A guest event is a trade fair or congress that an external organiser holds at a venue. The venue company rents out halls and services for it but does not organise the event itself.
German venue companies operate their grounds and organise many trade fairs themselves. They also rent halls to external organisers, such as private exhibition companies, associations or publishers. These fairs are called guest events, as opposed to the venue company's own organiser-run events. Both forms are common at German venues, and for visitors the difference is usually not noticeable.
At a guest event, the guest organiser is your contractual partner. It allocates the space, decides the concept and dates and sets the terms of participation. The grounds, the building services and the house rules, on the other hand, come from the venue company that operates the site.
For exhibitors this often means two points of contact. Registration, stand allocation, passes and the supporting programme are handled by the guest organiser. Technical guidelines, connections and on-site services often come from the venue company and its service partners. The exhibitor manual often combines both, but sometimes there are separate portals.
So clarify early who is responsible for what. Deadlines can differ, and not every service can be booked where you would expect it. That applies, for example, to power, internet or cleaning. Note down the right contacts and portals on both sides before the first deadlines expire.
Two sets of rules also apply to photo and video on your stand (booth): the guest organiser's conditions and the venue's house rules. Who issues passes for service providers and whether filming on stages or in the aisles is allowed is usually decided by the organiser of the fair in question.
With every enquiry we check who organises the fair and where the passes come from. For our work on the stand it makes little difference whether it is a guest event or an organiser-run event. We know the major German venues with their halls and entrances, even when a fair there is organised by another company. That saves time on the show day when it comes to arrival and meeting point. You order the passes for our team through the organiser's portal as usual.
The basics on permission, passes and house rules are in the guide Photography at trade fairs.
From the organiser named in the terms of participation and in the legal notice of the fair's website. If it is not the venue company that operates the site, it is usually a guest event.
Usually the guest organiser through its exhibitor portal. Some services at the venue are booked directly with the venue company.
Send us the fair, dates and hall. We sort out passes and schedule with you and deliver photos and videos within 24 hours after the show ends.
We reply within 24 hours. During a show week, WhatsApp is fastest.
