Global Exhibition Industry Data and Research Updates

Alsett News · Global Exhibitions & Events · Published November 2026 · Reporting period: major industry research released through 11 November 2026

Four research programmes still frame most serious discussion of the exhibition industry: UFI's Global Exhibition Barometer, the Events Industry Council study with Oxford Economics, the CEIR Index for U.S. B2B exhibitions, and AUMA's reporting on Germany. All four have published updates in 2026. None of the next major releases — the January 2027 UFI Barometer, the CEIR Index report covering full-year 2026, or AUMA's final 2026 statement — had appeared as of 11 November 2026. This article summarizes what is currently on the record.

Key Takeaways

• UFI's 37th Barometer (released 8 July 2026; survey concluded June 2026) found cooler growth expectations: 27% of companies expected revenue growth above 5%, 38% expected stable revenues, and 91% reported AI use (UFI).
• The Events Industry Council and Oxford Economics estimated $1.3 trillion in direct business-events spending in 2025, 12.2% above 2019 in nominal terms, and projected $1.6 trillion by 2028. These figures cover all business events, not exhibitions alone (Skift Meetings, 15 May 2026).
• The CEIR Index put the 2025 U.S. B2B exhibition Total Index at 93.6, 6.4% below 2019, and forecast 2.1% growth in 2026. The midyear report, released 21 October 2026, said the easy part of the recovery is over (IAEE; Exhibitor Online).
• AUMA reported a solid 2025 in Germany and a softer Q1 2026 forecast (exhibitors -2.3%, rented space -4.6%).
• The next UFI Barometer survey is due in December 2026, with results expected in January 2027.

The Global Picture: Business Events Versus Exhibitions

The EIC study is often quoted as if it were an exhibition-industry total. It is broader. It measures business events, including conferences, corporate meetings and incentives as well as trade shows. On that wider basis, 2025 participation reached 1.65 billion people, 1% above 2019, and direct spending of $1.3 trillion was 12.2% above 2019 in nominal terms. The study projects $1.6 trillion in direct spending and 10.4 million direct jobs by 2028.

UFI's own economic-impact work, produced with Oxford Economics and published in 2025 on 2024 activity, is the better source for exhibition-specific global totals. That study estimated 318 million visitors, 4.7 million exhibitors and 138.1 million net square metres sold, with direct spending of €150.0 billion ($162.3 billion) and a total output of €367.9 billion. Those are 2024-activity figures, not a 2026 update. (Source: UFI/OE 2025 report.)

Sentiment: The 37th UFI Barometer

The 37th Barometer is the latest global survey. It is based on 466 companies in 59 countries and regions and includes profiles for 20 markets. Besides the headline revenue expectations, UFI reported that the leading short-term business issue was the state of the economy in the home market (19%), while global economic developments led the mid-term (18%). The association said the situation in the Middle East had a limited direct impact at the time of the June survey: 14% of companies globally, and 10% outside the GCC, reported a strong negative effect.

On technology, UFI reported AI use at 91%, up 4 percentage points in six months. A trade analysis of the same survey found that 70% of respondents regularly used standard tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Midjourney, 17% had AI tools integrated into existing systems, 4% had developed their own algorithms, and 9% reported little or no AI use (IMWF Insider).

The United States: CEIR's 2026 Releases

The CEIR Index remains the standard measure of U.S. B2B exhibitions, using a geometric mean of net square footage, exhibitors, attendance and real revenue, with 2019 as the base year. The 2026 Index report, released in May, put the 2025 Total Index at 93.6 and forecast 2.1% growth for 2026. Four sectors were already above 2019: building, construction, home and repair; transportation; government; and industrial/heavy machinery.

The midyear report, prepared by Tourism Economics and released 21 October 2026, covered the first half of 2026. Its published headline findings were that the gap to 2019 is narrow and closing slowly, that quarterly readings move with the show calendar rather than with the cycle, and that "the easy part of the recovery is over." Detailed tables in the midyear report are sold by IAEE and are not reproduced here.

A full CEIR Index report covering calendar-year 2026 had not been published as of 11 November 2026.

Germany: AUMA's Latest Official Figures

AUMA's final 2025 statement (4 June 2026) counted 304 trade fairs, about 192,000 exhibitors (+0.7%) and more than 12.7 million visitors (+1.9%). International exhibitors accounted for 66% of the total. AUMA's Q1 2026 forecast, included in the same reporting cycle, showed exhibitors down 2.3% and rented space down 4.6%, with visitors up 0.9%. A final 2026 statement will not be due until after the year closes.

What to Watch Next

The research calendar now points to three releases that will update this picture:

1. The 38th UFI Barometer, survey in December 2026, results expected January 2027.
2. The next CEIR Index report covering full-year 2026 U.S. performance, typically published in the spring.
3. AUMA's final assessment of German trade fairs in 2026.

Until those documents appear, the figures in this article are the current official record.

FAQ

Has the January 2027 UFI Barometer been released? No. As of 11 November 2026, the latest edition is the 37th, published in July 2026. The next survey is scheduled for December 2026.

Do the $1.3 trillion and $1.6 trillion figures measure trade shows only? No. They are Events Industry Council estimates for all business events.

Is the U.S. exhibition industry back to 2019 levels? Not on the CEIR Total Index. The 2025 index was 6.4% below 2019, with a 2.1% growth forecast for 2026. Some individual sectors were already above 2019.

Conclusion

The best available 2026 research describes a recovered but slower industry, with global business-events spending above 2019 in nominal terms, U.S. exhibitions still slightly below the 2019 index, and German organizers warning of a softer 2026. Readers should wait for the early-2027 releases before treating any of these datasets as a verdict on the year ahead.

Related Reading

• Global Exhibition Industry Outlook for 2027
• CEIR 2026 Midyear Report: What It Means for U.S. Shows
• How to Read Exhibition Attendance, Capacity and Growth Statistics
• How to Measure Exhibition Market Growth
• Understanding the CEIR Index: 14 Sectors and Four Metrics

Sources

1. UFI, 37th Global Exhibition Barometer (8 July 2026). https://www.ufi.org/media-releases/ufi-global-exhibition-barometer-shows-limited-impact-of-the-current-situation-in-the-middle-east/
2. Skift Meetings, EIC/Oxford Economics study (15 May 2026). https://meetings.skift.com/2026/05/15/business-events-are-the-invisible-industry-behind-1-3-trillion-in-sales/
3. IAEE, 2026 CEIR Index Report (4 May 2026). https://www.iaee.com/news/iaee-releases-2026-ceir-index-report/
4. Exhibitor Online, CEIR Midyear Report (21 October 2026). https://www.exhibitoronline.com/news/article.asp?ID=25459
5. AUMA, final statement for 2025 (4 June 2026). https://www.auma.de/en/latest-news/reports/detail/final-statement-for-2025-entirely-positive-strong-growth-among-international-audiences/
6. IMWF Insider, AI findings from the 37th Barometer. https://www.imwfinsider.com/en/ai-use-reaches-91-in-exhibition-industry-but-revenue-applications-lag
7. UFI / Oxford Economics, Global Economic Impact 2025 (2024 activity). https://www.ufi.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/UFI_OE_Global_Economic_Impact_2025.pdf