NRW: The world's largest trade fair and conference region.

North Rhine-Westphalia offers an extremely wide range of event options.

Whether on the Rhine, in a historical castle, an old industrial monument or an ultra-modern congress centre, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is a versatile trade fair and conference location. NRW has the perfect location for any event.

Four exhibition centres in NRW

The figures published by Tourismus NRW e.V. underscore the region's excellent standing: 716,000 sq. metres of halls and exhibition space, 60 leading international trade fairs each year, around six million trade fair visitors and four renowned exhibition centres. The success of NRW as an exhibition site is absolutely amazing!null

In particular, the region can be easily reached (e.g. via Cologne airport located near the city centre or the efficient hub airport of Düsseldorf), making it a first-rate location for trade fairs, conferences and meetings. "Central and urban" is the slogan for conferences in the Düsseldorf-based MedienHafen; in Cologne, however, the fantastic view of the cathedral is part and parcel of meetings. There are also numerous museums and theatres* with function rooms of various sizes.

NRW: urban and close to nature

North Rhine-Westphalia's major cities are also impressive thanks to their contrasts: well-equipped conference facilities can sometimes be found in decommissioned mines or at the foot of blast furnaces once surrounded by smoke. And the towns of Aachen, Bielefeld, Bonn, Mönchengladbach and Münster boast many a modern location for holding talks, training courses or conferences.

But North Rhine-Westphalia also has another side to it: conferences can also be held in the idyllic Sauerland, far from any humdrum or stress. Seminars or business meetings in picturesquely situated country hotels (such as in the Rhine-Erft region) attract attention to NRW's green oases*. Such opportunities for holding conferences close to nature in North Rhine-Westphalia provide the perfect antithesis to hectic everyday office life.

And once the work has been done in the seminar room, it's time to get outdoors: Whether team-building at a high-ropes course, mountain biking in groups or a round of golf with a customer, NRW has plenty to offer!

Did you know?

With six million visitors each year, North Rhine-Westphalia is the largest trade fair location in the world. The four international exhibition sites are Cologne, Düsseldorf, Essen and Dortmund. With an exhibition area of over 704,000 sq. metres, NRW is one of the largest exhibition centres worldwide, beating Hanover, Milan, Frankfurt on Main, Valencia, Paris and Chicago. More than 100 leading international trade fairs, such as drupa, boot, anuga, photokina, MEDICA, Schweissen & Schneiden, or SECURITY are hosted here.

*Green oases:around one-quarter of North Rhine-Westphalia is a conservation area (e.g. the Eifel national park). The state's green oasis features 70 lakes, 150 golf courses and countless cycle routes and hiking trails.

*Theatres and museums: There are 183 public and private theatres in NRW (including the Schauspielhaus in Bochum, the Philharmonie in Cologne and the Konzerthaus in Dortmund). The region also has over 648 museums. Theatres and museums are popular event locations which often have function rooms of various sizes.