Study: Berlin needs more conference space

Berlin, 24 July 2025 The congress and event market in Berlin is growing – and there is still room for further growth. With 12.9 million participants in 2024, the capital recorded growth of 29 per cent – strong evidence of the location's attractiveness. A potential analysis presented today on behalf of visitBerlin and Messe Berlin shows that the capital has reached its capacity limits in the event market and needs targeted investment in new event space. There is a particular need for action in the segment of medium-sized congresses with between 1,000 and 5,000 participants. Messe Berlin already has concrete plans: A new, multifunctional congress venue is to be built on the exhibition grounds, on the site of the current Hall 9, as a direct response to growing demand.

Franziska Giffey, Mayor and Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises: "The events and congress industry is a key economic factor for Berlin. In 2024 alone, it generated around 1.4 billion euros. We expect an increase of three percent for 2025. This clearly demonstrates the stable, sustainable development and ongoing growth potential. To ensure that our city remains at the forefront of international competition, we need targeted investment, modern infrastructure and reliable political framework conditions. The congress study presented today provides strategically important impetus for this and supports us in working with the industry to further advance Berlin as an international event and congress metropolis. The new construction of Hall 9 on the exhibition grounds, planned by Messe Berlin and supported by the State of Berlin, as a state-of-the-art multifunctional hall will make an important contribution to this." 

Study shows need for new convention centres with economic added value

According to dwif Consulting GmbH, the author of the potential analysis, one to two additional new venues could accommodate 76 additional conventions per year – corresponding to around 500 additional occupancy days and 215,000 additional participant days. The estimated economic added value for the capital is around 78 million euros per year.

"The analysis confirms that the market wants more Berlin. We are now responding to this,’ says Burkhard Kieker, Managing Director of visitBerlin. ‘New convention centres are springing up all over the world, so it is important that we can keep up. Convention guests spend a lot of money in the city, which Berlin can put to good use."

Messe Berlin plans new venue on the exhibition grounds under the radio tower

A first concrete project is already in the planning stage to expand the convention space in Berlin: Messe Berlin wants to build a new, multifunctional congress centre with around 12,000 square metres of space at the site of the current Hall 9, which can be used for a variety of purposes – for congresses, conferences and trade fair formats alike. This will specifically expand the exhibition grounds' capacity in the mid-range segment.

‘With the new convention centre, we are creating additional capacity in areas where Berlin has previously been underserved. This strengthens our position in global competition,’ says Dr. Mario Tobias, Chairman of the Management Board of Messe Berlin GmbH. ‘Leading convention cities around the world are investing in precisely this segment. We want Berlin to remain at the forefront in the future.’

In demand worldwide: Berlin's congress market attracts international guests

A glance at the figures shows that this strategic expansion is both right and necessary: in 2024, 70 percent of events were work-related, such as congresses, conferences and seminars, forming the backbone of Berlin's events market. According to event and congress statistics from visitBerlin's Berlin Convention Office, 60,886 business meetings with a total of 9.1 million participants took place last year. The international market is developing at an above-average rate: 21 per cent of guests travelled from abroad – almost twice as many as the national average (11 per cent). The strongest source markets included the United Kingdom (14.5 percent), North America (11.5 percent), Spain, Italy and France. Large business events in particular are increasingly drawn to Berlin: the proportion of events with over 1,000 participants is 6.2 percent, well above the national average of 1.8 percent.

"In addition to major events, it is above all the many smaller conferences and meetings that sustain Berlin economically. They are the campfires of modernity,’" says Burkhard Kieker, Managing Directorof visitBerlin.

Background

The potential analysis was conducted by dwif Consulting GmbH and is based on market analyses, primary surveys and expert interviews. The Berlin Event and Congress Statistics are compiled annually by the European Institute for the Meeting Industry (EITW) on behalf of visitBerlin.