New perspectives. Conventions & exhibitions.

  • CCXP COLOGNE, Comic Con Experience and Cosplay Event in Cologne © Koelnmesse GmbH, Harald Fleissner
    CCXP COLOGNE, Comic Con Experience and Cosplay Event in Cologne © Koelnmesse GmbH, Harald Fleissner

As a convention and trade fair city, Cologne offers a much broader outlook, with 17 million people living and working within a radius of 100 km of Cologne and the city’s proximity to three airports and the Benelux countries making it a real nerve-centre! In Cologne nothing is very far away. In the city centre are lots of things – the Congress Centre, the Exhibition Centre, the Old City with its cafes, sights, shops and numerous hotels – are easily reached on foot. Enjoy your stroll! Top locations and first-class service providers form the ...

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As a convention and trade fair city, Cologne offers a much broader outlook, with 17 million people living and working within a radius of 100 km of Cologne and the city’s proximity to three airports and the Benelux countries making it a real nerve-centre! In Cologne nothing is very far away. In the city centre are lots of things – the Congress Centre, the Exhibition Centre, the Old City with its cafes, sights, shops and numerous hotels – are easily reached on foot. Enjoy your stroll!

Top locations and first-class service providers form the foundation for the popularity of the cathedral city as a  venue for events. The TagungsBarometer (Conference Barometer) reflects the popularity of Cologne as a venue: 2023, more than 46,000 events were held in Cologne with approx. 4,966 million participants. Key business sectors for event organisers are: banking / insurance, medicine / pharmaceuticals, communications and IT. According to the calculations, the Cologne meeting market’s total turnover (from consumption) in Germany amounts to EUR 1.3 billion annually.

The study "Meetings and congresses as an economic factor for Cologne" reveals the economic effects of meetings and congresses on the Rhine metropolis.

Cologne for planners

  • 210 locations that make room for your ideas
  • The Koelnmesse Congress Centre with its direct high-speed train connections
  • Largest multifunctional building in Europe – LANXESS arena with 20,000 seats
  • RheinEnergieSTADION with 50,000 seats
  • Wide range of event locations – from traditional to modern, including inspiring industrial locations with room for up to 3,000 people
  • Germany's oldest congress centre in Cologne's old town
  • Large fleet of event ships on the Rhine
  • Green conference oases in the immediate vicinity

Hotels

All our event suppliers and social programmes at a glance: event services in Cologne. In our convention calendar you will find an up-to-date overview of important congresses, incentives and trade fairs in Cologne.

Would you like to learn more about the local drivers of the trade fair and event venue? In interviews we talk to experts from the Cologne economy and science.

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Meeting Point Cologne

Cologne and its surrounding areas boast a long trading and industrial tradition. All in all, it’s home to a future-proof mix of industries. Find out more in our section ‚Meeting Point Cologne’. The "Meeting Point Cologne" is comfortably readable as an e-paper. We would also be pleased to send you the magazine as a print brochure. Also don't miss to read through our interviews with inspiring characters from the science and business sectors in Cologne.

FAQs Congresses in Cologne - Frequently asked questions

Which venues in Cologne are suitable for conventions?

Cologne has a large selection of venues that are suitable for conventions available. The Cologne Convention Bureau will help you in the process of finding the appropriate venue for your convention. You will find an overview with the information concerning venues that is most important for convention planning, such as room size, capacity, distance from the city centre, and photo material, on locations.cologne.