City guides
Business events in Hamburg: what is worth attending in 2026–27
Hamburg's 2026–27 business events month by month: INTERNORGA, OMR, Aircraft Interiors Expo, the medical and maritime congresses, and the venues.
By the atndr teamPublished 6 min read
The short answer
Hamburg's most important business events in 2026–27 are INTERNORGA (12–16 March 2027) for hospitality and foodservice, the OMR Festival (3–5 May 2027) for marketing and the digital economy, and Aircraft Interiors Expo (6–8 April 2027) for airline cabins, all at Hamburg Messe. Maritime, port, energy, security and medical events fill the rest of the year. Nearly everything happens on one campus: the Hamburg Messe fairgrounds and the CCH Congress Center, linked by the Planten un Blomen park.
Key takeaways
- INTERNORGA, the hospitality and foodservice fair, runs 12–16 March 2027 and is aimed at trade visitors.
- The OMR Festival on 3–5 May 2027 is Hamburg's largest business event by attendance; its organiser reports about 70,000 attendees in 2026.
- Aviation suppliers meet in April: Aircraft Interiors Expo and the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo both run 6–8 April 2027.
- Hamburg's port shapes its calendar: Seatrade Europe (September 2027) and ALL ABOUT PORTS (November 2027) cover cruise and port operations.
- The Hamburg Messe grounds and CCH form one event area in the city centre, so most visitors can walk from a central hotel.
On this page
When is the business event season in Hamburg?
Hamburg's business events run from October to June, with a second, smaller wave in September and November. The spring is the busiest stretch, from INTERNORGA in March to the OMR Festival in May.
| Month | Notable events | Industries |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Hydrogen Technology World Expo 2026, Carbon Capture Technology World Expo 2026 | Energy, industrial decarbonisation |
| Nov 2026 | therapie HAMBURG 2026, GET NORD 2026 | Therapy and rehab, building services |
| Dec 2026 | DIVI26, SHLD 2026, GSIS 2026 | Intensive care medicine, cybersecurity, security policy |
| Jan 2027 | HAMBURG OPEN 2027 | Media production and broadcast |
| Mar 2027 | INTERNORGA 2027 | Hospitality and foodservice |
| Apr 2027 | Aircraft Interiors Expo 2027, World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo 2027, MEGA MESSE 2027 | Aviation, onboard services, painting and flooring trades |
| May 2027 | OMR Festival 2027 | Marketing and digital economy |
| Jun 2027 | all about automation Hamburg 2027 | Industrial automation |
| Sep 2027 | Seatrade Europe 2027 | Cruise and river cruise |
| Nov 2027 | ALL ABOUT PORTS 2027 | Port operations |
July and August are quiet for trade fairs. The full, live list is on atndr's business events in Hamburg page.
Which Hamburg events are worth attending, by industry?
Hamburg's strongest events are in hospitality, marketing, aviation and maritime trade, where the city hosts shows that draw international audiences.
Hospitality and foodservice
INTERNORGA 2027 runs 12–16 March 2027 at Hamburg Messe, open daily 10:00 to 18:00. It is a trade platform for the out-of-home market: kitchen technology, food and drink, interiors and packaging for hotels, restaurants, caterers and bakeries.
Marketing and the digital economy
The OMR Festival 2027 runs 3–5 May 2027. Its organiser lists about 70,000 attendees in 2026, more than 800 speakers and over 1,000 exhibitors and partners. The first day is for masterclasses and side events only. Media producers have their own fair, HAMBURG OPEN 2027, on 20–21 January.
Aviation
Aircraft Interiors Expo 2027 on 6–8 April is where airlines meet suppliers of cabin interiors, inflight entertainment and connectivity. The World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo 2027 runs on the same days for inflight catering and passenger comfort.
Maritime, ports and energy
Seatrade Europe 2027 (15–17 September 2027) brings together cruise lines, ports and destinations. ALL ABOUT PORTS 2027 (17–18 November 2027) is a conference and expo on digital, resilient and climate-neutral port operations. On the energy side, the Hydrogen Technology World Expo 2026 and the Carbon Capture Technology World Expo 2026 share the halls on 20–22 October 2026.
Security, medicine and trades
December brings two security events at CCH: SHLD 2026, a CISO-led cybersecurity conference on 9 December, and the Global Security and Innovation Summit 2026 on 9–10 December. Intensive care physicians and nurses meet at DIVI26 on 2–4 December 2026. Regional trade fairs such as GET NORD 2026 (19–21 November, electrical, sanitary, heating and air-conditioning) and MEGA MESSE 2027 (16–17 April, painters and floor layers) serve the building trades of northern Germany.
What are the main event venues in Hamburg?
Hamburg has one main event campus: the Hamburg Messe exhibition grounds and the CCH Congress Center Hamburg, run by the same company and joined by the Planten un Blomen park.
| Venue | What it is | What it hosts | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburg Messe | Exhibition grounds in the city centre | INTERNORGA, OMR Festival, Aircraft Interiors Expo, Seatrade Europe, GET NORD | 87,000 m² exhibition complex |
| CCH Congress Center Hamburg | Congress centre next to the fairgrounds | DIVI, SHLD, GSIS | About 36,000 m², up to 50 halls, up to 16,500 people |
According to the operator, the CCH has about 36,000 m² of floor space, up to 50 configurable halls and room for up to 16,500 people, including 12,000 m² of exhibition space. Its Hall 1 is Hamburg's largest auditorium. Because the two venues sit side by side, a large congress can use the exhibition halls for its industry show, and visitors walk between them through the park.
The campus is within walking distance of the inner city, and the operator notes that there are many hotels in the immediate vicinity. That makes Hamburg one of the easier German trade fair cities to visit without a car.
Getting to Hamburg and getting around
Hamburg is easy to reach by air and rail, and the event campus is central, so most visitors need only public transport.
- By air: Hamburg Airport (HAM) is the city's airport; long-haul travellers usually connect through a European or Middle Eastern hub.
- By rail: Hamburg is on Germany's long-distance rail network, with frequent trains from other major German cities.
- Around town: The U-Bahn and S-Bahn connect the airport, the main station and the event campus.
- Hotels: Book early for INTERNORGA and the OMR Festival, when the city fills up.
- Visas: Visitors whose nationality needs a visa for the Schengen area need a Schengen business visa. Apply at the German mission in your country, and ask the organiser for an invitation letter after registering.
Hamburg is Germany's second-largest city, with nearly two million inhabitants, and runs one of Europe's largest seaports. Plan an extra day if you want to see the port and the HafenCity district, where many maritime companies have offices.
How to make the most of a Hamburg event
Register in advance, check whether the event is trade-only, and plan meetings around the main show days.
- Check who can attend. Trade fairs such as INTERNORGA and Aircraft Interiors Expo are for industry professionals. Register with your company details.
- Ask exhibitors for free tickets. Many exhibitors send invitation codes to customers. INTERNORGA's site has a dedicated tickets and invitations section.
- Buy festival tickets early. OMR's site listed an early-bird price of €539 against a regular €649 for the 2027 festival when checked in October 2026.
- Use the free expos. The Hydrogen Technology and Carbon Capture Technology expos have free exhibition halls, with paid conference passes.
- Combine events. In April, the aviation and onboard services shows run on the same days in the same halls; in December, SHLD and GSIS run back to back at CCH.
- Book side events. The OMR Festival's first day is masterclasses and side events only, so arrive a day early if you want them.
For German trade fair travel more broadly, see atndr's guide to healthcare events in Germany and trade fairs in Germany for Gulf buyers.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the biggest business event in Hamburg?
- By attendance, the OMR Festival for marketing and the digital economy is the largest; its organiser reports about 70,000 attendees in 2026. The 2027 edition runs 3–5 May at Hamburg Messe.
- When is INTERNORGA 2027?
- INTERNORGA 2027 runs from 12 to 16 March 2027 at Hamburg Messe, open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. It is the trade fair for hospitality, foodservice, bakeries and catering.
- Where is Aircraft Interiors Expo held?
- Aircraft Interiors Expo is held at Hamburg Messe. The 2027 edition runs 6–8 April, alongside the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo.
- What is the CCH in Hamburg?
- The CCH Congress Center Hamburg is the city's main congress centre, next to the Hamburg Messe exhibition grounds. It has about 36,000 m² of floor space and room for up to 16,500 people.
- Which maritime events take place in Hamburg?
- Seatrade Europe, for the cruise and river cruise industry, runs 15–17 September 2027, and ALL ABOUT PORTS, on port operations, runs 17–18 November 2027. Both are at Hamburg Messe.
Sources
Written and fact-checked by the atndr team. Dates, venues and organizers are checked against each event’s official website; the figures in “At a glance” come live from the atndr calendar. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
