Economic effects of the Leipzig trade fairs: Employment for some 6,000 persons at events and congresses

Exhibitors and visitors of trade-fair events as well as participants of congresses are the demanders of services that induce output and employment effects in very different sectors of the economy. Trade-fairs and congresses thus add additional spending power to the region and make an important contribution to the region's economy. The Ifo Institute already calculated the aggregate economic and employment effects of the Leipzig trade fairs and congresses for the years 1994 to 1997 and 2002. On the basis of these studies and using the total spending of trade fair exhibitors and visitors of all Leipzig trade fairs in 2005 as well as the total expenses of congress participants and exhibitors in 2004, the Ifo Institute quantified the direct and indirect production and employment effects as well as the induced tax revenue. The results of the study show that the economic effects of the fairs, congresses as well as special events at the Leipzig trade-fair site play an important economic role that should not be underestimated: More than 4,800 persons in the new states have found employment from the events at the Leipzig trade-fair site.