Plan and Deliver Your Frankfurt Trade Fair Presence with Confidence
Messe Frankfurt is Germany’s second-largest exhibition venue after Hannover and the third-largest in the world, and its scale is immediately apparent. Exhibitors here compete with international corporations for attention on a site covering more than 590,000 square metres, including approximately 367,000 square metres of exhibition halls, making it larger than some city centres.
For exhibitors, this presents both opportunities and challenges. The advantage is outstanding accessibility: Frankfurt Airport is right next door, more than 12,000 hotel rooms are within walking distance, and international visitors can often arrive without a transfer. The challenge is that a stand that does not stand out simply goes unnoticed. At Messe Frankfurt, long-range visibility is not a bonus, it is a necessity.
Most of the projects we have delivered in Frankfurt have been machine-focused exhibition stands, including two at ACHEMA and one at formnext, ranging in size from 66 to 123 square metres. If your exhibit weighs several tonnes or is being shipped from overseas, you are in the right hands.
Successful Exhibiting at Frankfurt’s Leading Trade Fairs
ACHEMA: At ACHEMA, it is about equipment, not brochures. Process engineering is difficult to explain and even harder to bring to a trade fair, so the goal is to make an entire production process visible. We have achieved this in two different ways: once through a five-metre-high graphic wall illustrating the complete production chain, and once through a stand concept that translated the product into a visual story. Both projects are featured below.
formnext: Additive manufacturing is a process rather than an object. At formnext, the most effective stands are those that allow visitors to experience the workflow, from powder to finished component. Companies that simply place machines on display miss half the story.
Frankfurt Book Fair: This is a place for negotiations rather than product displays. Rights, licences, and tightly scheduled meetings drive the event. A successful stand concept must provide enough seating for multiple parallel discussions, offer acoustic separation, and include a reception area where visitors never have to wait.
Automechanika: Suppliers and workshop equipment manufacturers meet an international professional audience here. Products are often compact and highly technical. The challenge is presenting them in a way that allows visitors to understand their value within just a few seconds.
Light + Building: At a trade fair for lighting and building technology, the stand lighting itself becomes a statement. Anything built here must excel in lighting design because visitors will judge exhibitors according to the very expertise they are presenting.
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A Process Chain Displayed on the Wall: O’Hara Technologies at ACHEMA
O’Hara Technologies from Canada manufactures equipment for solid-dose pharmaceutical processing, including coating, mixing, granulating, and drying systems. For ACHEMA, the machines needed to do more than simply occupy space. Visitors had to understand the complete process chain, from planning through to the finished product, within a 123-square-metre exhibition stand.
We deliberately kept the stand design understated. Polished stainless steel naturally attracts attention, so the focus shifted to lighting. A ceiling-mounted truss system covered the entire stand area, with powerful LED spotlights aimed precisely at the exhibits. Two illuminated cubes provided long-distance visibility.
The rear wall featured the entire production process as a high-resolution graphic printed on opaque fabric, standing approximately five metres high. Integrated shelving and two LED displays showcased videos of live production processes. Small meeting areas were positioned between the machines, allowing discussions to take place directly alongside the technology.
The most demanding aspect of the project was logistics. The equipment was shipped from Canada, and we were actively involved in coordinating transport, scheduling, and machine handling.
First Trade Show, First Product: One Click Metal at formnext
One Click Metal was founded in 2019 to answer a simple question: Why are affordable metal 3D printers not available? Their first-ever trade fair appearance coincided with the launch of their first product, at formnext, the industry's most important event.
Across 72 square metres, we designed the stand as a guided journey through the metal 3D-printing process, from metal powder to the finished component. The machines were intentionally positioned along the outer edges of the stand to attract visitors. Once engaged, the technology drew them further inside.
The design was developed in collaboration with the company’s in-house industrial designer. As a result, the stand reflected not only the corporate identity but also the visual language of the machines themselves. We developed the furniture specifically for this project.
A trade fair premiere and a product launch happening simultaneously leaves little room for error.
Nothing went wrong.
Why RocketExpo Is the Right Partner for Messe Frankfurt
Machines Are Our Standard: Floor load calculations, delivery logistics, utility connections, and overseas exhibits have all been integral parts of our Frankfurt projects. They are the norm rather than the exception.
Lighting Rather Than Volume: On one of the world’s largest exhibition grounds, long-distance visibility is achieved not through more graphics but through better lighting. O’Hara Technologies is a perfect example.
We Collaborate with Your Designers: If your company already has a design department or industrial designer, we work alongside them rather than imposing our own concepts. One Click Metal demonstrates this approach.
Experience with International Exhibitors: For overseas clients, coordination and scheduling buffers often determine whether installation runs smoothly. We account for these factors from the beginning.
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Our Services at a Glance
Bespoke Planning: We design for your exhibition space, your hall, and your product, not according to a catalogue template.
Modular Exhibition Stands: Reusable across multiple trade fairs throughout the year, without looking like a standard modular system.
Full-Service Delivery: Graphics, furniture, technology, transport, installation, dismantling, and catering, all from a single provider.
Measure Your Trade Fair Success: With Event Metrics, you can analyse visitor behaviour directly at your stand and gain valuable insights into which areas performed well and which should be improved for future events.
