Trade Fair Terms and Conditions

Part A – Exhibitor Terms and Conditions for ‘Westgenuss’

§ 1 Organiser, Scope of Application

1. The organiser of the ‘Westgenuss’ trade fair is Marktimpuls GmbH & Co. KG, with its registered office in Mönchengladbach, Germany, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Organiser’.

2. These Exhibitor Terms and Conditions apply to all contracts relating to participation as an exhibitor, co-exhibitor or additionally represented company at the “Westgenuss” trade fair, as well as to any related services provided by the Organiser.

3. In addition, the relevant registration documents, price and service lists, technical guidelines, safety regulations, house rules, fire safety requirements and any event-specific special conditions shall apply. In the event of any conflict, the following order of precedence shall apply: individual agreement, event-specific special conditions, these General Terms and Conditions for Exhibitors, technical guidelines, house rules.

4. Any deviating terms and conditions of the exhibitor shall not form part of the contract unless their validity is expressly agreed to in writing.

§ 2 Registration and Conclusion of Contract

1. Registration for the trade fair must be made in writing, in text form or via the online system provided by the organiser. By registering, the exhibitor submits a binding offer to enter into a contract.

2. There is no entitlement to admission. The contract is only concluded upon written or electronic approval by the organiser.

3. The organiser is entitled to reject registrations for objectively justified reasons, in particular where the event concept, available space, safety requirements, legal provisions or the thematic focus of the trade fair so require.

4. Co-exhibitors or additional companies represented must be registered in full by the main exhibitor. The main exhibitor shall be jointly liable for their conduct and obligations.

§ 3 Admission, Allocation, Stand Area

1. The organiser shall decide on admission, allocation, the assignment of stand categories, and the location and size of the stand area at its reasonable discretion, taking into account the trade fair concept, technical requirements and the available space.

2. The exhibitor’s preferences regarding placement will be taken into account where possible, but do not constitute a legal entitlement.

3. The organiser is entitled to allocate to the exhibitor a stand area that differs from that specified in the registration, provided it is of equivalent value or has been adjusted for objective reasons, insofar as this is necessary for the running of the trade fair and is reasonable for the exhibitor.

4. The partial or complete transfer, subletting or exchange of the stand space to third parties is only permitted with the organiser’s prior written consent.

§ 4 Services provided by the organiser

1. The stand hire fee covers only those services expressly listed in the relevant quotation or registration confirmation.

2. Unless otherwise agreed, the stand hire fee for “Westgenuss” includes, in particular, the following basic services:

o Provision of the booked stand space,

o 230 V electricity supply to the agreed standard specification,

o General waste disposal as part of normal trade fair operations,

o Agreed media services in accordance with the price and services list.

3. Stand construction, furniture, stand accessories, additional technical equipment, special connections, decoration, special cleaning, refrigeration equipment, water connections, special permits, additional passes and comparable supplementary services are only payable if they have been separately commissioned and confirmed.

4. The organiser is entitled to have services provided by suitable service providers or service partners.

§ 5 Fees, Due Date, Late Payment

1. The amount of the participation fees and additional costs is determined by the application, the admission approval or the valid price and service list.

2. Invoices are due for payment without deduction within the period specified in the invoice.

3. The organiser is entitled to make admission, the allocation of stand space, the issue of exhibitor passes or the activation of booked services conditional upon full and timely payment.

4. In the event of late payment, the statutory provisions on default shall apply. Following the fruitless expiry of a reasonable grace period, the organiser may withdraw from the contract, suspend services or reallocate the stand space to another party, without prejudice to any further claims.

§ 6 Withdrawal and Non-Participation by the Exhibitor

1. Any withdrawal or cancellation by the exhibitor must be made in writing at the very least.

2. Until written confirmation of admission is issued, the organiser may charge a reasonable flat-rate processing fee, provided this is specified in the price and services list. Flat-rate fees must be based on the typical effort involved and must allow the exhibitor to prove that the actual loss was less.

3. Once admission has been granted, the exhibitor remains obliged in principle to pay the agreed fees, provided the organiser cannot allocate the space to another party on an economically equivalent basis. Any offsetting against other revenue shall take into account reasonable administrative and reorganisation costs.

4. The exhibitor always reserves the right to prove that the organiser has suffered no loss or a substantially lower loss.

§ 7 Cancellation, Rescheduling or Alteration of the Event

1. The organiser is entitled to cancel the trade fair for good cause, to reschedule it to a different venue or date, to adjust the opening hours or to alter its duration, if official requirements, safety considerations, force majeure or other circumstances beyond the organiser’s control make this necessary.

2. Cases of force majeure include, in particular, war, terrorism, natural disasters, epidemics, pandemics, power cuts of significant duration, official bans or comparable unforeseeable events.

3. If the event is rescheduled or modified in a reasonable manner, the contract shall, in principle, remain in force. Rights of objection, time limits and any financial consequences should be specifically regulated on a case-by-case basis for each event.

4. If the event must be cancelled for reasons beyond the organiser’s control, the organiser may apportion proportionately any verifiable and reasonable preparation costs already incurred, provided this is regulated transparently and is legally permissible. A fixed cost allocation should be subject to a separate legal review before being applied.

§ 8 Stand Construction, Fittings and Operation

1. The exhibitor is responsible for the planning, construction, fitting out, public safety and timely erection and dismantling of their stand, unless these services have been commissioned separately from the organiser or its service partners.

2. Stand construction and stand accessories must be hired separately or otherwise organised in good time. All structures must comply with the technical guidelines, regulatory requirements, fire safety regulations and the organiser’s instructions.

3. The stand must be adequately staffed during official opening hours and kept in a proper condition.

4. The organiser may demand the removal or alteration of objects, structures, advertising materials or demonstrations if these are not permitted, pose safety risks, contravene legal provisions or unreasonably disrupt the running of the trade fair.

§ 9 Sale, Tasting, Serving of Alcohol, Food Preparation

1. The sale of goods and services at the stand is permitted provided that it is authorised for the event in question and the exhibitor complies with all relevant legal requirements.

2. All goods must be offered and priced in accordance with the applicable regulations governing price labelling, taxation, calibration, food safety, hygiene and trade law.

3. Tasting sessions, the distribution of samples, the serving of alcohol and the on-site preparation or production of food are only permitted if all necessary official permits, notifications, certificates and hygiene plans are in place and can be presented to the organiser upon request.

4. In particular, the exhibitor is personally responsible for compliance with food hygiene regulations, cold chain requirements, labelling obligations, allergen information, the protection of minors, health and safety at work, waste management legislation, catering regulations and any municipal or official requirements.

5. In the event of breaches, the organiser is entitled to prohibit the sale, serving, tasting or production in whole or in part, and to have the relevant products or equipment removed at the exhibitor’s expense if less severe measures prove insufficient.

§ 10 Advertising and Conduct on the Exhibition Grounds

1. Advertising is generally permitted only within the exhibitor’s own allocated stand area and only for the exhibitor’s authorised products and services.

2. Public address advertising, disruptive acoustic or visual measures, the distribution of promotional material outside the exhibitor’s own stand, and promotional activities in communal areas require the prior consent of the organiser.

3. The exhibitor must refrain from any disruption to the orderly running of the exhibition and must observe the rules and regulations. Instructions given by the organiser, its staff, security personnel and agents must be followed.

4. Political, discriminatory, seditious, racist, extremist or otherwise unlawful content, representations or actions are prohibited.

§ 11 Security, Cleaning, Waste Disposal

1. The organiser shall exercise general supervision over the exhibition grounds, but shall not be responsible for the individual security, safekeeping or custody of individual stands or the items located there.

2. The exhibitor is responsible for supervising their own stand during opening hours and during set-up and dismantling. Valuable items must be secured appropriately.

3. General waste disposal as part of normal trade fair operations is included in the stand hire fee, provided this is specified in the price and services list. Hazardous waste, production waste, bulky materials, liquids, grease, broken glass, dangerous substances or exceptional quantities of waste are not covered by this and must be disposed of separately or paid for.

4. The exhibitor must minimise packaging and waste as far as possible and comply with the organiser’s disposal instructions.

§ 12 Exhibitor’s Liability, Indemnity, Insurance

1. The exhibitor shall be liable for all damage culpably caused by the exhibitor, its employees, agents, co-exhibitors, suppliers, service providers engaged by the exhibitor, or its exhibition items.

2. The exhibitor shall indemnify the organiser, upon first request, against any claims by third parties, insofar as these are based on unlawful or breach-of-contract conduct on the part of the exhibitor, in particular in the event of breaches of food law, labelling requirements, intellectual property rights, the protection of minors, competition law, copyright or regulatory requirements.

3. The exhibitor is strongly advised to take out appropriate business, event, product liability and contents insurance; where provided for in the registration form, the organiser may make proof of such liability insurance a condition of participation.

§ 13 Liability of the Organiser

1. The Organiser shall be liable without limitation in cases of wilful misconduct and gross negligence, in the event of culpable injury to life, limb or health, and in accordance with mandatory statutory provisions.

2. In cases of simple negligence, the organiser shall only be liable for breaches of material contractual obligations; in such cases, liability is limited to foreseeable damage typical of the contract.

3. Any further liability for slight negligence is excluded to the extent permitted by law.

4. Where the organiser’s liability is excluded or limited, this shall also apply in favour of its legal representatives, employees and vicarious agents.

5. The organiser accepts no responsibility for the safekeeping of items, goods, stand materials, exhibited products or personal belongings brought in by the exhibitor, unless expressly agreed otherwise.

§ 14 Photography, Filming and Usage Rights

1. The organiser and third parties commissioned by it may take photographs, make film, audio and video recordings of the trade fair proceedings, the halls, stands, presentations and exhibition areas, and use these free of charge for reporting, documentation and the organiser’s own advertising in all known media, provided that this does not conflict with the exhibitor’s overriding rights.

2. The exhibitor grants the organiser the non-exclusive right to use the company name, trade marks, logos and brief descriptive details in the exhibitor directory, in print media, on websites, in apps, on social media and in other communication channels relating to the trade fair for the purposes of promoting and running the event.

3. The exhibitor’s own commercial photography outside their own stand or outside authorised times requires the organiser’s consent.

§ 15 Rights of access and sanctions

1. The organiser exercises the right of access throughout the entire event site or exercises this right jointly with the venue operator.

2. In the event of breaches of these General Terms and Conditions, safety regulations, the house rules or statutory provisions, the organiser may, at its reasonable discretion, take measures up to and including the closure of the stand, the exclusion of individual persons or the termination of the contract without notice for good cause.

3. Any further claims by the organiser remain unaffected.

§ 16 Final Provisions for Exhibitors

1. The law of the Federal Republic of Germany shall apply, to the exclusion of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, insofar as such exclusion is legally permissible.

2. If the exhibitor is a trader, a legal person under public law or a special fund under public law, the place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from or in connection with the contractual relationship shall be Mönchengladbach. The same applies if the exhibitor has no general place of jurisdiction within Germany or, after conclusion of the contract, transfers its registered office or habitual residence abroad.

3. Should individual provisions of these General Terms and Conditions for Exhibitors be or become invalid in whole or in part, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected. The invalid provision shall be replaced by the relevant statutory provision.

4.  Marktimpuls GmbH & Co. KG does not participate in any dispute resolution proceedings. (Section 36 of the Consumer Dispute Resolution Act (VSBG)).

5.  In the event of any inconsistencies between different language versions, the German version of these General Terms and Conditions shall take precedence over versions in other languages

 

Part B – ‘Westgenuss’ Visitor Terms and Conditions

§ 1 Organiser, Subject Matter of the Contract, Scope of Application

1. The organiser of the ‘Westgenuss’ trade fair and the contracting party for the purchase of tickets is Marktimpuls GmbH & Co. KG, with its registered office in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

2. These Visitor Terms and Conditions apply to the purchase of admission tickets via the online ticket shop, as well as to purchases at the box office and to visitors’ presence on the event site.

3. Where supplementary house rules, safety regulations or special ticket conditions apply, these shall be made known before or at the time of conclusion of the contract and must be observed.

§ 2 Conclusion of Contract upon Ticket Purchase

1. The display of tickets in the online shop does not constitute a binding offer by the organiser, but rather an invitation to place an order.

2. The contract for online tickets is concluded when the visitor completes the ordering process by clicking the ‘Place order’ button and the organiser accepts the offer by sending the electronic ticket or by providing express confirmation.

3. When purchasing at the box office, the contract is concluded when the visitor makes a binding declaration to the box office staff regarding the desired ticket type and quantity, the ticket is issued and payment is made.

4. The organiser is entitled to limit ticket allocations or, for objective reasons, to offer individual ticket categories only to specific groups of visitors, provided this is communicated transparently.

§ 3 Prices, Payment Methods, Ticket Delivery

1. The admission prices published at the time of the order or purchase, including statutory VAT, shall apply.

2. In the online shop, the payment methods specified there shall apply. At the box office, the payment methods displayed on site shall apply.

3. Online tickets are generally made available electronically or sent by email. The visitor must ensure that the email address provided is correct and that receipt of the email is technically possible.

4. The resale of tickets for commercial purposes or without the organiser’s consent may be prohibited if this is transparently stipulated in the ticketing process and objectively justified.

§ 4 Withdrawal, Cancellation, Refunds

1. Pursuant to Section 312g(2)(9) of the German Civil Code (BGB), there is generally no statutory right of withdrawal for the purchase of tickets for leisure events with a fixed date. A consumer’s right of withdrawal is therefore generally excluded if the event is scheduled for a specific date or period.

2. Cancellation, rebooking or return of purchased tickets is only possible insofar as this is required by law or expressly offered by the organiser.

3. The visitor’s rights in the event of cancellation or a significant rescheduling of the event remain unaffected and are governed by law and the terms and conditions of the event published in this regard.

§ 5 Admission, Use, House Rules

1. Admission to the event site is permitted only with a valid ticket or other valid authorisation to enter.

2. Attendance is permitted only within the scope of the booked ticket category, the opening hours and the house rules.

3. Children and young people may attend the event only in accordance with the applicable legal requirements and any specific rules on the protection of minors.

4. For safety reasons, entry checks, bag searches and situational access restrictions may be carried out, insofar as this is necessary and proportionate.

5. In particular, it is prohibited to carry dangerous objects, pyrotechnic articles, illegal drugs or any other prohibited items in accordance with the house rules and safety regulations.

§ 6 Conduct on the premises

1. Visitors must conduct themselves in such a way that other persons are not endangered, harmed or unreasonably inconvenienced, and that the orderly running of the event is not disrupted.

2. Instructions issued by the organiser, the venue operator, security staff, the fire service, the police and other authorised persons must be followed.

3. Advertising, promotional activities, commercial photography or filming, the sale of goods, fundraising or political campaigns on the premises are only permitted with the prior consent of the organiser.

4. The organiser is entitled to expel visitors from the premises in the event of serious breaches and to impose a ban on entry.

§ 7 Photographic, film and media recordings

1. During the event, photographic, film and audio recordings may be made by the organiser or commissioned third parties for the purposes of reporting, documentation and self-promotion.

2. Visitors who take part in such recordings or merely appear as bystanders must accept this within the limits permitted by law. Mandatory data protection and privacy regulations remain unaffected.

3. Commercial recordings by visitors require the organiser’s prior consent.

§ 8 The organiser’s liability towards visitors

1. The organiser shall be liable without limitation in cases of wilful misconduct and gross negligence, in the event of culpable injury to life, limb or health, and in accordance with mandatory statutory provisions.

2. In cases of simple negligence, the organiser shall only be liable for breaches of material contractual obligations; in such cases, liability shall be limited to foreseeable damage typical of the contract.

3. Where the organiser’s liability is excluded or limited, this shall also apply in favour of its legal representatives and vicarious agents.

4. Liability for cloakroom items, items brought onto the premises, vehicles, bags or other personal belongings shall be limited to the statutory provisions, unless specific custody has been assumed.

§ 9 Cancellation, Interruption, Changes

1. The organiser is entitled to cancel, interrupt, abandon, reschedule or reasonably alter the event for good cause if official requirements, security situations, force majeure or other circumstances beyond the organiser’s control make this necessary.

2. In the event of a complete cancellation, ticket fees already paid shall be refunded in accordance with statutory provisions, unless otherwise permitted by law or contract.

3. Any further claims, in particular for compensation for wasted expenditure such as travel, accommodation or other consequential costs, are excluded, provided that the organiser did not cause the cancellation or change intentionally or through gross negligence and there are no mandatory statutory provisions to the contrary.

§ 10 Final Provisions for Visitors

1. The law of the Federal Republic of Germany shall apply.

2. If the visitor is a trader, a legal person under public law or a special fund under public law, the place of jurisdiction shall be Mönchengladbach. In relation to consumers, the statutory rules on jurisdiction shall apply; no blanket agreement on exclusive jurisdiction shall be included in these General Terms and Conditions.

3. Should any individual provisions of these General Terms and Conditions for Visitors be or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected. The invalid provision shall be replaced by the relevant statutory provision.

4. Marktimpuls GmbH & Co. KG does not participate in any dispute resolution proceedings. (Section 36 of the Consumer Dispute Resolution Act (VSBG)).

5. In the event of any discrepancies between different language versions, the German version of these Terms and Conditions shall take precedence over versions in other languages

 

Mönchengladbach, 1 July 2026