Exhibition Stand Builder in Switzerland

Informations sur le marché local

This guide covers four major Swiss exhibition centres: Messe Basel (141,000 m² of space in five exhibition halls and 25 rooms), Palexpo in Geneva (106,000 m² of modular space in seven interconnected halls), Messe Zürich (30,000 m² of space in seven exhibition halls and seven conference rooms) and BERNEXPO in Bern (150,000 m² across halls and outdoor grounds). Published next editions inside the planning window include Watches and Wonders Geneva (5–11 April 2027), Basilia Jewellery & Watch Fair in Basel (8–11 April 2027), EPHJ in Geneva (8–11 June 2027), Ilmac in Basel (21–23 September 2027) and Igeho in Basel (13–16 November 2027). Switzerland is listed by ICC under other European countries, outside the EU: Swiss customs (BAZG) admits exhibition goods temporarily on an ATA Carnet or a customs declaration for temporary admission (ZAVV), and Palexpo notes that Switzerland charges import duty on gross weight rather than on value. The modernised EFTA–Türkiye free trade agreement, in force since 1 October 2021, covers trade in industrial products. Fire rules are based on Swiss VKF classes (Palexpo also refers to EN 13501-1), but the fire class, the height limits and the plan deadlines differ by venue and by fair, so each show's own guidelines decide.

Liste de préparation du salon

• Ship exhibits and stand material on an ATA Carnet issued in Türkiye through a TOBB-authorised chamber (İstanbul Ticaret Odası is on TOBB's list) or clear them on a Swiss temporary-admission declaration; list exact weights, because Switzerland charges import duty on gross weight, and note that Palexpo does not allow the Carnet for goods to be sold or rented to Swiss stands or for consumables.
• Clear goods on site: Palexpo has a customs office on the fairground and advises using it, and Messe Basel has an integrated Swiss border customs office on its exhibition grounds.
• Check crew permits before sending installers: Palexpo's regulations say nationals of non-EU and non-EFTA countries need a permit from the first day for stand assembly, applied for through the Geneva cantonal migration office (OCPM), and that local working conditions and wages must be respected.
• Follow the venue's fire class: Messe Basel requires RF2 (VKF) for load-bearing and RF3 for non-load-bearing stand parts (guidelines of June 2015), BERNEXPO at least RF2, Messe Zürich fire index BKZ 5.2 for construction material (ineltec 2026 guidelines), and Palexpo asks for EN 13501-1 classification with certificates on request.
• Order ceiling rigging through the venue: MCH at Messe Basel and Messe Zürich; Palexpo's Operations Department in Geneva (30 kg/m² average, 1,000 kg per point, 2,000 kg with an engineering study in Halls 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6); written approval with a load plan per hanging point at BERNEXPO, where stands in the sprinklered halls (buildings 1–3) must be open at the top.

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