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The International Hardware Fair in Cologne, which ended yesterday, was able to significantly increase its visitor numbers again. Around 38 000 trade visitors came to the four-day event "despite various warning strikes in local and long-distance transport", as Koelnmesse states in its post-fair report. The proportion of trade visitors from abroad was 70 per cent. Around 25 000 visitors were counted at the special edition in autumn 2022, while the number of visitors to the 2018 hardware fair, the last edition before the coronavirus pandemic, was around 47 000.
Exhibitor numbers have risen significantly. More than 3 200 exhibiting companies from 54 countries were represented in Cologne in 2024, as compared with 1 400 in 2022 and 2 770 exhibitors in 2018.
This year, the world's leading trade fair for the hardware industry returned to its regular rhythm. The next edition of the hardware trade fair will take place in two years, from 3 to 6 March 2026, but then in a new sequence from Tuesday to Friday.
In cooperation with the Home & Garden Manufacturers' Association (HHG), the hardware fair again presented the DIY Boulevard this year, which has grown once more. With 58 participating companies and a length of 255 m, the presentation area was fully booked long before the start of the event. On site, manufacturers had the opportunity to present their products in a POS-related environment. Trade visitors were thus able to experience an authentic product presentation.
"We are highly satisfied with the Eisenwarenmesse - International Hardware Fair 2024. Our supporting programme went down very well and all of the exhibiting companies praised the excellent quality of the visitors," says Oliver Frese, managing director and COO of Koelnmesse GmbH. "The trade fair underpinned its relevance as the key meeting point for industry trends and product innovations not least with formats like the popular Eisen Award. The positive response and the return of many companies confirm that the March date fits in perfectly with the innovation cycle of the industry," added Frese.
