Why SPS exhibitors need stands designed for live technology
SPS visitors are automation engineers, system integrators, plant managers and technical procurement leads. They are looking at specific components, control architectures and integration solutions — not browsing for inspiration. A stand at SPS must work as a functioning technology environment, not just a branded space.
With around 1,800 exhibitors in 16 halls at Messe Nürnberg, SPS is dense and highly targeted. The specialised audience means almost every visitor is relevant, but it also means your competitors are steps away. The stand must deliver clarity, accessibility and technical depth simultaneously.
Who attends SPS and what they are evaluating
Over 50,000 visitors attend, with strong representation from German and European manufacturing companies. The visitor profile is overwhelmingly technical — engineers and integrators who evaluate products by function, compatibility and integration effort.
Stands that perform best at SPS are the ones where visitors can interact with the technology. Touch a controller, see a drive in operation, test a sensor configuration. Static displays and screen-only presentations lose visitors to competitors who offer hands-on access.
Stand design at Messe Nürnberg
Messe Nürnberg provides compact halls with efficient visitor flow — the entire fairground is walkable, which means visitors cover more ground and make more stops. Hall allocation clusters exhibitors by technology segment: PLCs and controllers, drives, sensors, industrial communication and software.
Effective SPS stands are open, well-organised and technology-forward. Demo stations should be prominent and accessible from the aisle. Cable management is critical — automation demos involve connected systems that need clean routing. Meeting areas can be smaller than at Hannover Messe but must be acoustically usable for technical discussions.
Planning timeline for SPS
12 months before: Confirm stand space and identify your demo requirements. Start concept development — clarify which products, controllers or systems will be shown live and what utility connections they need.
6 months before: Finalise design, submit technical drawings to Messe Nürnberg. Order power, network and compressed air connections. Plan demo system assembly and testing schedule.
3 months before: Complete production, arrange logistics. Pre-assemble and test demo systems in your workshop before shipping. SPS build-up is typically two to three days.
How Concept Stand supports your SPS presence
Concept Stand delivers full exhibition projects for SPS — concept, design, production, logistics and on-site installation at Messe Nürnberg. For automation exhibitors, we design stands where technology demonstrations are the architecture: integrated cable management, properly powered demo stations and clear visitor routing from overview to detail.
We treat live technology stands as engineering projects — power distribution, data cabling and demo station ergonomics are designed from the start, not fitted after the walls go up.