The 37th International Exhibition for Fine and Specialty Chemicals concluded last week at the Messe Düsseldorf in Germany. The event welcomed 404 exhibitors from 27 countries, presenting their innovative substances and bespoke solutions on a record net exhibition space of 7,627m². Increasing visitor numbers by 9.4% compared to last year’s edition, the show attracted a total of 4,548 trade visitors from 72 countries.
“Chemspec Europe was a resounding success, underscoring its critical role in supporting the fine and speciality chemical industry,” commented Christiane Beck, Event Manager of Chemspec Europe. “This year’s event demonstrated the strength and dynamism of our industry, bringing together a diverse range of exhibitors and attendees to foster innovation, collaboration, and growth. Chemspec Europe continues to be an essential platform for industry professionals to connect and advance the field of fine and speciality chemicals.”
With a total of 7,600 industry experts seen onsite from all over the world, visitors of Chemspec Europe 2024 came from a total of 72 countries; primarily from Germany, Netherlands and India, followed by Italy and the United Kingdom. The majority of visitors were from industry sectors such as fine chemicals, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, paint & coatings and cosmetics, toiletries & personal care. Visitors’ top positions were management, commercial, purchasing & procurement, and research and development.
A total of 404 exhibitors showcased the full spectrum of fine and specialty chemicals for a large range of applications and industries on a record net floor space of 7,627 m². Compared to the previous event, this represents an increase in net exhibition space of 14.9% and an increase in exhibitor numbers of nearly 14.5%.
The major European exhibitor countries were Germany, the UK, Switzerland, France, and Belgium. Non-European exhibitors mainly came from India, China, and the USA.
Valuable industry insights from the extensive conference programme
Chemspec Europe hosted over 50 sessions within the conference programme, including panel discussions, exhibitors presentations and keynote sessions, such as “Chemical Value Chains – Today and Tomorrow” by Dorothee Arns, Director General at the European Association of Chemical Distributors (FECC); and “An Evolving Legislative Landscape Moving Towards Responsible Supply Chain Management”, by Dr. Birgit Skuballa – Global SSHE – Head of HSE Audit & Supplier Management at Bayer and Rincy Joseph, Global SSHE – Sr. Manager Supplier HSE Management at Bayer, both representatives of the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI). 
Organised in cooperation with the show partner BCNP, the “Innovative Start-Ups” sessions featured emerging businesses discussing topics such as green chemistry, analytics, big data and artificial intelligence. The Royal Society of Chemistry symposium, organised in cooperation with RSC, included sessions such as “How to speed up API development using flow chemistry”, presented by Dr. Guillaume Gauron from Corning SAS; and “Visualized whole system understanding for Resource Innovation in Speciality Chemicals” by Robert Peeling from Britest Ltd. Covering a wide range of topics, from sustainability and circular economy; innovative materials and cost reduction techniques; to digitalisation and legislative changes, Chemspec Europe confirmed to be a dynamic reflection of the industry’s ongoing evolution and progress.
High re-booking rate among exhibitors for Chemspec Europe 2025 in Cologne
An initial evaluation of the exhibition survey revealed that over 80% of exhibitors were highly satisfied with the show. A large majority of exhibitors already secured their stands for Chemspec Europe 2025 while on-site. As a result, the majority of the total net floor space is already booked and reserved for the upcoming exhibition.
Chemspec Europe 2025 will take place from 4-5 June in Cologne, Germany.
