IdeenExpo, Hanover

2026 marked the tenth anniversary of Europe’s largest technology and innovation festival for young people, with the Messe Hannover exhibition grounds being turned into a stage for future opportunities in the STEM sector. Occupying an area of over 100,000 m² and featuring 330 exhibitors – including enterprises, universities and research institutes – this year’s event bore the slogan “Mach doch einfach!” (Just do it!). There were over 800 hands-on exhibits and 900 workshops covering 14 different topics. Once again, over 400,000 visitors came to Hanover from all over Germany, underscoring the enormous interest in this unique platform for prospects in technical and scientific professions.

The accompanying programme to IdeenExpo 2026 also provided some special moments, with the spotlight on science, entertainment, music and personal encounters on the stages and in the activity spaces. Live experiments, science shows, challenges and numerous hands-on formats turned the exhibition grounds into a lively futuristic landscape. The chat format “Yes, we can!” hosted by science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar provided additional inspiration, focusing on the question of how young people can play an active role in shaping their future. Since their inauguration in 2007, the concert evenings on the entertainment stage have been a constant source of full-on festival atmosphere.

The IdeenExpo is funded by a wide-ranging alliance from the worlds of business, science, higher education and politics. Two major supporters of the event are the State of Lower Saxony and the NiedersachsenMetall employers’ association.

We have been enthusiastic supporters of the IdeenExpo right from the very beginning, having been regularly engaged to provide the technical infrastructure for networks and power supply since the event was launched. We provide Audio, Lighting, Video and Rigging in the halls and for the stages. We are also the point of contact for all exhibitors, who we equip with media equipment, for example.

In 2026 we planned and delivered the sound for all the halls and outdoor areas as well as for Stage 7 and the entertainment stage used by numerous acts and presenters. Our video and camera equipment was deployed across the board, including areas such as control rooms and the LED walls for the two stages. We equipped offices and exhibitors with monitors and delivered the technical basis for digital signage. We were also responsible for the complete rigging for the entertainment stage, providing both the general and show lighting.

Our “Information and Communications Technology” (ICT) business unit designed and created a complete, redundantly designed network throughout the entire event space for all technical services. This also extended to the CCTV cameras, the office equipment and the security control room where the CCTV images were displayed. We were also responsible for the power supply to the technical equipment and to the exhibitors. This included the emergency power supply for critical areas such as the security control room including all loudspeakers and back-up power for emergency announcements.

We also staked out the precise reference points for the booths, power supply, water supply and wastewater facilities, resulting in a total of over 2000 reference points and positions in the three exhibition halls 7 to 9. This was done on the basis of CAD drawings and on site using automatic floor-marking robots. Having successfully deployed this process at our trade fair locations a number of times, we can boast a high level of expertise in this approach.