Organizing trade fairs, exhibitions and markets commercially

• Existence of an event eligible for licensing as described in detail in the Industrial Code in relation to the various types of event. Example: the characteristics of a trade fair, a wholesale market or a specialty market
• Personal reliability of the applicant and the persons responsible for managing the event
• fulfillment of the requirements stipulated for the respective type of event in accordance with the trade regulations,
  - for example, precautions must be taken to protect visitors,
  - the organization of the event must not be contrary to the public interest, e.g. violate the provisions of building law or immission control law, for example against noise, or those of public holiday law, or give rise to fears of other significant disruptions to public safety or order, for example due to road or visitor traffic
• Suitable venue (e.g. special markets may not take place in stores)

You must apply for the determination; this can be done in writing or, if the competent body provides access, electronically. The application should contain the following information:

• Name of the organizer
• Date, duration (start and end), time (daily opening hours) and location of the event
• Subject of the event (description of the event according to its characteristics)
• In particular: Details of the goods and services on offer

As soon as the event has been approved, you will receive a written notification.

In the public interest, the event may be subject to conditions; this is also possible retrospectively.

Please note: Once the event has been approved, you as the organizer are obliged to hold it.

• Copy of identity card or comparable identification document
• Current excerpt from the commercial or cooperative register, if the organizing company is entered in the register; otherwise a copy of the articles of association (e.g. in the case of a civil law partnership (GbR))
• If the company is based abroad: documents from the country of domicile that prove the legal form
• Extract from the Federal Central Criminal Register (certificate of good conduct) for submission to an authority for each person who is responsible for managing the company or a branch office (for legal entities: for all persons authorized to represent the company by law, articles of association or partnership agreement)
• Extract from the central trade register for each person entrusted with the management of the business or a branch office (in the case of legal entities: for the legal entity itself and for all persons authorized to represent it by law, articles of association or partnership agreement)
• If you live abroad: documents from your home country that prove your personal reliability

At the request of the competent authority:

• Certificate in tax matters from the relevant tax office
• Extract from the debtor register of the central enforcement court
• Information from the insolvency court as to whether proceedings have been opened
• Clearance certificate from the municipal tax office

To assess whether the characteristics of the event applied for (e.g. trade fair, special market) are present, documents proving this, for example

• expected list of participants
• List of the type of goods or services to be offered
• If applicable, the conditions of participation set by you as the organizer
• The competent authority may request further documents to verify personal reliability.

In the case of legal entities (GmbH, company limited by shares, AG, registered cooperative), you only need to complete the application form for the legal entity itself. You must submit all personal documents for all natural persons authorized to manage the company (e.g. identity papers). For the legal entity, you also need an excerpt from the central trade register.

Partnerships (GbR, KG, OHG, PartG, GmbH Co. KG) are not eligible for a license as such. Therefore, each managing partner requires a permit. You must submit a completed application form and all personal documents for each of these persons.

It is advisable to submit the application at least six weeks before the start of the event.

In principle, anyone may participate in a trade fair, exhibition or market. As the organizer, you can restrict the event to certain groups of exhibitors, suppliers and visitors or exclude individual interested parties from participation for objectively justified reasons, especially if there is not enough space available. Applicants must be selected on the basis of objective, verifiable selection criteria. These include criteria such as the attractiveness, balance, versatility and novelty of the business operated by the applicant.

 Organization of weekly markets (opens in a new tab)

 §§ Sections 64 to 71b of the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (GewO) (trade fairs, exhibitions, markets) (opens in a new tab)
 § Section 3a (1) of the State Administrative Procedure Act (LVwVfG) (electronic communication) (opens in a new tab)