About Messe Düsseldorf
Messe Düsseldorf is an exhibition venue in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Messe Dusseldorf was founded in 1947 to help rebuild post-war Rhineland industry and has since become the most concentrated cluster of "global number one" trade fairs in Europe. The 308,000 m grounds span 19 halls plus 26,000 m of outdoor area in the Stockum district north of the city.
The hall portfolio
Halls 1-17 form the core complex, with the more recent Hall 6 (20,000 m, 14 m ceiling) being the preferred venue for the largest single-stand builds at K and drupa. Halls 8a and 8b have the highest floor loads (5,000 kg/m) and host the heaviest plastics-machinery at K. Hall 14 was added in 2019 and offers the most modern rigging grid (1,200 kg per point). Ceiling heights vary from 9 m in the older southern halls to 27 m in Hall 6 (where boot displays yachts vertically). The outdoor area between halls 1 and 7 hosts heavy-machinery demonstrations at K and interpack.
Signature fairs
K (plastics and rubber, every 3 years) is the global leader with 3,000 exhibitors. drupa (print and packaging, every 4 years) brings 1,700 exhibitors and 170,000 visitors over eleven days. MEDICA (annual) is the largest medical-technology trade fair in the world. interpack (every 3 years) anchors the global packaging industry. boot Dusseldorf (annual January) is the worlds largest yacht and water-sports trade fair. EuroShop (every 3 years) is the global retail-technology leader.
Logistics for exhibitors
The venue is served by U78 tram (15 minutes from Dusseldorf central station) and S-Bahn S11/S6 from Dusseldorf International Airport (12 minutes). Schenker is the appointed on-site forwarder. The dedicated freight access road (Stockumer Hofe) bypasses the city centre. K and drupa specifically use a 24-hour build-up window during the final 48 hours, with rigging crews working through the night.
Working at Dusseldorf
Rhineland business culture is more relaxed than Frankfurts or Munichs. The citys substantial Japanese community (8,000+ residents) means K and interpack regularly attract 40+ percent international visitor share. Build-up periods are generous (often six to eight days for the triennials). All electrical schematics must be stamped by a VDE-certified engineer.
What your builder handles at this venue
Schenker is the appointed on-site forwarder, with a dedicated customs warehouse at Gate 5. International freight from Asia (significant volume for K and interpack) typically clears Dusseldorf customs within 24 hours. ATA Carnets are processed through the on-site Schenker customs office.
Each hall has dedicated truck docks at its rear; Gate 1 serves halls 1-7, Gate 3 serves halls 8-12, Gate 5 serves halls 13-17. Truck slots must be booked through the Messe Dusseldorf logistics portal at least 21 days before build-up for triennials. For K, expect 1,000+ truck movements per day during peak build-up.
Forklifts (3, 5 and 7 tonne) and mobile cranes up to 50 tonne are bookable through Schenker. K and drupa specifically need 80-tonne lifts for the largest machine installations - book 21 days in advance. Maximum rigging point load is 1,000 kg in older halls and 1,200 kg in Hall 14. TUV-certified Standsicherheitsnachweis (stability certificate) required for everything above 3 m tall.
Standard stand connections are 16A or 32A 3-phase; large machine demonstrations at K can order up to 1,000 kVA per stand with 30 days notice. All work by VDE-certified contractors. Final inspection 12 hours before doors.
Build-up: 07:00-22:00 with 24-hour access during the final 48 hours for K, drupa, MEDICA and interpack. Dismantle begins 1 hour after close and must clear within 72 hours. German labour law applies (max 10 hours per day, mandatory rest periods).