First-timer's guide · Oct 5–7, 2026 · Munich
Working EXPO REAL 2026 for the first time.
1,700 exhibitors, 42,000 attendees, and a rhythm you only learn by working it. Here's what matters — for the booth side and the buying side — plus the Munich logistics nobody puts in the brochure.
If you're exhibiting
New exhibitor tips
This is a meetings fair, not a products fair
EXPO REAL is where property developers, investors, cities and financiers hold three days of back-to-back meetings. Stand design matters far less than seating capacity and a schedule that is full before you arrive.
Exhibitor access starts at 07:30
Doors open for exhibitors at 07:30 every day against a 09:00 visitor opening. That 90 minutes is when the pre-arranged breakfasts happen — the most valuable slot of the day, and the one most first-timers sleep through.
Turnstiles open at 08:53, not 09:00
The organiser opens entry seven minutes early so 09:00 meetings actually start at 09:00. Tell your visitors — it is the difference between a punctual first meeting and a queue.
Wednesday ends at 16:00
The final day closes three hours earlier than Monday and Tuesday. Anything unscheduled by Wednesday lunchtime will not happen.
Capture in the meeting, not after it
Six to eight meetings a day for three days is 20+ conversations per person, all with similar-looking business cards from similar-sounding funds. Photograph the card and voice-note the mandate immediately — by Wednesday nobody reconstructs Monday accurately.
If you're visiting or buying
New visitor tips
Book the Meeting Center if you have no stand
Rooms on the first floor between halls A1 and A2, near the west main entrance, seat up to 8 (a few up to 12), all with daylight, LAN and Wi-Fi. Booked in 50-minute slots on the hour and half hour, €365 per slot plus VAT including coffee, tea, soft drinks and pastries. Maximum five slots — book early.
Munich in October means Oktoberfest overlap risk
Munich hotel prices in early October are among Europe's highest. The organiser lists official room agencies (TRADEFAIRS/DERTOUR, München Tourismus) and private-room services — and warns explicitly about accommodation fraud. Book through a listed partner.
Plan the day around 09:00 and 19:00
Visitor hours are 09:00–19:00 on Monday and Tuesday, 09:00–16:00 on Wednesday. The long evenings are deliberate — the second half of the day is when the unscheduled conversations happen.
Messe München is a district, not a building
Check the hall plan and the site plan before you arrive and pick your entrance. Crossing the grounds between meetings costs more time than anyone budgets for.
How the days flow
- —Monday: the heaviest day — everyone is present, calendars are full, and the 07:30 exhibitor opening is already working.
- —Tuesday: the deepest deal conversations; evening receptions run late and are where the follow-ups get agreed.
- —Wednesday: a short 09:00–16:00 close. Confirmations and handovers, not new introductions.
Munich logistics
Getting there
Messe München, Riem — U2 to Messestadt West or Messestadt Ost puts you at either end of the grounds. Choose the station nearest your halls; the walk between the two is substantial.
Opening hours
Monday and Tuesday 09:00–19:00 for visitors (07:30 for exhibitors), Wednesday 09:00–16:00. Turnstiles open at 08:53.
Where to stay
Official room agencies include TRADEFAIRS (DERTOUR) and München Tourismus, plus private-room services like CHECK-IN! and the EXPO REAL Camp. The organiser publishes a fraud warning for a reason — book through a named partner.
The tip every guide agrees on
Capture at the booth. Never "the stack for later."
Whichever side of the aisle you work at EXPO REAL 2026, DaGaMa turns photos of cards, badges, and products into a structured Google Sheet you own — in WhatsApp, Telegram, or WeChat. Free for your first 24 hours.
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