P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG and Messe Friedrichshafen have extended their long-standing cooperation for Fakuma, the international trade fair for plastics processing. The organisers confirmed that the event will continue to take place at the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Centre at Lake Constance at least until 2030. Fakuma is regarded as an established European meeting point for the plastics processing industry and is an important economic factor for the region, especially for local service providers and companies in the Lake Constance area. The most recent edition in October 2024 hosted more than 1600 exhibitors, with 47.5% coming from outside Germany, underlining the high level of international participation and Fakuma’s global relevance.
Contract renewal and venue rationale
According to the parties, the contract renewal continues a cooperation that has already lasted four decades. For the city and the exhibition company, the decision confirms Friedrichshafen’s position as a trade fair location for the plastics industry. Andreas Hein, chairman of the supervisory board of the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Centre and mayor of Friedrichshafen, described the agreement as a sign of confidence in the venue.
Hein stated that Fakuma represents a significant economic factor for local service providers and companies throughout the Lake Constance region. The ongoing presence of the trade fair supports the regional economy through visitor and exhibitor traffic and associated services.
From the organisers’ perspective, the decision is based on the venue’s practical and operational characteristics. Bettina Schall, managing director of P. E. Schall GmbH, highlighted the functionality of the exhibition grounds, short distances between halls and a professional on-site team. She also pointed to the atmosphere at the location, noting that the industry feels comfortable in Friedrichshafen and that the organisers see considerable potential for the continued development of Fakuma at this site.
On the side of the exhibition centre, managing director Klaus Wellmann and business manager Stefan Mittag emphasised the long-term cooperation with P. E. Schall. They underlined that both partners have grown into a well-coordinated team over the years and that the accumulated experience from hosting Fakuma for four decades provides favourable conditions for maintaining Friedrichshafen’s position as one of the leading venues for the international plastics industry. Wellmann and Mittag also pointed to the strength of the surrounding European economic region, with Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as an additional factor supporting the trade fair’s continued success in Friedrichshafen.
Fakuma’s role and key figures
Fakuma is positioned as an international trade fair for plastics processing and has become a fixed entry in the sector’s calendar. The event addresses companies along the plastics value chain, with exhibitors presenting solutions in areas such as injection moulding, extrusion, thermoforming, compounding and related processing technologies. Although the supplied material focuses on the venue decision, it notes that more than 1600 exhibitors took part in the most recent Fakuma in October 2024.
The share of international exhibitors reached 47.5%, which the organisers interpret as confirmation of Fakuma’s international orientation and its standing as a globally relevant industry meeting point. For plastics processors and equipment suppliers, Fakuma functions as a platform for product and technology presentations, business contacts and market observation within a compact timeframe.
The next milestone in the cooperation between P. E. Schall and Messe Friedrichshafen will be the 30th Fakuma. The anniversary edition is scheduled to take place in Friedrichshafen from 12 to 16 October 2026. With the contract now extending the cooperation up to at least 2030, exhibitors and visitors can plan participation on a multi-year horizon at the same venue.
Trade fair promoters P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG and Messe Friedrichshafen announce contract renewal
Schall Group’s activities in Friedrichshafen
P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG ranks among the largest private trade fair organisers in Germany. Beyond Fakuma, the group maintains a broader portfolio of specialised industrial trade fairs. In Friedrichshafen, Modellbau Bodensee has become another permanent component of the trade fair programme. This event, dedicated to model building, has been organised and held at the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Centre for more than 20 years by Messe Sinsheim, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Schall Group.
According to authorised signatory Andreas Wittur, the most recent Modellbau Bodensee attracted 50,000 model-building enthusiasts. Based on these figures, the organisers describe it as the largest event of its kind worldwide. Its profile is characterised by a wide range of model-building activities, opportunities for exhibitors to access national markets and a strong emphasis on interactive visitor experiences.
The Friedrichshafen exhibition grounds provide specific advantages for such formats. The site includes a lake and an adjacent airport that can be used for model aircraft demonstrations, which the organisers view as an important element of the event concept. The same infrastructural versatility is also relevant for industrial trade fairs such as Fakuma, where hall layout, logistics and accessibility play a central role for exhibitors and visitors from the plastics sector.
Schall trade fairs and industrial focus
The Fakuma decision is embedded in the wider activities of the Schall Group, which has been active in trade fair organisation for more than six decades. Under the heading of 63 years of trade fairs for markets, Schall describes its approach as developing specialised business platforms aimed at defined industrial segments.
The group’s portfolio includes trade fairs for quality assurance (Control), optical technologies, components and systems (Optatec), stamping technology (Stanztec), automation in production and assembly (Motek), bonding technology (Bondexpo), plastics processing (Fakuma), sheet metal working (Blechexpo) and joining technology (Schweisstec). These events are positioned as sector-specific platforms where technology providers and users can exchange on practical solutions and systems competence.
According to the information provided, these trade fairs have contributed to the emergence of new market constellations in various industries. The participants in these markets, including those from the plastics processing sector, are described as characterised by high innovative strength, comprehensive systems expertise and a focus on application-oriented solutions.
Against this background, the extension of the Fakuma contract at Friedrichshafen can be seen as a continuation of Schall’s strategy of maintaining long-term, sector-driven trade fair formats at stable locations. For the plastics processing industry, this translates into planning certainty and continuity for one of its established international meeting points at Lake Constance.
