steinexpo 2026 - PI 10, Final Report
Final Report
Bullseye in the Quarry:
High-Caliber Trade Visitors delight exhibitors
What a brilliant XXL spectacle: The 12th steinexpo came to a successful conclusion on the afternoon of September 5, 2026, in Nieder-Ofleiden, Hesse. A total of 62,965 trade visitors flocked to MHI AG’s impressive basalt quarry over the four days of the trade fair to experience the latest construction machinery and processing plant equipment live in action. Europe’s largest quarry demonstration fair was thus able to surpass its already strong 2023 result of 61,700 guests.
On a gigantic exhibition area of around 185,000 m², a total of 328 exhibitors (305 in 2023) from more than ten nations presented their groundbreaking innovations. More than 80% of the exhibitors were returning participants to this established XXL demo fair, including well-known companies ranging from A for Anlagenbau Günther to Z for Zeppelin.
Significant growth was evident even in advance, with the trade fair recording an increase of more than 10% in exhibitors prior to the opening. The 62,965 visitors confirmed the expectations of the organizers, Geoplan GmbH from Iffezheim, who had anticipated visitor numbers on a similarly high level to the previous edition three years ago. The first day alone set a clear benchmark on par with 2023, attracting 13,500 visitors.
Trade Fair Management, Industry, and Politics
Organizer Dominik Rese, Managing Director of Geoplan GmbH and Director of steinexpo, drew an all-around positive conclusion: "The atmosphere in the quarry was outstanding. Many exhibitors are reporting an extremely high quality of trade visitors and valuable long-term contacts made at the show."
MHI CEO Christoph Hagemeier thanked the trade fair management on behalf of his family-owned business "for constantly making things better" and, in his welcoming address, called for more courage in business and society: "When we jointly emphasize the positive and take responsibility with hard work and joy, decisive things succeed." MHI is contributing its share, because "without the economy, everything is nothing," Hagemeier concluded.
"steinexpo and the MHI Group together form a true beacon here in Nieder-Ofleiden," said Dr. Christoph Ullrich, President of the Gießen Regional Government. He emphasized the importance of intensive dialogue with the aggregates industry and described steinexpo as "impressive." Dr. Ullrich expressed confidence regarding MHI and its follow-up permit for the steinexpo basalt quarry.
Hessian Minister of Construction Kaweh Mansoori visited steinexpo on September 5 to inform himself about current developments and innovations in the raw materials and building materials industry and to engage in conversation with companies and industry representatives. This took place at the exhibition stands of Mitteldeutsche Hartstein-Industrie AG (MHI) and Zeppelin Baumaschinen GmbH. The moderated general demonstration of heavy machinery and a ride on the trade fair elevator were also part of the itinerary.
In the Media Spotlight
In addition to industry experts from all over the world, the trade quarry also attracted the specialist and daily press as well as radio and television. The ARD-Mittagsmagazin dedicated a three-minute segment to steinexpo in its Friday edition on September 4, 2026. The TV crew focused on the trend topics of electromobility and automation, interviewing Fair Director Dominik Rese. Meanwhile, "steinexpo – The Original" was ubiquitous on social media—including drone videos and a wealth of entertaining tips and informative industry insights.
Exhibitor Voices
Exhibitors praised the quality of the professional audience, the extraordinarily good organization of the trade fair, and confirmed excellent technical discussions. A whole host of these discussions also resulted in unexpected deals being closed on the spot. Numerous innovations in action contributed to this success: putting equipment to the test directly demonstrated and confirmed what had previously been discussed in theory. "steinexpo is a must," "an absolute highlight with measurable results," or "both quantity and quality are equally convincing here" were just three of many exhibitor voices heard on the final afternoon.
Looking Ahead
Following the successful finale, all eyes are already turned to the future. The 13th steinexpo will take place from August 29 to September 1, 2029, at the MHI quarry in Nieder-Ofleiden.
Captions:
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Visitor Magnet: As early as the first day of the trade fair, 13,500 people visited steinexpo 2026.
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Live Instead of Static: The impressive construction machinery demonstrations form the heart of the "Trade Fair in the Quarry."
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Prominent Politicians in the Quarry: (l. to r.) Patrick Krug, First Deputy Commissioner of the Vogelsberg District, Simke Ried, Mayor of the Town of Homberg (Ohm), and Dr. Christoph Ullrich, President of the Gießen Regional Government.
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Successful Debut: Dominik Rese mastered his new role as steinexpo Fair Director with flying colors.
All photos © Peter Sandbiller
About steinexpo: As the largest and most important quarry demonstration trade fair on the European continent, steinexpo celebrated its premiere in September 1990 at the Nieder-Ofleiden quarry. The event is held every three years.
Against the impressive backdrop of the quarry, manufacturers and dealers of construction and working machinery, commercial vehicles and trucks, as well as systems for raw material extraction and processing, demonstrate their capabilities in impressive live demonstrations. Another key focus of the exhibition is the recycling of mineral construction materials.
steinexpo is organized by Geoplan GmbH, Iffezheim.
The latest information on the 12th steinexpo is regularly available on the trade fair website at www.steinexpo.eu and on Instagram and Facebook: @steinexpo_official.
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Questions about steinexpo 2026 |
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Professional/technical: GEOPLAN GMBH info@geoplanGmbH.de |
Editorial: Tobias Neumann Andrea Friedrich |
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When published, please forward a PDF copy to: tobias.neumann@stein-verlaggmbh.de |
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Always stay up to date with WhatsApp-Business broadcast
Geoplan GmbH, the organiser of steinexpo, runs a WhatsApp-Business broadcast for all current information and news about the trade fair. This not only generates a steady flow of information in advance, but also provides information about important events such as demonstrations during the trade fair.
To register for this information channel, interested parties simply need to send a message with the keyword “Newsletter” to +49 (0)157/35 74 02 68 to automatically receive all news about steinexpo 2026 directly on their smartphone.
