Exhibition space availability plays a crucial role in the success of the global exhibition industry. UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has released the latest edition of its World Map of Exhibition Venues, providing stakeholders with updated insights into venue capacities worldwide. This report, created in partnership with jwc GmbH, offers valuable data on global and regional venue capacity, covering 22 markets each with over 300,000 square meters of gross indoor exhibition space. Kai Hattendorf, CEO of UFI, comments: “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[1]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.”
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[1]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[1]Pacific now offers more total venue space than Europe – for the first time since UFI began tracking venue sizes
Kai Hattendorf,
CEO, UFI
Jochen Witt, President and CEO of jwc GmbH, adds: “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.” The report includes all exhibition venues with at least 5,000 sqm of gross indoor exhibition space as of the end of 2023. Key highlights include:
Regional Insights : The Asia[1]Pacific region now accounts for 38.5% of global venue capacity, surpassing Europe (36.7%) for the first time. North America ranks third with 17.1%
National Insights : China leads globally with 31.3% of total venue capacity, followed by the U (14.2%) and Germany (7.3%). The top five markets—China, USA, Germany, Italy, and France— account for 63.5% of global exhibition space, an increase of 1.1 percentage points.
Mega Venues : The number of mega venues, defined as those with over 100,000 sqm of indoor exhibition space, continues to rise, with 83 tracked globally. Europe leads with 39, closely followed by Asia-Pacific with 38. North America has 5, and th Middle East and Africa have 1
New Markets : For the first time, venues in Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast are included in the report.
The 2024 UFI World Map of Exhibition Venues covers key markets including Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Turkey, UAE, the UK, and t USA. The country profiles provide detailed insights into venue capacity and trends, offering valuable benchmarks for industry stakeholders.