steinexpo 2026 - PI 9, steinexpo 2026 has officially opened
steinexpo 2026 has officially opened
XXL Action Galore
The moment everyone has been waiting for has arrived: steinexpo 2026 was officially opened this morning. The 12th edition of Europe’s largest demonstration trade fair for the raw materials and building materials industries offers a unique opportunity through Saturday, September 5, 2026, to experience innovative machines, products, and services live, right where they are actually needed. The MHI basalt quarry in Nieder-Ofleiden in northern Hesse provides the perfect setting.
Three words, one clear message: the trade fair motto “Practical. Powerful. Authentic.” leaves no doubt about what steinexpo has always stood for. This year once again, visitors can look forward to a true firework display of innovation with a strong focus on live experience. From the general demonstrations and individual machine presentations to the “Quarry Vision 2.6” innovation area featured at various exhibitors’ stands, there is plenty to discover for everyone. The official steinexpoAPP is the ideal digital companion throughout the show. It includes interactive site maps, an exhibitor directory, live demonstration times, and a food and beverage guide, among other features.
The 12th steinexpo, the largest and most important demonstration trade fair on the European continent, features a remarkable 10% more exhibitors than steinexpo 2023. A total of 328 exhibitors representing more than 400 brands are showcasing their products and solutions in Europe’s largest basalt quarry. The event is attracting strong international interest, as demonstrated by the 28,000 online tickets sold in advance.
Drone Flights and Powder Cannons
The official steinexpo opening ceremony thrilled more than 250 invited guests. In true action-packed trade fair style, the event began with a spectacular drone flight, taking guests visually into and through the quarry. Moderator Raoul Helmer, who also presents the steinexpo general demonstration on Demo Area A, welcomed the protagonists to the stage: Show Director Dominik Rese; quarry operator and Chairman of the Executive Board of Mitteldeutsche Hartstein-Industrie AG, Christoph Hagemeier; Dr. Christoph Ullrich, President of the Gießen Regional Council; and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tobias Vraetz of RWTH Aachen University. Vraetz conducts research into technologies for the processing of mineral raw materials and looked far into the future in his keynote, “Artificial Intelligence in the Raw Materials and Construction Materials Industry – Future Application Scenarios.” For the grand finale of the opening ceremony, steinexpo Show Director Dominik Rese pressed a red button accompanied by an impressive bang. On either side of the stage, angled compressed-air cannons fired steinexpo-blue powder several metres into the air. The 12th steinexpo is officially open!
Full Power for a Top-Class Result
steinexpo is unique not only because of its setting. This mega demonstration show requires months of preparation to transform an active quarry into a fully functioning exhibition site. The planning and service teams work tirelessly to make it happen. For them, creating the necessary trade fair infrastructure is a true feat of strength. The figures behind the 2026 edition tell the story: the teams installed 5 km of safety fencing, laid 4 km of hoses and almost 15 km of power cables. More than 500,000 litres of water flow through the hose network. Numerous generators were installed to ensure a reliable power supply with 2,800 kW of installed capacity. When surveying the exhibition stands, 1,200 surveying points were essential. To prepare the exhibition areas and access routes, the steinexpo team moved almost 25,000 tonnes of rock material.
The service pool for the various trades covers more than 5,000 m² of logistics space. More than 1.5 km of fibre-optic cables provide fast and reliable connections. Numerous event areas have been created throughout the site, along with sanitary facilities, first-aid areas, and facilities for the fire watch. More than 60 tent structures and additional container units have been set up at exhibitors’ stands. Additional professional facilities have been established for the trade fair management, press centre, entrance area, and technical operations.
Final Highlight: The Farewell Wave
At steinexpo, “XXL Action Galore” can quite literally be taken at face value. On the final day of the show, Saturday, September 5, 2026, the closing “Farewell Wave”, complete with a “Goodbye” horn concert at 4:45 p.m., will provide an emotional finale to the event. For one final time, the steel protagonists will stretch their arms towards the audience.
Until then, visitors can look forward to seven general demonstration shows every day. Two grandstands measuring 20 x 3 metres invite visitors to sit back and take in the action. And thanks to the 9.2 x 5.2 metre LED wall, not even the smallest detail will be missed.
The 35-minute shows start every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Link zum offiziellen Trailer: https://youtu.be/i7652mp0XdQ?si=Blg7_cZpC7dSAYCl
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A Heavenly Start: The aerial photograph shows steinexpo 2023.
© Photo: Peter Sandbiller/Geoplan GmbH
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.
