Hannover – After nine days, infa 2025 came to an end on Sunday evening (October 19, 2025) at the exhibition grounds in Hannover. Around 750 exhibitors presented products, services, and trends from the areas of home, lifestyle, enjoyment, fashion, beauty, and Christmas. With 102,000 visitors, attendance was slightly down on the previous year, but the organizers still consider the event a success. Klaudia Kohl, Head of Consumer Shows at Deutsche Messe: “Despite challenging economic conditions, the 71st infa once again proved that it has a firm place in the North German event calendar.”

The diversity of the themed worlds was once again one of the hallmarks of the trade fair. From interior design ideas and kitchen innovations to creative hands-on activities, Christmas decorations, and delicacies, infa offered a wide range of attractions that invited visitors to stroll, try things out, and discover new things. The weekends were particularly busy, with the traditional change of thematic focus appealing to different visitor groups.

Right from the start, infalino, the trade fair for young families, attracted a great deal of interest. Here, everything revolved around pregnancy, baby and toddler equipment, nutrition, and baby health. In addition to advice and new products, the supporting program offered practical lectures and hands-on activities. Numerous families took the opportunity to obtain comprehensive information and talk directly to manufacturers and experts.

The infa kreativ event on the second weekend of the fair was also a magnet for creative minds, with everything themed around “Do It Yourself.” Visitors could find out about new materials, tools, and techniques, take part in workshops, or get creative in open participation areas. The offerings ranged from handicrafts and arts and crafts to sustainable upcycling ideas. The new “Uncorked Art” format, which combined painting with wine tasting for the first time, was particularly well received.

There was a special highlight this year in the Christmas Hall. For the first time, an ice rink invited visitors to take a few spins amid fairy lights, Christmas trees, and festive music. Almost 1,500 people took advantage of this new attraction, creating a lively atmosphere in the hall, which is traditionally one of the most atmospheric areas of the fair. In addition to decorations, gift ideas, and culinary specialties, the ice rink was a crowd-puller that appealed to families in particular and further enhanced the experiential character of infa.

In addition, infa was once again committed to a good cause this year. The donation project “DIE!!! Weihnachtsfeier” (THE Christmas Party), which has been part of Christmas for three years, raised a total of €15,000. The donations will be used to enable people in need in Hanover to enjoy a festive Christmas party in December at the Hanover Congress Center.

This year, the new Grow & Glow event format, which took place for the first time at infa on Friday, attracted particular attention. The day was dedicated to female empowerment and aimed at women interested in topics related to beauty, health, finance, and careers. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and from the outset, all seats in front of the stage in Hall 19 were occupied. Among the prominent guests was actress Wolke Hegenbarth, who spoke openly about self-discovery, professional challenges, and personal balance. The program was complemented by panels with experts from the fields of medicine, coaching, fashion, and lifestyle. The aim of the format was to highlight different facets of womanhood and provide inspiration on how women can shape their everyday lives with confidence, health, and equality.

This year, the new Grow & Glow event format, which took place for the first time at infa on Friday, attracted particular attention. The day was dedicated to female empowerment and aimed at women interested in topics related to beauty, health, finance, and careers. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and from the outset, all seats in front of the stage in Hall 19 were occupied. Among the prominent guests was actress Wolke Hegenbarth, who spoke openly about self-discovery, professional challenges, and personal balance. The program was complemented by panels with experts from the fields of medicine, coaching, fashion, and lifestyle. The aim of the format was to highlight different facets of being a woman and to provide inspiration on how women can shape their everyday lives with confidence, health, and equality.

infa boss Klaudia Kohl draws a positive conclusion: "With Grow & Glow, we have focused on important issues relating to women's health, careers, love, fashion, and cosmetics, created a new network, and made women shine. This was the successful start of a new series that we want to expand further in the coming year." According to Kohl, the plan is to establish Grow & Glow as a permanent feature of the trade fair in the future and to expand the content thematically.

Another new feature this year was the gourmet lounge, which offered numerous tastings and exciting workshops, including one with Raheem Haidar (“Das große Backen” [The Great Bake Off]) and numerous hands-on activities in the areas of yoga, Pilates, and mental health.

In addition to these highlights, infa 2025 once again offered its usual wide range of shopping and experience opportunities. The themed worlds of Lifestyle, Beauty & Wellness, Building & Living, Market Hall, and Christmas showcased a wide range of products and services—from high-quality furniture to fashion and cosmetics to culinary specialties. It was striking that many exhibitors were increasingly focusing on sustainability and regionality—especially in the special area infa regional, which was organized by the Association of North German Direct Marketers. Energy efficiency also played an increasingly important role in the Building & Living section, where specialist companies presented solutions for renovation issues, heating technology, and photovoltaics.

Klaudia Kohl: “Infa has once again proven itself to be a platform that picks up on current trends and connects different areas of life. It stands equally for shopping fun as well as for exchange, information, and inspiration.”

Once again, it was clear that the quality of visitors was particularly high, with many exhibitors reporting concrete sales successes and lively exchanges with both regular and new customers (see exhibitor comments below). According to an independent market research institute, 80 percent of visitors to infa bought or ordered something.

Klaudia Kohl sees these results as confirmation of the trade fair concept. The need for real experiences, personal advice, and direct exchange remains high, according to the infa boss. “Formats such as Grow & Glow, the tastings, the gourmet tours, the workshops at infa kreativ, and the samples in the show kitchen underscore that trade fairs today must be more than just sales events—they are places of encounter and experience.”

Overall, infa 2025 demonstrated that the concept of a multifaceted experience fair has lost none of its appeal for exhibitors and visitors alike. The mix of information, entertainment, sales, and social engagement was well received by exhibitors and visitors alike. And so, in its 71st year, the trade fair remained an important meeting place for consumers, retailers, and industry representatives in northern Germany. It proves that trade fairs, as real platforms for exchange, inspiration, and community, have lost none of their relevance even in the digital age.

The next infa will take place from October 10 to 18, 2026.