Guide to success2026
Your step-by-step guide to a successful participation at SMM 2026
After confirmation of your placement proposal, you will receive your admission. Registered co-exhibitors will also receive an individual admission.
The admission is your most important tool.
It contains your login details for our Online Service Center (OSC) – the central platform where you can book most services such as stand construction, wall graphics, electricity, exhibitor passes and more.
New: My SMM Portal
My SMM Portal combines the Media Shop of Hamburg Messe und Congress and the Exhibitor Ticket Shop.
- For your initial login, please use the email address entered during stand registration for the main contact person.
- You will then receive an email with an access link.
Via Access management in the left navigation, you can add further users using their individual email addresses.
Exhibitor Ticket Shop
In the Exhibitor Ticket Shop, you can order and manage exhibitor passes (codes for personal redemption) and crew passes (immediately valid tickets). Access to the Exhibitor Ticket Shop is provided via the My SMM Portal.
Depending on your booked stand space, a fixed number of free exhibitor passes is included. This quota can be flexibly used for exhibitor passes, crew passes, or a combination of both.
Please note:
This is a total quota, not separate contingents per pass type. Additional passes can be purchased at any time for a fee.
No passes are required for set-up and dismantling.
Pass usage times:
08:00 – 19:00 during event days. Only exhibitor pass holders have early access to the venue.
Usage Times:
Please note the usage times for exhibitor/crew badges from 08:00 to 19:00 on event days. Only exhibitors with an exhibitor badge are granted early access to the exhibition grounds.
Please do not provide your staff with customer visitor invitations, as these are intended exclusively for customers during the official opening hours of the trade fair from 10:00 to 18:00. Staff holding a visitor ticket will not be admitted before 10:00.
For stand personnel, company employees or people requiring access to the SMM Connect event and networking platform.
- Codes must be ordered by your stand organizer in the Exhibitor Ticket Shop
- Each code must be redeemed individually with full registration
- Public transport (HVV) included
- Access to SMM Connect
- Without redemption, the pass remains inactive
For external stand personnel and service providers (e.g. hostesses, technicians, cleaners).
- No registration required
- Valid immediately after ordering
- Public transport (HVV) included
- No access to SMM Connect
If an employee changes and the exhibitor pass needs to be updated:
- Send an email to ticket@hamburg-messe.de
- Subject: Event / Hall / Stand number / Exhibitor pass change
- Attach the PDF of the incorrect exhibitor pass
- The pass will be cancelled and your free quota credited back.
Your stand organizer must then order a new exhibitor pass code.
Your exhibitor or crew pass entitles you to one round trip per day between 01 – 04 September 2026 within the HVV fare zones A–F (2nd class).
Please present your mobile or PDF ticket to HVV staff.
The GN number is required and can be found in the ticket details.
Media Entry and Co-Exhibitor
My SMM Portal includes the Media Shop. Here you can manage your company profile, products, brands and media content.
Our official and only partner for catalogue and media entries as well as digital marketing is NEUREUTER FAIR MEDIA GmbH.
Please register your co-exhibitors easily via the Online Service Center.
Service bookings and standbuilding
Please use the Online Service Center (OSC) and order your required services and stand equipment as early as possible.
The current prices are valid until 4th August 2026. Orders received after this date will be subject to an express surcharge of 20%.
Have you thought of everything? You can find the complete catalogue of our bookable services in this document:
All deadlines of the order dates can be seen here:
Please order your waste disposal by 5 August 2026 here:
In accordance with the Conditions of Participation and the Technical Guidelines, all exhibitors are obliged to avoid waste and to dispose of it properly. Please order the required waste bags or roll containers in advance via the Online Service Center (OSC). Waste deposited in front of exhibition stands will be disposed of for a fee before and during the event.
For unregistered recyclable materials or raw materials left in the hall after the stand has been vacated, a surcharge of 20% per cubic metre incurred will be charged. Hazardous waste will be disposed of at an additional cost.
If you have not booked a complete stand package, your exhibition space will be provided without stand construction.
Visit the stand construction portal of Hamburg Messe und Congress. It offers stand construction options for every need. After reviewing the offers, you may place your order using the service booking shop (provided you have been admitted to the event and received your access information). Once you have placed your order, you will receive a message from the stand construction company including a design drawing of your stand.
Hamburg Messe und Congress Stand Construction Portal
Please place your order via the Online Service Center (OSC):
Please remember to take care of the required applications and approvals for your stand construction (e.g. approval of the stand height or approval of multi‑storey exhibition stands).
You can access the relevant forms directly here:
Visa / Entry into Germany
Since 2013, exhibitors generally no longer require an invitation letter from the respective trade fair organiser when applying for a visa to attend a trade fair in Germany.
For the visa application, the exhibitor admission issued by the trade fair organiser must be submitted. In this case, the visa may be issued free of charge.
The applicable requirements (e.g. required documents and deadlines) must be clarified with the responsible German embassy or consulate. Please contact the relevant authority at an early stage and ensure that all documents are submitted in full.
If you nevertheless require an invitation letter, please click here for further information:
Travel to the exhibition grounds
All information about your arrival
Adress
Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH
Messeplatz 1
20357 Hamburg
Travel by Public Transport (HVV Ticket)
Train and metro stations within walking distance:
- Dammtor (S2, S5), East Entrance
- Sternschanze (S2, S5, U3), Central Entrance / West Entrance
- Messehallen (U2), South Entrance, Central Entrance
- Stephansplatz (U1), East Entrance
More about travel by public transportation
Travel by Car
Please note that parking spaces are limited.
Information on directions and parking options is available here:
You also have the option to order a parking permit for your car or truck via the Online Service Center under “Parking and Logistics”.
Air travel
Taxi from the Airport
A taxi ride from Hamburg Airport to the exhibition grounds takes approximately 20 minutes and costs around €30–40.
Fixed‑price options are only available via certain ride‑hailing apps such as FreeNow, Uber or Hansa‑Funktaxi.
For the return journey to the airport, please allow sufficient time during peak hours or consider using public transport.
In addition to taxis, Hamburg offers services such as MOIA, car‑sharing providers like Miles and Free2Move, as well as e‑scooters for short distances, including Dott, VOI and Lime.
Airport shuttle
A regular shuttle bus service operates between Hamburg Airport and the exhibition grounds (West Entrance).
- Tickets can be purchased directly on the bus
- Fare: €10 per trip
- Payment possible by card or cash
Feel free to use our HotelMap, which allows you to quickly find suitable hotels in Hamburg – always at the best available rate.
Key Benefits at a Glance
- Over 200 hotels in Hamburg – ranging from stylish boutique hotels to well‑known international hotel chains
- Ideal location selection thanks to an interactive map for targeted searches by districts, surroundings or landmarks
- Daily updated best rates and exclusive offers
- Flexible booking options – many hotels offer free cancellation
- Fast and transparent booking – no hidden fees
Group Bookings
- Collective enquiries for multiple rooms
- Clear and structured presentation of offers
- Simple and centralised management
Set-up and dismantling information
The set‑up and dismantling times can be found here:
Please observe the traffic regulations and delivery instructions:
No special set‑up or dismantling passes are required during these periods.
Access to the Hamburg Messe venue during set‑up and dismantling is regulated via a deposit system (see traffic guidelines).
Organize an exhibitor event like a pro
Press conference, stand party or workshop:
Exhibitor events taking place on the Hamburg Messe exhibition grounds during SMM will be listed online in the official event programme.
You can submit your event for publication on the website here:
You are welcome to host a stand party at your exhibition stand during or outside the official opening hours of SMM.
During opening hours, between 17:00 and 18:00, you may hold your stand party free of charge as part of the “Afterwork Warm Up”.
Registration of the stand party must be completed via the Online Service Center.
From 19:00 onwards, your stand party will be subject to a fee.
Please note that the party takes place exclusively within your own exhibition space. Adjacent aisles must not be blocked or occupied with furniture by you or your guests.
Your guests and service providers require valid admission tickets or exhibitor passes to access the exhibition halls. Guests entering the exhibition grounds after official closing time must present an invitation to your stand party.
Please send the invitation template with the subject line “Stand Party” to:
messetechnik(at)hamburg-messe(dot)de
Please also note that your party may start no earlier than 17:00 and must end no later than midnight.
If music is played, it must be registered with GEMA.
All relevant forms for your stand party can be found here:
Path: Information and Approvals > Stand Party
Are you looking for a meeting room for your seminar, press conference or business meeting?
Please contact Ms Carola Tepper, who will be happy to inform you about current availability.
Invite your customers
With an invitation code for visitors, you can offer your customers and partners free admission to the trade fair. Each invitation code can be redeemed once for a free one‑day ticket.
The best part:
After the event, you will only be charged for the guests who actually attended – at a particularly attractive rate of just €29.41 net per person.
You can conveniently find your visitor invitation codes in the My SMM Portal under
“Visitor Invitations / Codes” in the Exhibitor Ticket Shop.
Increase your visibility
Find all the latest news about SMM 2026 in Hamburg on our LinkedIn channel.
Increase your visibility and showcase your company and products at #SMM2026.
Are you reporting on an exciting topic?
Tag us – we look forward to your contribution! #SMM2026
The SMM press team is now collecting information on innovations and new developments that exhibitors will present at SMM 2026. The submitted content will be incorporated into the SMM press activities and will support media representatives in preparing their visit to the trade fair.
If your company is presenting new products, technologies or particularly media‑relevant exhibits, we would be pleased to receive your submission.
SMM 2026 - Innovation Submissions Form
Do you have any questions?
Nele Bruns
PR Manager
Send e-mail
Phone: +49 40 - 3569-2439
Expand your brand’s presence through our sponsorship opportunities. We would be happy to support you with a range of measures that will help you reach your target group without wastage.
The Transition Stages at SMM are the central platform for innovative concepts and solutions addressing the key topics of SMM 2026, featuring informative conferences, sessions and presentations.
At the Exhibitor Innovation Stage in Hall B5, exhibitors have an excellent opportunity to exclusively reach potential customers with ten‑minute speaker slots.
Application deadline: 15 June 2026
Do you have any questions?
Antje Kresse
+49 40 3569 2517
Take advantage of the opportunity to increase your company’s visibility by participating in the themed routes tailored to your specific products and services.
All information about the themed routes can be found here:
SMM Connect is the central event and networking platform of SMM and supports your trade fair presence before, during and after the event.
Depending on the package you have booked, SMM Connect offers you:
- Digital Visibility
Present your company, products and contact persons in the online exhibitor directory and increase your reach among relevant target groups. - Targeted Networking
Connect with visitors and other exhibitors via chat, appointment scheduling and AI‑powered matchmaking – before, during and after the trade fair. - Efficient Lead Management
Capture visitor contacts via badge scan, qualify leads with your team and export all data for follow‑up activities (e.g. as Excel or CSV files). - Centralised Organisation
Keep track of appointments, favourites, events, tickets, hall plans and programme highlights at all times – all in one place. - Team Features
Integrate stand personnel, assign roles and work together on contacts, appointments and leads in real time. - Measurable Results
Analyse profile views, contact requests and leads to ensure a targeted and successful post‑event follow‑up.
Mark your calendar
Zur SMM erwartet Sie ein vielfältiges und hochkarätiges Konferenzprogramm mit zahlreichen spannenden Formaten und internationalen Speakern. Zu unseren Highlights zählen unter anderem der Maritime Future Summit, der gmec – Global Maritime Environmental Congress, die MS&D – Maritime Security & Defence Conference, der Offshore Dialogue sowie das TradeWinds Shipowners Forum. Ergänzt wird das Programm durch verschiedene Bühnenformate wie die Energy Efficiency Stage, die Exhibitor Innovation Stage, die Digital Stage, die Naval Stage und die Open Stage.
Damit Sie den Überblick behalten, finden Sie hier das vollständige Programm:
You are warmly invited:
Our networking format “Wine o’clock” transforms the Transition Stages in Halls A4, B2.OG, B6 and B8 into a relaxed and communicative meeting place for exchanging ideas with experts from the maritime industry.
The events take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 17:30 to 19:00
We look forward to meeting you as an exhibitor at SMM!
Exhibitors watch out! Scammers offer visitor lists
We are currently observing that more and more emails are being sent to our exhibitors from fake accounts offering to buy visitor lists for the trade fairs we organize. Some of the emails use our protected trademarks. Do not be irritated by this and do not reply to these emails.
We do not offer visitor lists for sale and do not send any such emails. If you receive such an email, please forward it to us. We will send a warning letter to the sender.
For more information, please visit the website of AUMA (Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e. V.)
Watch out for untrustworthy exhibitor directory offers
We are currently observing that more and more letters are being sent to our exhibitors from publishers of unofficial exhibitor directories offering entries in these sub-standard online directories. However, the letters hide long-term payment obligations in the small print. Don't be irritated by this and do not reply to these letters.
Our official partner for all types of directories and related marketing products is NEUREUTER FAIR MEDIA.
Further information on this and what you should do if you receive such a registration offer can be found on the AUMA website (Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e. V.).