Christmasworld 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany, is one of those fairs where you instantly feel the pace. Not just because it is big (it's massive!), but because it is an order show in the purest sense.
Together with Ambiente (the world's leading consumer goods trade fair) and Creativeworld (the annual hotspot for the international DIY sector), Christmasworld occupied 12 halls, most of which even have multiple floors.
And although five days (6-10 February 2026) were never enough to see it all, let's try to give a good impression of Christmasworld by taking a virtual walk, talking to some of the exhibitors, and sharing some visual impressions.
Christmasworld in February?
Ho ho ho, not so fast. It's only February, we've just taken off all the Christmas decorations, and we're already preparing for Christmas again? Well, yes! Because the major producers, wholesalers, retailers, and even some florists like to be ready when the season really starts. And they want to know what the upcoming trends, colors, shapes, and styles are. Christmas starts right here, in Frankfurt.
In almost every booth, sales teams move around with tablets, pulling up collections, taking orders, and planning deliveries while buyers squeeze in meetings between aisles. It is fast, practical, and a little bit chaotic in the best way. Think less inspiration stroll and more decisions get made here.
Why Messe Frankfurt Makes This Work
Christmasworld takes place at Messe Frankfurt, and the venue's scale is a major reason the show can run as smoothly as it does. Messe Frankfurt’s home base has eleven halls and a total floor space of almost 60 hectares, with about 40 hectares of hall area. The consumer goods sector comes together here for Ambiente, Christmasworld, and Creativeworld.
Christmasworld is not a local fair with a few international buyers sprinkled in. Exhibitors and visitors come from all over the world, because this is simply the biggest event of its kind. Björn Vissers, Senior Manager and official representative for the Netherlands from Messe Frankfurt, shared visitor estimates:
"Across the combined fairs, the total of attendees is around 145,000-150,000, with around 35,000 visitors for Christmasworld alone."
It also explains why some stands feel like mini showrooms for next season’s turnover. For certain big players, the show is directly tied to annual revenue and market position. That pressure trickles down. You feel it in the pace of meetings, and in how quickly buyers move from one aisle to the next.
Not Just Christmas
Björn also shares that the name Christmasworld does not cover it all:
"As one can see, there are also many stands with decorations aiming at other festivities and seasons, such as Valentine's Day and Halloween. But the majority is quite closely related to the Christmas season, because this is still the time of year with worldwide the most decorative appeal."
Decoration Unlimited and the Art of Selling With Atmosphere
One of the best ways to understand Christmasworld is to start with the big picture displays, and Decoration Unlimited in the foyer of Hall 5 is made for exactly that. For 2Dezign, already 14 years responsible for decorating this showcase, the focus is on eye-catching designs and inspiring displays. The visitor is lured in to discover how festive and seasonal decorations at the point of sale create moods, invite people to linger, and open up new perspectives on product worlds.
Rudi Tuinman from 2Dezign shares:
“Every year we are given the assignment to create a show that is completely different from the years before. And also this year, with the theme 'Tropical Bounty', we managed to do so again. The key point is that this is not a trend forecast pavilion. We don't do trends. It is more like unlimited decorating with products that are actually for sale in the hall, translated into a coherent theme that retailers can adapt."
His advice for retailers and floral businesses was direct: Use the senses. “Do something with scent... do something with candles.” If you are planning seasonal corners in a flower shop or building event installations, that line lands. Christmas selling is not just about product; it is about building a scene people want to walk into.
Walking Through the Halls, Talking to Exhibitors
Can you imagine: about 660 exhibitors from over 110 countries for Christmasworld alone (of a total of 4.600 exhibitors for all three simultaneous fairs)? And can you imagine visiting them all? Mission: Impossible. Still, you can get a taste of the atmosphere through the testimonials from several bigger and smaller exhibitors. Here are some highlights and quotes from the floor.
HBX Natural Living: From Fresh Flowers to Natural Decor
Sales Director Daniël den Boer explained HBX’s roots clearly:
“HBX actually originated from fresh flowers and plants, maybe the name Heembloemex rings a bell for some?”
Over time, they became a decorative specialist with a big assortment and a clear material direction. Their strength, as Daniël put it, is being specialists in natural materials.
Why Christmasworld? For HBX, the answer is audience quality and efficiency. Daniël described it:
"It's a place where many customers from around the world come together, including serious buyers who actually return if they say they will. That's why Christmasworld is currently our only trade fair, because the investment is heavy and this show brings the right public."
One wall in the HBX booth featured a four-step DIY wall that any shop can personalize. Daniël explains how this will help stores by offering ready-made packages for consumers who want to create their own wreaths:
"So, you start on the left with Step 1: Choose your base. It could be a straw wreath, a moss wreath, a metal ring, or a metal frame. It could be anything, really. Then, yes, Step 2: What materials do you need? A glue gun, wire, staples, rope, etc. You'll find all that on the shelf. And then comes Step 3: Personalize it, give it your own touch, so copper stars, apples, decorations, and all kinds of rope again. And then we even have a 4th step, which is more about seasonal decorations, where you can actually see, yes, you can glue on a Halloween pumpkin, or a Christmas ornament, or a Christmas star with glitter. And that's how you actually create the entire wreath, complete it. The nice thing is that, as you can see, the signage is non-branded.
The products come from our range, and this allows us to fully relieve our customers. You can see that many customers struggle to interpret this correctly and, even more importantly, to present it effectively. You don't have to compromise the look and feel of your own format."
Timstor: Big Statement Pieces, Designed in Belgium
Noël Lallemand, the Sales Executive from Belgian Christmas design giant Timstor, introduced his company as a family business with a sharp focus:
“We are a true family business, specializing in only Christmas-related articles. We concentrate on Christmas items that are slightly different from the big mainstream players, with our own design developed in Belgium and production in Asia that we strictly control."
He also mentioned their reach, shipping worldwide across 46 countries, and their love for large, patented statement items like reindeer, bears, elves, and even nutcrackers that can go up to three meters (mind the beautiful signature female version!). For shop owners and event designers, that is the kind of scale that turns a corner display into a photo spot. There's a good chance you've seen their designs at a major hotel in the Middle East, a Christmas event in the USA, or a Winter Wonderland in Japan.
H&R The Wire Man: Wholesalers First, Florists Indirectly
Sina Wolff, Sales Director at H&R The Wire Man, explained her role and their strategy in a no-nonsense way. H&R is a family business, and Sina is on track to become the third-generation managing director. She is responsible for worldwide sales, and the fair is not mainly about meeting florists directly. She says:
"Our focus at Christmasworld is finding and meeting wholesalers, since we supply the floristry wholesale channel that then sells to florists."
Nevertheless, some of the world's most renowned floral designers, such as Hanneke Frankema, adore working with this brand's wires. Hanneke has even earned the nickname 'Iron Lady' because of her extensive use of H & R wires.
Verdissimo: Coming Back With a Gift Range
Verdissimo is a welcome guest at floral events and exhibitions, such as IFTF and Proflora in Colombia. And, naturally, they could not miss out on presenting their preserved roses, hortensias, peonies, mosses, and much more at Christmasworld. Export Manager Alfonso Casamitjana Franco was clear about why they are back after years away:
“Now we have a new range of arrangements, more gift products for the end customer. Our range now covers Christmas, Valentine’s, and everyday gifting."
That direction fits what visitors to the Frankfurt Messe Marcel saw overall: Christmasworld is no longer only about December. It is increasingly a full-year seasonal engine for retailers and floral channels that want ready-to-sell gifting.
Yup in de Boom: City Culture Turned Into Ornaments
A debutant at Christmasworld was the surprisingly funny Yup in de Boom, which translates as 'Yup in the Tree'. You guessed it right, this is all about Christmas tree ornaments for Young Urban Professionals. They have quite an extensive line of ornaments with everyday status symbol themes from Amsterdam, such as an Espresso Martini, an oat milk carton, Flight tickets to Ibiza and Cape Town, a padel racket, sourdough bread, a bib for the Amsterdam Marathon, and even a vibrator.
Owner Luc Onink explained that the company is only four years old and started "as a joke", with one ornament that went viral in the Netherlands:
"From that first success, we have built collections around urban culture and recognizable habits. And the purpose is simple; we do everything with a wink. For florists, it is a reminder that gifting is not only about flowers. Small, funny, well-packaged add-ons can be a serious extra basket builder at the counter."
Duif International and B Living: Scale, Brands, and Buyer Mix
John Duivenvoorden, General Manager of Duif International, gave a strong overview of the buyer mix at the fair, from retailers to big international players. He said:
"Christmasworld is a real trade fair. One of the few real ones. That's why we come back here every year. With the acquisition of various brands, such as Hakbijl Glas and Jodeco, we now have around thirty product groups. Therefore, we have even extended our presence to a stand of 500 square meters, shared with B Living as they work toward merging and scaling up. In this market, consolidation and assortment depth are becoming part of staying relevant."
And staying relevant is important because the next generation of Duivenvoorde is already knocking on the door.
What Florists Can Take From Christmasworld 2026
If you run a flower shop, a floral event studio, or you buy for a garden center's floral department, Christmasworld is basically a preview of what will be easy to sell this year. Not because of ‘trends’ in a dreamy sense, but because the orders placed here shape what gets produced, stocked, and pushed through wholesale channels.
The fair shows three practical lessons.
- Seasonal is now year-round. Christmas, Valentine’s, Lunar New Year, Mother’s Day, and everyday gifting are all part of the same buying calendar.
- Atmosphere sells. Decoration Unlimited’s approach, plus the push to use scent, light, and music, is a checklist any florist can apply to a shop floor.
- The supply chain decisions happen here. Even companies like H&R come to meet wholesalers, which ultimately affects what florists can buy quickly in-season.
After five days of Christmasworld, the main takeaway was clear: five days is not enough. But even a first visit is enough to understand why Christmasworld continues to attract a global crowd. It is big, it is commercial, and it is where next season gets decided.
Don't forget to also check the special report on Christmasworld's Trends 26+ Modern Fairytales.
All photos by Thursd.
