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Decision point: planning stand design, technical applications and shipping according to the rules of the exhibition grounds

Messe Düsseldorf Exhibition Grounds: Exhibitor and Visitor Guide

Messe Düsseldorf is a privately owned exhibition ground at Stockumer Kirchstraße 61 (40474 Düsseldorf) (house rules). Build-up and dismantling dates, halls and conditions of participation differ from fair to fair; the technical guidelines and the house rules are common to all fairs on the grounds.

Article date: 9 October 2026. The source pages were read on this date. The technical rules are based on the Technical Guidelines, valid from 1 January 2026.

How are the halls laid out?

The halls page gives the dimensions, ceiling height and floor capacity of halls 1, 3-8b and 10-17 as PDFs (halls page). The floor capacity is 10,000 kg/m²; on galleries and upper floors it is 500 kg/m² (according to the 2026 guidelines, section 3). The height of a hall and the permitted stand height differ: halls 3, 4, 5 and 10-14 are 8 m high, and the stand limit is 6 m.

How do you get to the exhibition grounds?

The U80 connects the airport terminal directly to the Messe Ost/Stockumer Kirchstraße stop; on selected fair days the U81 runs from the terminal to the Messe Nord stop in about seven minutes (arrival page).

  • Rail and bus: the U78, U79, U80 and bus 722 go to Messe Ost, and the U78 goes to Messe Nord.
  • Train: Deutsche Bahn's event offers include free onward travel from the station to the grounds.
  • By car: from junction 29, "Messe/Arena", on the A44, take car parks P1 and P2, then a free shuttle to the entrances; payment is cashless only. The navigation address is Am Staad (Stockumer Höfe), 40474.
  • By lorry: Gate 1 (Am Staad) for halls 1-7 and 9-17.

Where is accommodation arranged?

According to a Messe Düsseldorf news item (24 October 2024), the company set up a digital booking platform with Kuoni Tumlare Congress; the news item opens offers for glasstec, MEDICA and VALVE WORLD EXPO from the website of the fair concerned, and the platform compares partner hotels' fair-period rates with portals such as HRS and Expedia.

What are the build-up, dismantling and vehicle access rules?

According to the 2026 guidelines, working hours during build-up and dismantling are 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on the last build-up day until 10:00 p.m.; unless other times specific to the fair are announced, the halls are locked outside these hours. On fair days the halls open 90 minutes before opening and close one hour after closing; working after that requires a written night permit from the organiser (section 1.2).

  • Vehicle access requires a permit; the speed limit is 20 km/h and the vehicle height limit is 4.00 m. Vehicles enter a hall only for immediate loading or unloading, with the hall inspector's permit (section 2.1).
  • You may not use your own cranes or forklifts. Authorised forwarders are the sole parties entitled to bring products and stand material to the stand, to provide the equipment, and to handle customs clearance (sections 2.1.4.2, 5.10).
  • During build-up and dismantling, material may be left in the aisle briefly, only in a strip of at most 0.9 m along the stand boundary; a passage of at least 1.2 m stays open. The areas in front of emergency exits and aisle crossings stay open over their entire width; no assembly locations or machines may be set up in the aisle (section 2.2.2).

What do the technical guidelines say to the exhibitor?

The Technical Guidelines are binding for the exhibitor and the stand contractor (conditions of participation, item 13). All headings below are according to the 2026 guidelines.

How does stand approval work?

A single-storey stand that complies with the guidelines needs no drawing clearance. Clearance is required for two-storey structures, podiums and tribunes higher than 20 cm, special structures, mobile and textile structures, and all structures outdoors. A scaled plan (at least 1:100), a structural analysis, a stand description and an escape route plan are sent as PDFs by e-mail at least six weeks before build-up. A request for a two-storey structure is made through the order system as soon as the stand space is approved; two-storey structures are not possible in the Hall 1 foyer, in 6.1 and in 7.0-7.2 (section 4.2, section 4.9).

How high may a stand be?

The upper limit is 8.00 m in Hall 1, the inner section of Hall 6, 7a, 8a, 8b and 15-17; 6.00 m in Halls 3-5 and 9-14; 6.00 m in Hall 6 on stand space directly adjacent to the gallery and 3.20 m on the Hall 6 gallery; 4.00 m in Hall 7.0; 3.00 m in 7.1 and 7.2; 2.50 m in the Hall 1 foyer and on the Hall 1 upper floor; and 3.20 m along hall edges with restaurants (section 4.3).

What limits apply to suspended ceilings and ceiling construction?

Light-weight ceilings, banners and lighting may be suspended from the supporting structure of the hall ceiling at up to 50 kg per suspension point; in 7.0-7.2 and 15-17 only on request. Only Messe Düsseldorf attaches the mounting brackets, and the order is placed under "Suspensions"; a verifiable load calculation is required for each point (section 4.7.5). Because the halls have sprinklers, a stand must be open at the top. Single-storey stands and the upper floor of a two-storey stand may be covered only with permeable, at least flame-retardant material: the open area is at least 50% per m², the openings are at least 2x4 mm or 3x3 mm when not tensioned, and the material is horizontal and single-layer. If more than 30% of the stand area is PVC, it may not be covered at those points (section 4.4.2). In addition, up to 30 m² of the stand area may have a closed ceiling without sprinklers; at least 2.50 m of open ceiling must surround it, and between two closed-ceiling areas (unless agreed with the neighbour) at least 5.00 m of open ceiling must lie. A larger closed ceiling requires a sprinkler installation, which is ordered. No closed ceilings are possible in 6.1 and 7.0-7.2 or on the upper floor of a two-storey stand (section 4.7.7).

How are electricity, water and compressed air obtained?

Messe Düsseldorf provides the electrical connection with a distribution box containing fuses, meter, main switch and a 30 mA residual-current device; an independent expert must accept the installation before use (section 5.3). Only the organiser installs water and compressed air connections. Stands at the hall edges cannot be supplied with water, waste water or compressed air (sections 5.4, 5.5).

What are the floor, material and fire rules?

No drilling, nails, screws, glue or paint on the hall floor, walls and columns; the stand may not be anchored in the floor (exhibits or parts may be anchored only in a justified exception and with the written consent of the fair company); floor coverings are fixed only with tape, for example PE or PP tape, and leave no residue when removed (sections 4.7.3, 4.7.4). Readily flammable, dripping and hard polystyrene (Styropor) materials may not be used; decoration is at least DIN 4102 B1 or EN 13501 c-s3, d0 (section 4.4).

How do the stand builder portal and the exhibitor portal work?

The stand builder portal collects, for each fair, the build-up and dismantling times, traffic rules, site and hall plans, current order forms and the technical guidelines. In Düsseldorf this system is the online order system (OOS) and the exhibitor account: orders and applications are placed through the account by the date set for each service; for late orders and incomplete documents, the organiser does not commit to completion on time and charges a surcharge. Messe Düsseldorf forwards the plans of structures that need clearance to the building supervisory authority and reviews them (sections 1, 4.2.1).

According to Inside's experience on site, the organiser asks the exhibitor for an image and the general technical dimensions of the stand, the amount of electricity requested, and the details of the company and team that will build the stand. If water plumbing and a sink are to be used, this is also asked, for preparation and invoicing; extra needs are invoiced to the exhibitor. Part of this information goes to the organiser's technical office and to the exhibition centre team, and the organiser uses it for work planning, collection of extra charges, area control and project control.

How do the house rules concern the exhibitor?

The rules apply to all halls, the outdoor area and buildings (house rules). Photography and filming are allowed within legal limits; an exhibitor may ban it at its own stand. Outside its own stand, advertising is carried out only by Messe Düsseldorf's service partners; unauthorised distribution of leaflets and affixing stickers of any kind are prohibited.

How do products reach the grounds, and how is an ATA Carnet obtained?

On the grounds, authorised forwarders bring products to the stand. An ATA Carnet is issued by one of the chambers authorised to distribute carnets (authorised chambers). A list showing the type of the goods, their brand and numbers, weight, quantity and value is attached to the application. The guarantee is half of the total value of the goods; it is given in cash, as a bank guarantee letter or as a blocked bank deposit, and the subject line of the letter must contain the words "ATA Karnesi Kapsamı Eşya" (TOBB).

Is an appointment needed for a German fair visa?

According to the German Embassy in Ankara, fair visitors must always make an appointment. For exhibitors there is an appointment-free option, the details of which are given on another page of the Embassy's website. Stand-building staff need an appointment; the consulate accepts the application at an interview on the appointment date. Registration on the "business" waiting list through iDATA is requested for the visa (fair visa page). Requested from exhibitors: the exhibitor pass and the rent invoice; from stand-building staff: the contract between the companies and the same documents. The conditions for appointment-free applications are given on the turkishjewellery.org.tr website, which quotes a Ministry of Trade letter. For exhibitors and stand-building staff, the visa fee exemption applies only to visas issued for the duration of the fair; a long-stay visa is charged.

Does the Ministry of Trade give support, and what is the difference between organised and individual participation?

Under Article 7 of Decision No. 5973, the Ministry supports participation with a stand in fairs abroad (fair support); the covered fairs are in the support lists. The Circular defines two routes. For fair organisations abroad, the Ministry's General Directorate of Exports sets the reviewing authority; the Circular uses "national participation organisation" for fairs where the exporters' associations' General Secretariats (İBGS) are the organiser. In individual participation, the İBGS the exhibitor belongs to concludes the application; if membership is not required, any İBGS. On both routes the application is made through the Support Management System (DYS) within 3 months after the end of the fair; a missed deadline means the application is not evaluated. The ceilings are published annually in the Ministry's table.

Which tasks does Inside Exhibition carry out on the exhibitor's behalf at fairs abroad?

Inside Exhibition is an Istanbul-based company focused on the design, technical documentation and build of custom-designed exhibition stands. The arrangement below is Inside's general way of working at fairs abroad; rules specific to Düsseldorf are noted in the relevant sections. Build-up teams work on long-stay visas; the visas of the team assigned to each project are checked, and renewals are started in advance according to expiry dates. For unplanned situations, support comes from subcontractors abroad.

In the island stand Inside designed for Wire & Tube Düsseldorf, anthracite surfaces were balanced with wood textures and the brand's green tones, and the layout was open-plan.

Receiving products at the grounds

If the exhibitor's products reach the grounds one day before the fair, the Inside team receives the delivery on site, so the exhibitor's representative does not need to be at the grounds a day early just for this. At Düsseldorf, authorised forwarders bring products to the stand; Inside does not act as a carrier, and the carrier's liability and any transport agreements with the organiser rest with the carrier and the exhibitor. For the ATA Carnet and temporary import of the exhibitor's own products, Inside is not the contractor; its shipping and transfer process covers the stand materials of its own project.

Handing products to the carrier after the fair

If the exhibitor asks, the Inside team hands the products remaining at the end of the fair to the carrier the exhibitor works with. The handover paperwork is collected and the handover is photographed; the documents reach Inside and are passed on to the exhibitor. This way, the exhibitor's representatives do not need to wait on the grounds after the fair closes.

Site team for product assembly

For the assembly of the displayed products, Inside has a team it has formed itself, present on site for special jobs and requests.

Who carries out the correspondence and portal applications?

Inside carries out the correspondence concerning the stand infrastructure on the exhibitor's behalf. Once the agreement is signed, the portal registrations and approval procedures on the organiser's side begin; Inside carries these out on the exhibitor's behalf as well. In Düsseldorf, for structures that need clearance, the application is made at least six weeks before build-up. The team's documents, the technical dimensions of the stand and the applications are submitted to the technical office affiliated with the organiser and to the occupational safety offices; the documents and applications on the exhibitor portal are followed up. This work is completed before build-up and possible problems are followed in advance; the aim is to reduce the workload on the exhibitor's side.

What is done for an exhibitor who wants a ceiling construction?

Ceiling constructions are not used in Turkey, but in Germany, for example, they can be used within the weight and area information given by the organiser. If the exhibitor wishes, Inside designs and delivers a suspended ceiling and graphic area with this information. For a stand prepared in this way, a separate ceiling construction usage fee is charged. In Düsseldorf, the information given by the organiser is the suspension rule described above: the weight limit applies per point, and the mounting brackets are attached by Messe Düsseldorf. Inside works through these limits at the design stage, before the build begins.

What does a visitor need?

A visitor cannot enter the grounds without a valid fair ticket; the ticket price and opening hours are on the fair's own page. Those under 14 enter accompanied by a parent; bags and coats may be checked (house rules). The DüsseldorfCard gives free travel on buses and trains within the city (arrival page).

Frequently asked questions

Where is Messe Düsseldorf?

Stockumer Kirchstraße 61, 40474 Düsseldorf.

How do you get from the airport to Messe Düsseldorf?

By the U80 to the Messe Ost stop; on selected fair days by the U81 to the Messe Nord stop.

Where is the car park at Messe Düsseldorf?

From A44 junction 29, P1 and P2; a free shuttle runs, and payment is cashless.

Where do you find the Messe Düsseldorf hall plan?

On the halls page, as PDFs.

Where do you find a hotel for Messe Düsseldorf?

According to Messe Düsseldorf's news item, through the platform it set up with Kuoni Tumlare Congress; whether the offer exists for a given fair is checked on the fair's website.

Where are the stand construction rules for Messe Düsseldorf written down?

In the Technical Guidelines.

Is an appointment needed for a German fair visa?

According to the Embassy, for visitors yes; for exhibitors there is an appointment-free option. Stand-building staff need an appointment; the consulate accepts the application at an interview on the appointment date.

Where do you find the Düsseldorf fair calendar?

On each fair's own page and in the fair list of the stand builder portal.

For other grounds in Germany see the Messe Köln guide, the Messe Frankfurt guide, the Messe Nürnberg guide, the Messe München guide, the Messe Stuttgart guide and the Hannover Messe guide.

Sources