Europe's vetted stand-builder directory
Choosing a forwarder is half a logistics decision and half a contractual one — most major European Messen hand on-site handling to a single official partner (Schenker at Frankfurt, Kuehne+Nagel at Düsseldorf and Berlin, BTG at München), and the split between external trucking and venue-controlled in-hall movement is where exhibitors regularly overshoot freight budgets by 30-50%. This section covers consolidator selection, direct vs groupage economics, official forwarder tariffs, and the documentation rules that keep your crates moving.
DB Schenker holds the on-site appointed-forwarder concession at Messe Frankfurt, but exhibitors can deliver through Kuehne+Nagel, DHL Trade Fairs, and other consolidators. A practical comparison of pricing, on-site handling fees, last-mile control, and the contractual fine print that determines which forwarder actually saves you money for a given consignment profile.
Choosing between the venue's official forwarder, a consolidated groupage service, and a direct charter determines whether your stand crates arrive in the two-hour delivery window or sit in the marshalling yard for three days. A working framework with named forwarders, real EUR rates, and venue-specific quirks.
Three customs regimes can move an exhibition stand into the European Union. DDP pays the duty and VAT and treats the goods as permanently imported; ATA carnet uses a temporary-admission document that defers duty and VAT for up to 12 months; temporary import procedure runs through EU customs without a carnet. A practical decision matrix for picking the right regime for your consignment, your fair calendar, and your post-show plan.
