City guides
Business events in Munich in 2026–27: the trade fairs and congresses worth attending
Munich's 2026–27 business calendar: electronica, BAU, transport logistic, The smarter E, automatica, IAA MOBILITY, the venues and how to get there.
By the atndr teamPublished 6 min read
The short answer
Munich's business events run almost entirely through Messe München and its ICM congress centre, and the 2026–27 calendar on atndr is led by engineering shows: electronica with SEMICON Europa (10–13 November 2026), BAU (11–15 January 2027), transport logistic (26–29 April 2027), The smarter E Europe (7–10 June 2027), automatica with Laser World of Photonics (22–25 June 2027) and IAA MOBILITY (7–10 September 2027). Several of these run only every two years.
Key takeaways
- Messe München hosts nearly every large show; the ICM – International Congress Center on the same grounds hosts congresses such as BIM World, LOPEC and the conferences of The smarter E.
- electronica (2026) and productronica (16–19 November 2027) alternate years, as do BAU and automatica, so check the edition year before planning.
- The smarter E Europe brings four energy exhibitions together: conferences on 7–8 June 2027 at the ICM, exhibition days on 8–10 June 2027.
- Late June 2027 is a combined week: automatica, Laser World of Photonics and World of Quantum all run on 22–25 June.
- The U2 runs from Munich Central Station to Messestadt West and Messestadt Ost in about 20 minutes without changing; a taxi from the airport has a fixed fare of EUR 90.
- Only explicitly marked trade fair tickets include MVV public transport; print-at-home tickets do not.
On this page
When is the business event season in Munich?
Munich's season runs all year, but the heaviest months are November, January to April and June. November brings the electronics industry, January opens with BAU, spring belongs to logistics, print and digital health, and June is the month for energy, automation and photonics. September has IAA MOBILITY and the founder conference Bits & Pretzels.
| Month | Notable events on atndr | Industries |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Personalmesse München (20–21), The Business Booster (28–29) | HR, cleantech |
| Nov 2026 | electronica and SEMICON Europa (10–13), BIM World MUNICH (24–25) | Electronics, semiconductors, construction digitalisation |
| Jan 2027 | BAU (11–15), MUNICH FABRIC START (20–22), opti (29–31) | Architecture and building materials, textiles, optics |
| Feb 2027 | INHORGENTA MUNICH (19–22), TrendSet Winter (21–23) | Jewellery and watches, interiors and lifestyle |
| Mar 2027 | LOPEC (2–4), ICE Europe (9–11), PERFORMANCE DAYS (17–18) | Printed electronics, converting, functional fabrics |
| Apr 2027 | FESPA Global Print Expo (6–9), DMEA (13–15), transport logistic (26–29) | Print and signage, digital health, logistics |
| Jun 2027 | The smarter E Europe (7–10), automatica, Laser World of Photonics and World of Quantum (22–25) | Solar, storage, e-mobility, robotics, photonics, quantum |
| Sep 2027 | IAA MOBILITY (7–10), Bits & Pretzels (27–29) | Automotive and mobility, start-ups |
| Oct–Nov 2027 | iba (24–28 Oct), productronica (16–19 Nov) | Bakery and confectionery, electronics manufacturing |
The always-current list is on atndr's Munich events page.
Which Munich events are worth attending, by industry?
Munich is strongest in electronics, construction, energy, logistics and automation; most flagship shows in those sectors are organised by Messe München itself.
Electronics and semiconductors
electronica (10–13 November 2026) covers components, semiconductors, sensors, embedded systems and power electronics; the organiser reported more than 3,480 exhibitors and over 80,000 visitors in 2024. SEMICON Europa, SEMI's show for the chip manufacturing supply chain, runs alongside it, and one visitor ticket covers both. In odd years productronica (16–19 November 2027) takes over, focused on electronics manufacturing equipment.
Construction and real estate
BAU (11–15 January 2027) is the biennial fair for architecture, materials and systems, where architects, planners, contractors and investors meet. BIM World MUNICH (24–25 November 2026, ICM) is the congress and trade fair for digital construction and facility management; it reports more than 8,500 visitors.
Energy, mobility and logistics
The smarter E Europe combines Intersolar Europe, ees Europe (batteries and storage), Power2Drive Europe (charging and e-mobility) and EM-Power Europe (energy management); the organiser expects more than 2,600 exhibitors in 2027. InnoEnergy's The Business Booster comes to Munich for the first time in October 2026 for cleantech start-ups, investors and industry. transport logistic (26–29 April 2027) covers freight and supply chains and hosts air cargo Europe. IAA MOBILITY (7–10 September 2027), run by the German automotive association VDA, has its business core, the IAA Summit, at the fairground.
Automation, photonics and quantum
automatica, Laser World of Photonics and World of Quantum share the fairground on 22–25 June 2027, so robotics, laser and quantum buyers can cover all three in one trip. LOPEC (2–4 March 2027) is the specialist event for flexible and printed electronics.
Health, consumer goods and start-ups
DMEA, Europe's digital health fair, moves from Berlin to Munich in 2027 (13–15 April); its 2026 edition had 22,000 attendees. INHORGENTA MUNICH is the jewellery and watch fair, and TrendSet the twice-yearly interiors and lifestyle order fair. Bits & Pretzels (27–29 September 2027) is a founders conference held during the Oktoberfest, with 7,500 attendees according to the organiser.
Which venues host Munich's business events?
Messe München's fairground hosts almost every large event, with a congress centre on site; a few smaller fairs use the MOC Event Center, also run by Messe München.
| Venue | What it hosts | Examples on atndr |
|---|---|---|
| Messe München (Trade Fair Centre, Messestadt) | Large international trade fairs | electronica, BAU, transport logistic, The smarter E, automatica, IAA MOBILITY |
| ICM – International Congress Center München (on the fairground) | Congresses and conference programmes | BIM World MUNICH, LOPEC, The smarter E conferences, Bits & Pretzels |
| MOC Event Center Messe München | Smaller and regional trade fairs | Personalmesse München, MUNICH FABRIC START, Werbemittelmesse München |
The MOC is a separate site from the main fairground, so check the address on the event page before you book a hotel near Messestadt.
How do you get to Messe München, and what does it cost?
Take the U2 underground line: Messestadt West and Messestadt Ost stations both give direct access to the fairground.
- From Munich Central Station: about 20 minutes on the U2 towards Messestadt Ost, without changing trains.
- From Munich Airport by train: the S1 or S8 run every 10 minutes to the city centre, taking 45 to 60 minutes; change to the U2 there.
- By airport shuttle: the Messe München shuttle takes about 45 minutes and stops at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
- By taxi: a fixed fare of EUR 90 and around 35 minutes from the airport.
- Public transport on your ticket: only explicitly marked trade fair tickets include MVV public transport on the day of admission. The print-at-home ticket does not.
Hotels fill early for the biggest shows, and Bits & Pretzels falls in Oktoberfest season, so book accommodation as soon as your dates are fixed.
How do you make the most of a Munich trade fair?
Check the edition year, combine co-located shows and register online before you travel.
- Confirm the cycle. BAU, electronica, automatica and productronica are biennial; a show you remember from last year may not be on this year.
- Combine shows. One ticket covers electronica and SEMICON Europa; automatica, Laser World of Photonics and World of Quantum run the same week; The smarter E groups four exhibitions on one site.
- Separate conference and exhibition. Many Munich events pair a paid congress at the ICM with an exhibition on the halls; The smarter E's conferences start a day before its exhibition.
- Register online. Online tickets are usually cheaper and avoid queues at the entrance.
- Use matchmaking. Bits & Pretzels and The Business Booster are built around founder-investor and B2B meetings; book them before the event.
Dates and venues here come from each organiser's own site; every event page on atndr links to it.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the biggest trade fair in Munich?
- Among the events on atndr for 2026–27, electronica reported more than 3,480 exhibitors and over 80,000 visitors in 2024, and The smarter E Europe expects more than 2,600 exhibitors in June 2027. BAU and IAA MOBILITY are the other large international shows.
- How do I get from Munich Airport to Messe München?
- Take the S1 or S8 to the city centre and change to the U2 towards Messestadt Ost, or use the Messe München airport shuttle (about 45 minutes). A taxi costs a fixed EUR 90 and takes around 35 minutes.
- Is productronica held every year?
- No. productronica runs every two years and alternates with electronica: electronica is on 10–13 November 2026 and productronica on 16–19 November 2027, both at Messe München.
- When is The smarter E Europe 2027?
- The conferences run on 7–8 June 2027 at the ICM München, and the four exhibitions (Intersolar, ees, Power2Drive and EM-Power Europe) on 8–10 June 2027 at Messe München.
- Does a trade fair ticket include Munich public transport?
- Only if the ticket is explicitly marked as including it, and then only on the day of admission within the MVV network. Print-at-home tickets do not include public transport.
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.
