Light + Building: dates, what is exhibited and how to prepare
Light + Building is the Frankfurt trade fair for lighting technology, electrical engineering, home and building automation, and connected security…
Published on 28 September 2026Updated on 28 September 2026
Light + Building is the Frankfurt trade fair for lighting technology, electrical engineering, home and building automation, and connected security technology, held biennially at Messe Frankfurt. For a company exporting from Spain, it is a way to meet buyers and distributors from a market where the destination country imported over 226 billion USD in electrical machinery and equipment (chapter 85) in 2025. The next edition runs from March 5 to 10, 2028.
Fact sheet
- Dates
- 2028-03-05 → 2028-03-10
- City
- Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Venue
- Messe Frankfurt
- Organiser
- Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH
- Frequency
- bienal
- What is exhibited
- Tecnología de iluminación, ingeniería eléctrica, automatización del hogar y del edificio, y tecnología de seguridad conectada
- Official website
- https://www.light-building.com/
Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbHData for 2026-09-15Verified on 28 September 2026
Sector imports in the country
USD · 2025| Chapter | Imports (USD) |
|---|---|
| 85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound… | 226,360,935,915 |
| 90 · Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring… | 54,621,253,804 |
| 91 · Clocks and watches and parts thereof | 3,097,886,281 |
| 92 · Musical instruments; parts and accessories of such articles | 963,293,585 |
| 37 · Photographic or cinematographic goods | 735,354,958 |
Imports declared by each country from the world. Countries report with a delay: the period is the latest with consolidated data.
Source: UN ComtradeData for 2025Verified on 28 September 2026
Other fairs in the sector
- CES®Las Vegas
- embedded world Exhibition & ConferenceNúremberg
- IFA BerlinBerlín
- MWC BarcelonaBarcelona
What to check before exhibiting or visiting
Germany is part of the EU single market, so a Spanish company shipping goods there does not face customs duties or import declarations: intra-EU trade moves under VAT rules, not tariff schedules. What does apply are the product-specific technical requirements for electrical and lighting equipment, such as CE marking, EMC and low-voltage directives, and any harmonised standards relevant to the product category. These requirements depend on the exact product and its intended use, and are checked against the specific EU directive or regulation that applies to it.
If the goods exported to the fair or to German distributors originate outside the EU and are only transiting through Spain, the applicable tariff and any preferential treatment depend on the product's tariff heading and the trade agreement in force, and should be checked in Access2Markets.
The import figures for chapters 85, 90, 91, 92 and 37 show where buyer demand concentrates in this market: electrical machinery and equipment dominates by a wide margin, followed by optical and measuring instruments. These numbers describe the country's total imports from the world, not the fair's attendance or exhibitor base, and are useful to size the market before deciding whether to exhibit.
Because the fair is biennial, the gap between editions is a planning factor: catalogues, product certifications and any commercial agreements reached at one edition need to hold until the next one, roughly two years later.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an import license to send samples or exhibition goods to Germany from Spain?
No import license is required for intra-EU trade. Goods move freely within the EU single market, though standard commercial documentation and VAT treatment for the shipment still apply.
How often does Light + Building take place?
The fair runs on a biennial cycle. The 2028 edition is scheduled for March 5 to 10, 2028, at Messe Frankfurt.
What product categories does the fair cover?
Light + Building covers lighting technology, electrical engineering, home and building automation, and connected security technology, as defined by the organiser, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH.
Where can I find the official rules and stand booking information?
The organiser publishes exhibitor terms, stand rates and application procedures on the fair's official website, light-building.com.
Are there other fairs in the same sector worth considering?
Related fairs covering adjacent electronics and technology categories include CES in Las Vegas, embedded world in Nuremberg, IFA in Berlin and MWC in Barcelona, each with its own focus within the broader electronics and technology sector.
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