boe international 2026: People. Events. Innovations.

Focus on adventurous experience formats and topics of future importance – Flagship trade show presents trends and solutions for the event industry

The boe international will be stating its mission for 2026 at the Dortmund Exhibition Centre between 14 and 15 January 2026 with a sharp profile, international aspirations, and innovative experience formats in a leading-edge programme. Serving as the business hub for the events industry, the show bundles trends, expertise, and solutions covering the entire value chain. Under the catchphrase People. Events. Innovations. the boe international is the European meeting place for everyone looking to design events with foresight and secure their economic success.

Dortmund, 14 January 2026 – Packing a fresh brand image, the boe international puts the spotlight on tolerance, innovative spirit, and relevance. As the international trade fair for innovative event solutions, it covers the entire portfolio of the event industry, from visionary event architecture and intelligent technologies to professional equipment, locations, catering, acts, logistics, and security solutions along the entire value chain.

“The boe international 2026 marks a significant step forwards in our development. We’re ramping up this exhibition, opening the door even wider for international exhibitors and new target audiences, and covering pioneering developments without losing sight of our heritage as the leading-edge trade fair for the event industry. Our stated mission is to create a setting where innovation is on open display, partnerships are formed, and forthcoming events take shape,”emphasises Sabine Loos, chief show organiser and Managing Director of the Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe which owns and operates the Messe Dortmund venue.

This rebranding sees the Dortmund Exhibition Centre focusing on an upgraded brand identity with growing international reach and multilingual content, while continuing to expand its partner network at the same time. The latest additions include the VMM European Visual. Marketing / Merchandising Association. Partnerships like this cement the boe international as a forum for dialogue, standards, and networking across the event industry.

International exhibitors
The boe international 2026 presents an international portfolio of exhibitors from all the relevant disciplines in the industry: More than 400 exhibitors and brands will be showcasing their solutions for the entire value chain. The number of international exhibitors has risen for the third time in a row after regaining traction following the pandemic. The line-up includes companies from a total of 12 countries, including China and Singapore, as well as exhibitors from France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Austria, with scopes ranging from event architecture and exhibition stand construction to event technology and IT, equipment and furnishings, digitalisation and AI, to venues, catering, acts, event services, logistics and security. Attention is being sharply focused on innovative solution providers setting new standards – from smart participant management and immersive experience formats to sustainable, circular event concepts.

Débuts and new experience formats: Meet the future now
The eBrain Technology Group is presenting what is, at present, a unique AI-based guest management system, centred around the new AI guide “Emily”. Other tools, such as the Communication Centre and the Registration Wizard, can be tested in a live setting based on typical scenarios. The solutions on show simplify and expedite conventional processes from invitation to follow-up using dialogue-driven AI interaction.

The brand-new Start-up Area puts early-stage companies and creative innovations in the spotlight. Yet another highlight is the Founders Fight Night, where young companies can battle out their ideas on topics such as digital process automation, event content management, AI-supported planning, and live interaction in direct pitch duels. Throughout the entire trade fair, the startup & innovation area offers a curated program with keynotes, fireside chats, and panels on future topics in the industry: from AI in event management to audience engagement and the creator economy to sustainable event ecosystems.

Another highlight is the FORMAT SHIFT podcast from Founders Fight Club in cooperation with boe international, which produces live recordings directly on stage. The format asks the “what if?” question and reinterprets classic event formats – such as city festivals, product launches, or festivals –in the context of current fields of innovation.

Another novel enhancement is the plAIground, which offers interactive masterclasses to demonstrate how artificial intelligence can optimise event concepts, speed up marketing processes, and open up new creative thinking spaces. Another special feature (vision stage) is a live podcast starring Norbert Dickel, former professional footballer and long-standing stadium announcer for Borussia Dortmund.

Also new to the programme are Fireside Talks with specialists addressing key future topics in the industry, as well as the Speakers Excellence and German Speakers Association (GSA) staged under the tagline Best of #nxtKNOWLEDGE. The GSA Business Forum is being fully integrated into the exhibition for the very first time. Workshops held by DIGITAL EXCELLENCE will be exploring areas of transformation ranging from AI-supported marketing processes to efficient planning tools and digital strategies. Numerous networking areas offer plenty of space for dialogue and business.

Highlights on stage (selected items)
Five carefully curated, themed stages at the boe international 2026 will be rolling out an inspirational programme demonstrating practical knowledge and strategic perspectives. On the vision stage, thought leaders and trendsetters including Tristan Horx, Bertram Engel, Michaela-Susan Pollok, Christopher Werth, Carlos Mats, Maarten Schram, and Alex Ostermaier will be covering emerging trends and developments set to shape the industry in the times to come.

The safety & security stage is presenting true-to-life answers to crucial questions about event safety with speakers including Dennis Eichenbrenner, Thilo Könicke, solicitor Martin Glöckner, Bruno Marx, and Prof. Dr. Mandy Risch-Kerst.

AI comes to life in the plAIground. Hannes Schwarm, Jessica Lehmann, Jan Götze, and Juliane Jähnke will be demonstrating examples of how computer-based tools are impacting workflows and fuelling creativity.

The digital & events stage focuses on the interplay between content, communications, and technology, offering some forward-thinking insights. This year’s speakers include Julien Le Bas, Jens Oliver Mayer, Jens Polomski, Lea Sindel, and Pia Leimke.

Acts on stage powered by memomedia are contributing emotional highlights with a number of choice live performances, impressive show acts, and first-rate entertainment.

• Programme overview 2026 (www.boe-international.de/programm-2026)
• Information about special showings and partner events (www.boe-international.de/events-and-stages)

The boe magazine – A digital stage for trends & matters of interest
The digital exhibition magazine accompanies the boe with interviews, reports, and articles on best practices ranging from AI in event marketing and exhibition stand construction 2030 to multisensory brand experiences. The magazine offers guidance to ease preparation and orientation, and sustains content reach beyond the days of the show itself. The magazine ties in some exclusive prize draws in collaboration with the IST University of Applied Sciences and Europe’s largest hotel, convention and, entertainment centre, the Estrel Berlin.

The ultimate highlight: BrandEX & boe night
On the first evening of the show, the BrandEx Award 2026 is being presented once again in recognition of outstanding achievements in brand architecture and communication in a live setting. At the same time, the boe night offers an agreeable setting for genuine communication, fresh networking opportunities, and celebrating together with the entire community.

All key information, updates and developments concerning the show can always be found on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, the show‘s website and via newsletter.