walls and a counter module
For exhibitors from abroad
Companies from Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Italy and other European countries engage EXFAIR as their local German stand builder. For Koelnmesse, EXFAIR handles compliant planning, coordination with the organiser, setup, dismantling and logistics, so that nothing has to be coordinated from abroad.
Arriving from abroad: From Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) by S-Bahn S13/S19 in about 15 minutes to Köln Messe/Deutz station right next to the grounds; from Düsseldorf Airport in about 35 minutes.
For companies from these countries we have dedicated guides covering entry, customs, power, tax and timeline:
- Exhibitors from Australia – typical fairs here: Anuga
- Exhibitors from Belgium – typical fairs here: Anuga
- Exhibitors from Brazil – typical fairs here: Anuga
- Exhibitors from France – typical fairs here: Anuga
- Exhibitors from Italy – typical fairs here: Anuga
- Exhibitors from Canada – typical fairs here: Anuga
- Exhibitors from Poland – typical fairs here: Anuga
- Exhibitors from Spain – typical fairs here: Anuga
- Exhibitors from Turkey – typical fairs here: Anuga
A neutral overview for exhibitors at Koelnmesse, with a trade fair calendar, the leading fairs in detail and a comparison of fixed-price and custom stand construction, is available at Trade Show Booth in Cologne.