As 2024 Wraps Up, Let’s Take a Look at the Remaining Trade Fairs Around the World

SPIEL 2024: October 3rd - 6th; Essen, Germany

We begin the list with SPIEL, the quintessential event for the board game industry. No matter how you roll the dice, you’re bound to win at SPIEL, which taps into an unrivalled pool of great talents, buyers and players alike. The last edition saw attendance of 193,000 visitors from 85 nations. The other numbers were certainly impressive as well: 935 exhibitors across six halls, and 1,750 new products. Trying to build up buzz for your game project? Head on to the Meet & Play where you’ll brush with journalists, bloggers, vloggers, and podcasters, and build yourself a healthy community. It’s also a perfect place to survey the latest trends and innovations in the gaming scene.

SPIEL welcomes everyone from seasoned gamers and game creators to those new to the hobby, and it’s the fair’s welcoming atmosphere that has made it last for so long. Friendly explainers will be on hand to guide players through new games, and renowned authors will be signing copies of their latest works, eager to meet their fans. If Warhammer is your life, then the Golden Demon painting competition will make your entire visit. This painting contest attracts thousands of entries, each more competitive than the next.

Frankfurt Book Fair 2024: October 16th– 20th; Frankfurt, Germany

Autumn makes for the perfect time to cosy up with a book, and it’s when the Frankfurt Book Fair welcomes an unimaginably large audience; over 215,000 visitors from 130 countries. There’s no other event that can take away its throne as the single most significant international gathering for the book and media industry. You can experience the entire world of literature as curated by over 4,000 exhibitors from 95 countries, and broaden your professional network with high-profile names amongst publishers, authors, literary agents, and book reviewers.

Keeping up with previous years, the 2024 edition is expected to break attendance records once again. And for good reason! What other book fair can compete with its Literary Agents & Scouts Centre (LitAg), the world’s largest rights centre. The space is equipped with 548 workstations and represents 324 agencies. LitAg provides space for literary agents and scouts to negotiate book deals and explore international rights opportunities. We also have to mention the Publishers Rights Centre (PRC), which is where publishers work alongside agents to shape up the next year’s releases!

But that’s only scratching the surface. The Frankfurt Book Fair entertains its massive audience with some 2,600 supplementary events. Sit down to listen to panels, or wait in line to get your books signed from your favourite author. There are many options including discussions on hot button issues and readings from the biggest names in literature.

All4Pack 2024: November 4th– 7th; Paris, France

ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS challenges current attitudes and understanding of packaging and what it could be. It’s an essential meeting point for professionals engaged in the packaging, printing, processing and logistics sectors. The past two years have seen the trade fair move in a new direction, complete with a new vision and mission, as the 2022 show led with the motto “Lead the Revolution” and took on a stronger stance on sustainability. The numbers are more than reason enough to attend - over 1,300 exhibitors and 80,000 professionals, - but if that’s not, come see the next generation of sustainable packaging practices.

Of course, besides business meetings and product pitches, ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS wins you over with a fast-paced program that features panel discussions, workshops, and keynote talks from industry leaders and European opinion-makers. The Start-Up Area will spotlight the vast spectrum of solutions from emerging companies aimed at reducing packaging waste and optimising resource use.

Web Summit 2024: November 11th– 14th; Lisbon, Portugal

The digital community has the Web Summit to look forward to this November! The annual event turns all eyes to Southern Europe for guidance, insights and innovative solutions to the budding problems in the tech industry. If you’re looking for where to position yourself within the active and competitive startup scene, Web Summit gives you all the resources and opportunities as part of the ‘Startup University’ and ‘New Venture Summit’ stages. The programme has no rival and organisers are slowly rolling out the talks on the schedule.

Web Summit is all about making the right connections as over 3,000 startups will make the most to capture the attention of over 1,000 investors. If you have to be a female-led startup, then “404: Funding for Women Not Found,” scheduled for Wednesday, at Startup University should tell you all you need to know about securing funding in a landscape that’s far from welcoming. The talk will break down the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs, unlock success stories, and gain practical tips for navigating the funding maze.

Pferd & Jagd 2024: December 5th – 8th; Hannover, Gеrmаnу

We’re ending the year on a fun note as we got to Hannover for Pferd & Jagd, which has big, big news - a complete rebrand! Europe’s go-to trade fair for equestrian enthusiasts and hunters will be no more. Instead, the trade fair will split into two different fairs with PASSION PFERD designed for the needs of horse lovers. The upcoming edition has caught momentum from its previous year, which saw 67,000 visitors and over 700 exhibitors.

So what does a rebrand mean exactly? Other than a switch in name, PASSION PFERD will keep up all the hallmarks of previous Pferd & Jagd editions - quality products, expert talks, live demonstrations, and a memorable support program. It’s not an equestrian event without a solid dose of showmanship and this is where "Night of the Horses" and MiMaMo come back to shine and delight audiences. During the day, though, visitors can learn all there is about horse care and try out the products on sale.