Fresh impulses, new faces: PaintExpo 2026 gets underway

New Design PaintExpo

Project Director Carmen Bender

Exactly one year before the doors to PaintExpo open from April 14 to 17, 2026, more than 260 companies have secured around 10,000 square meters of exhibition space. This means that over 70 percent of the exhibition space from the previous event has already been rented out, and the organizers are very satisfied. The most important platform for world premieres, trends, future technologies, and innovations in industrial coating technology continues its successful course from previous years as the world’s leading trade fair, without standing still.

High Internationality and Important Industry Players

Among the international exhibitors are Blastman Robotics, coatmaster, Estalia Performance, Gema Switzerland, JMC, Sistem Teknik Makina, Tecknos Group, TIGER Coatings, and Oxyplast Belgium. Currently, the proportion of foreign exhibitors is around 50 percent, with Italy and Switzerland being the most strongly represented. Beyond neighboring European countries such as France, Poland, Spain, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands, exhibitors from Turkey, India, Egypt, China, and Cyprus are also present. Major industry leaders from Germany who will showcase their equipment and devices for wet coating at PaintExpo include Sames, Krautzberger, Dürr, Eisenmann, SATA, Venjakob, and Walther Trowal. In the powder coating sector, J. Wagner, Rippert, Nordson, and Jürgen Emptmeyer have confirmed their participation. Innovations in automation and conveyor technology will be presented by Louis Schierholz and SEH Engineering, for example. Paint manufacturers MIPA, Akzonobel, Emil Frei, and BERLAC will also showcase their latest products in Karlsruhe.

New Management with Extensive Trade Fair Expertise

Freshly appointed as Project Director, Carmen Bender states: “The response from the industry is great. It is our motivation to further promote the internationalization of the world’s leading trade fair PaintExpo and to highlight the latest developments and topics.” The long-standing employee of Leipziger Messe benefits from her cross-industry experience in trade fair and congress business and brings fresh impulses along with other new team members. Regarding the very good registration status, she adds: “Companies wishing for a specific exhibition space should decide quickly. The registration deadline for all others ends in late November 2025.”

PaintExpo Focuses on More Color

Another visible innovation that will characterize PaintExpo from now on is the new design. It emphasizes vibrant colors more than ever, after all, the word “Paint” is not only in the event’s name but also at the center of the event. This update will make a significant contribution to making PaintExpo even more eye-catching and is an important step in further developing the platform with its trends and technologies in the future.