SMM 2026
Shipping
Hamburg, Germany
01-04 Sep 2026
Organizer:
Hamburg Messe und Congress
Venue:
Hamburg Messe und Congress
Frequency:
2 years
Event website:
SMM
The maritime industry's most pivotal event
The one platform for innovations and business opportunities in the shipyard and maritime industry that you should be paying your fullest attention to is SMM. It’s an international trade fair with an incredibly rich history, as it first welcomed trade visitors in 1963.
In that time, SMM—short for Shipbuilding, Machinery & Marine Technology – has established itself as an invaluable resource for business networking and industry trends. You are going to meet with the biggest players in the industry in one place and survey the entire value chain.
Product categories include fuel systems, marine engineering, marine equipment, inland vessels, lifting equipment, shipping companies, shipyard equipment, engines, exhaust, cargo handling systems, compressed air systems and polar technology. As SMM evolved, so did its programming, and now you have an incredible line-up of symposia, conferences, and workshops. So, if you are in the shipbuilding business, you should not miss this trade fair.
SMM 2026 – The Latest News
Between 01.09.2026 and 04.09.2026, SMM will be hosted as a face-to-face trade show. The hosting location for the event will be Messe Hamburg.
Accommodation
Since there’s going to be big interest in the trade fair, you need the help of specialists for finding a hotel room that will suit your needs. We are confident in saying that Trade Fair Trips Ltd is your reliable partner for your business trip. We work closely with exhibitors to deliver the best hotel rates during SMM and position you in hotels close to Messe Hamburg.
The booking process is more than easy. All you have to do is give us a budget and a number of beds. We will handle the rest and within a day you’ll have your online hotel booking for SMM. It doesn’t get any simpler than this.
Not to mention that Trade Fair Trips Ltd can also assist with logistics. You can reserve meeting rooms in advance as well as place appointments with us to install your trade fair booths. Select the services you need and create a custom travel package.
On foot:
Not advisable when travelling from Hamburg Airport
35 mins when travelling from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
By car:
23 mins when travelling from Hamburg Airport
7 mins when travelling from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
By public transport:
42 mins when travelling from Hamburg Airport
21 mins when travelling from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
Hotels near SMM
| Hotel | Stars | Distance to fair | City | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Moxy Hamburg Altona | Hamburg | from € 296.00 EUR | Book Now | ||
|
Park-Hotel Hagenbeck | 4.9 | Hamburg | from € 346.00 EUR | Book Now | |
|
Adina Apartment Hotel Hamburg Michel | 1.7 | Hamburg | from € 304.00 EUR | Book Now | |
| Hotel Baseler Hof | 2.48 | Hamburg | from € 296.00 EUR | Book Now | ||
| Hotel Engel | 5.48 | Hamburg | from € 216.00 EUR | Book Now | ||
|
InterCityHotel Hamburg Hauptbahnhof | 2.2 | Hamburg | from € 216.00 EUR | Book Now | |
|
Holiday Inn - Hamburg - Berliner Tor, an IHG | 4.7 | Hamburg | from € 241.00 EUR | Book Now | |
|
Hotel Hafen Hamburg | 2.1 | Hamburg | from € 271.43 EUR | Book Now | |
|
Novotel Hamburg Alster | 4 | Hamburg | from € 271.00 EUR | Book Now | |
|
Best Western Plus Hotel St. Raphael | 3.8 | Hamburg | from € 193.00 EUR | Book Now |
SMM arrives every two years in the port city of Hamburg, Germany, where it can fully reveal its rich product selection. Editions run a total of four days and are typically held in early September. Messe Hamburg hosts the international trade fair and the Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH is the official organiser with the general support of Germany’s biggest associations – VSM, VDMA, VSiH, VDR and VDS.
Only trade visitors are permitted on the premises and working hours are all set from 09:30 am until 18:00 pm on the first three days and until 16:00 pm on the last day. The last point to discuss is commuting. Aside from renting a car, there are multiple ways to get to Messe Hamburg – the fastest being the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. There are also several bus lines that service the exhibition grounds and are reliable throughout the day.
What to expect as an exhibitor?
- SMM is home to the entire value chain and there’s a great advantage to exhibiting as you’re in a position to perform in-depth market research and become aware of trends as they are first being identified;
- SMM is also home to the Maritime Future Summit, which investigates cutting-edge tech and the impact that it’s going to have on the industry on a global level – the current topics cover automation and the advent of digitalization;
- SMM is also the stage where challenges and innovations pertaining to maritime security and defence are discussed. The MS&D conference is well-recognized the world over and sees a high influx of naval delegations from a number of countries
What does this translate to in terms of visitors for SMM. How well are you going to get your ROI and diversify your revenue streams. Last editions saw participation from 2200 exhibitors from over 60 countries and close to 50,000 trade visitors. That is a good ratio in your favour, but another very optimistic statistic is that over 90% of all polled exhibitors report that they are satisfied with SMM as the audience is very receptive towards making new purchases.
Exhibitors come from all over the industry sectors – the shipbuilding industry, maritime services, engines, electrical engineering and ship operating equipment. Visitors are here for many purposes – yes, the chief among them is to make new business connections and purchase, but it’s also to engage with peers and exchange expertise, educate themselves, do market research, learn about innovations and scout competition.
SMM 2022
The 2022 edition of SMM marked the return of the trade fair to face-to-face formats. It focused on two topics – carbon neutrality and energy transition. The event, held at Messe Hamburg in the absence of Covid-19 safety measures due to the removal of the pandemic-related restrictions, featured 2,000 exhibitors and more than 30,000 attendees from over 100 nations.
SMM 2024
SMM's 2024 edition took place as a live trade fair in Hamburg Messe und Congress. It reaffirmed the event's position as a leading and international trade show related to the maritime industry. The event took place between 03.09.2024 and 06.09.2024. The event featured over 48,000 participants from more than 100 countries. Among them were more than 2,200 exhibitors, more than 300 speakers, and 29 naval delegations from 19 nations.
