UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry – has published its 2025 World Map of Exhibition Venues, revealing an updated picture of global exhibition infrastructure, capacity distribution, and emerging market developments. The comprehensive study, produced in collaboration with jwc GmbH, tracks 1,530 exhibition venues worldwide, representing a combined 44.3 million sqm of gross indoor exhibition space.
The 2025 edition provides global and regional analyses, along with detailed market profiles for major exhibition nations. A total of 22 countries with more than 300,000 sqm of available exhibition space are spotlighted, highlighting ongoing investments and changing trends in the global exhibition sector.
Asia-Pacific Strengthens Lead Over Europe
One of the most significant insights from the report is the continued shift in global market share:
- Asia-Pacific: 38.1%
- Europe: 36.3%
- North America: 17.2%
For the second consecutive year, Asia-Pacific holds the world’s largest share of exhibition space — underscoring the region’s rapid economic development, expansion of trade activities, and strong government support for MICE infrastructure.
China Retains Position as World’s Largest Exhibition Market
China remains firmly at the top with 30.9% of global exhibition venue capacity, followed by:
- United States: 14.3%
- Germany: 7.1%
Together with Italy and France, these five nations account for over 63% of all global indoor exhibition space, demonstrating their central role in the international exhibitions ecosystem.
Large-Scale Venues Continue to Grow
The study identifies 81 venues worldwide offering more than 100,000 sqm of indoor exhibition space. Their distribution includes:
- 38 in Europe
- 38 in Asia-Pacific
- 4 in North America
- 1 in the Middle East & Africa
This indicates parallel growth between Europe and Asia-Pacific at the highest scale of exhibition infrastructure. Notably, the 2025 report includes new venues in Barbados, Jamaica, and Uganda for the first time, signaling expansion in emerging markets.
Global Census and Market Insights
The census covers all exhibition facilities with at least 5,000 sqm of indoor exhibition space as of end-2024.
Market-by-market insights are provided for:
Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Türkiye.
These profiles analyze capacity, development plans, and competitive positioning across both mature and developing exhibition economies.
Industry Leaders Highlight Growth & Confidence
Chris Skeith OBE, UFI CEO & Managing Director, emphasized the strategic importance of venue development:-
“Exhibition venues are a key component of our industry’s growth, and this year’s World Map once again highlights just how dynamic this landscape has become. The Asia-Pacific region continues to outpace Europe in total exhibition space for the second consecutive year — a sign of shifting global momentum.”
