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Cologne: New hotspot for major events and international congresses!
Cologne will be a center for trade fairs and congresses by 2032. Exclusive events, good accessibility and cultural offerings await more than a million guests.
Cologne: New hotspot for major events and international congresses!
Cologne is at the top of the list of leading trade fair and congress locations – and not without reason. With the opening of Confex in June 2024, the city has scored a real coup. In the first year of operation, 41 events will take place over 63 days, with around 45,000 people expected. Koelner.de reports that the target groups primarily consist of the financial and insurance sectors as well as IT and science.
The booking situation is currently excellent: Confex has proud plans until 2032, especially for medical specialist societies. This is also reflected in the upcoming events, such as the return of the DGHO annual conference for hematology and oncology after 35 years in October 2025, which will feature 5,500 experts.
Planned events and comebacks
The next few years will bring an exciting mix of events to Cologne. The 55th annual meeting of the German Society for Thoracic, Cardiac and Vascular Surgery will take place in spring 2026, followed by Deutsche Telekom's unique DIGITAL X - Focus Edition in September 2025, which will attract up to 4,000 specialist visitors. The VdS Fire Protection Days will also be taking part in 2025 and 2026 with over 150 exhibitors and 4,600 visitors.
In addition, RX (Reed Exhibitions Limited) is planning the PSI trade fair, which will be permanently based in Cologne from January 2027. The well-known Chemspec Europe and BIO-Europe trade fairs will also return to the cathedral city in 2025 and 2026. And there is reason for all bike fans to be happy: the ZEG Bike Show is celebrating its comeback in summer 2026!
Accessibility and infrastructure
The Cologne location has not only made a name for itself because of the impressive events. Thanks to its central location and first-class accessibility, the Confex is a real magnet for guests from all over the world. The proximity to the ICE train station “Köln Messe / Deutz” enables quick connections to international transport hubs such as Brussels, Paris and London. From there, visitors can reach Confex in just a few minutes. Koelncongress.de has everything in view: S-Bahn lines and parking options ensure that you arrive stress-free. Innovative parking and logistics concepts are also available.
The Confex scores with over 15,000 parking spaces and a recommended NUNAV navigation app for a traffic-free journey. Anyone coming from Cologne/Bonn Airport can reach the Confex in just 15 minutes and can immerse themselves directly in the action - a real plus point for the guests!
The future of the events market
The importance of meetings, trade fairs and congresses has become firmly established in today's business world. The proportion of professionally motivated events in Germany is around 60%. Statista points out that in 2024 over 54% of the total 7,900 venues were used for seminars, meetings and congresses. The events market is constantly evolving: despite the setbacks during the pandemic, things are almost back to normal, even if the much-talked about hybrid meetings bring new challenges.
With a clear focus on high-quality events and excellent accessibility, Cologne has put itself in an optimal position to become the hotspot of the event scene in the coming years. Koelncongress is expecting over a million guests in the current financial year - and that's just the beginning!