How are trade fairs faring in the Netherlands? Fewer trade fairs, more visitors in 2025

Trade fairs in the Netherlands are holding steady. That is the main conclusion of the 2026 Trade Fair Monitor published by the trade association CLC-VECTA and the research agency Respons. In 2025, there were 509 trade fairs and public exhibitions, 5.7 per cent fewer than the previous year. However, the number of trade fair visits actually rose to 4.7 million (+1.4 per cent). So, fewer trade fairs, but more visitors. In this article, we’ve summarised all the figures for you.

Curious to know which trade fairs are on the agenda this year? Take a look at our trade fair calendar featuring all the events in the Netherlands and Europe.

Key figures from the 2026 Trade Fair Monitor at a glance

• 509 trade fairs in the Netherlands in 2025 (31 fewer than in 2024, a fall of 5.7%)
• 195 trade fairs (-4.4%) and 314 consumer fairs (-6.5%)
• 4.7 million trade fair visits, an increase of 1.4% compared with 2024
• The number of trade fairs is 9.1% below the 2019 level (pre-pandemic)
• The top 25 trade fairs together accounted for 47.1% of all trade fair visits

The trade fair sector is stabilising

After years of significant fluctuations, the trade fair market is settling down. Dineke Philipse of CLC-VECTA echoes this view: “The trade fair sector is continuing to stabilise. Following major changes, a new equilibrium appears to be emerging.”

That new equilibrium is, however, lower than before the pandemic. The number of trade fair visits is still around 20 per cent lower than in 2019. Nevertheless, the trend is positive: visitors are finding their way back to the exhibition floor, whilst the number of events on offer is decreasing. On average, therefore, the remaining trade fairs are becoming larger and busier.

This is also reflected on the show floor: according to the Monitor, the number of square metres let increased and organisers’ media spending rose. Significant investment is therefore being made in the trade fairs that remain.

What are the largest trade fairs in the Netherlands?

The largest trade fairs in the Netherlands in 2025 were:

1. Horecava (Amsterdam) – 72,000 visitors
2. Bouwbeurs (Utrecht) – 67,000 visitors
3. Rundvee & Mechanisatie Vakdagen – approximately 45,000 visitors
4. International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) – approximately 45,000 visitors

Noteworthy: Potato Europe in Lelystad returned to the top 25 for the first time since 2017. And that top 25 is significant, as almost half of all trade fair visits (47.1 per cent) take place there.

Would you like to know when these and hundreds of other trade fairs are taking place? In our overview of trade fairs and public exhibitions, you can easily filter by sector, date and location.

What does this mean for you as an organiser?

The figures reveal two things. The challenges are very real: organisers cite rising staff costs, higher purchase prices and difficulty in attracting exhibitors as the biggest obstacles for 2026. Furthermore, historically few new trade fair concepts are being introduced.

But there is also good news: trade fair attendance is on the rise. Anyone who makes their trade fair highly visible will benefit from an audience that is once again visiting the exhibition floor more frequently. Visibility is the first step in this regard — an increasing number of visitors and exhibitors are researching online and via AI assistants before visiting a trade fair.

Tip: list your trade fair in the trade fair calendar on congresagenda.nl. That way, visitors, exhibitors and the press will find your event exactly when they’re searching for trade fairs in your sector.

Frequently asked questions about trade fairs in the Netherlands