On this page
What each organiser publishes and how to compare it
Each organiser publishes different figures, and not all of them are dated. ACHEMA and CPHI issue a PDF with visitor origin, job level and interests. BPI shows undated counters on its website, and BIO published expectations on 22 June 2026. We read all of them on 1 November 2026.
| Show | Attendees | Origin | Exhibitors | Document and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACHEMA 2024, Frankfurt | 106,001 participants | 141 countries, 48.9% from outside Germany | 2,842 from 56 countries | DECHEMA's Insights ACHEMA 2024, undated PDF, file metadata October 2025 |
| CPHI Frankfurt 2025 | 59,000+ | 170 countries, 56% from Europe and 29% from Asia | 2,900+ from 116 countries | CPHI Post Show Report 2025, undated PDF |
| BPI Europe | 800+ participants | Not stated | Not stated | Undated counter on the Informa Connect website, read 1 November 2026 |
| BPI Boston | 3,000+ professionals | 40+ countries | 250+ CDMOs, CROs and suppliers | Undated counter on the Informa Connect website, read 1 November 2026 |
| BIO 2026, San Diego | 20,000 registrants expected | 68+ countries, over 40% international | 1,600+ | Expectations in BIO's press release of 22 June 2026 |
ACHEMA 2024. A huge crowd from many industries
According to Insights ACHEMA 2024, DECHEMA's summary, the show had 106,001 participants from 141 countries and 2,842 exhibitors from 56 countries. The PDF carries no date, and its file metadata says October 2025. Of the participants, 48.9% came from outside Germany and 7.4% from Southern Europe. For 52% of visitors, ACHEMA is the only trade show they attend.
If you make bioprocess equipment, look at how many people come from your industry. The same summary says 32.0% of participants work in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry and 40.4% in chemicals. The shares add up to more than 100, so one person can appear in more than one industry. By exhibition group, 28.0% are interested in pharmaceutical, packaging and storage techniques.
| Industry | Participants |
|---|---|
| Chemical industry | 40.4% |
| Pharmaceutical and life sciences industry | 32% |
| Other industries and sectors | 22.3% |
| Industrial services | 17.7% |
| Energy, electronics and electrical engineering | 12.9% |
| Instrumentation, control and automation | 11.3% |
| Environmental protection and technology, water and sewage | 9.2% |
| Other process industries | 8.4% |
Can you use organiser figures to compare shows?
Yes, as long as you compare like with like. ACHEMA counts participants, and its undated summary PDF notes that the daily total of 164,200 includes people counted more than once. BIO gave expected registrants on 22 June 2026, and BPI shows undated counters. Before you book, ask the organiser for the attendance report by industry and job level.
CPHI Frankfurt 2025. The whole pharma supply chain
CPHI presents itself as the show for the whole pharma supply chain. The organiser's Post Show Report 2025 is an undated PDF and reports 59,000+ attendees from 170 countries and 2,900+ exhibitors from 116 countries. Of the attendees, 56% came from Europe and 29% from Asia. Spain ranked ninth among attendee countries and fifth among exhibitor countries.
The same report says 23% of attendees listed pharmaceutical machinery and technology as an area of interest. Finished dosage forms reached 41% and APIs 40%. By department, business development made up 28% and purchasing 10%. The event app recorded 17,500+ confirmed meetings.
| Area of interest | Attendees |
|---|---|
| Finished dosage forms | 41% |
| APIs | 40% |
| Biopharmaceutical products | 36% |
| Packaging materials and equipment | 25% |
| Pharmaceutical products and ATC coding | 24% |
| Pharmaceutical machinery and technology | 23% |
| Excipients | 22% |
Want us to look at the figures for the shows you are considering? Leave your details and we will tell you what we would ask each organiser.
Review the showsBPI Europe and BPI Boston. Two shows built around bioprocessing
The BPI Europe website, run by Informa Connect, shows a counter of 800+ participants from across all phases of bioprocessing. It gives no year, and we read it on 1 November 2026. The same site says 400+ meetings were arranged through the ConnectMe app in 2025. The 2026 edition took place in Vienna and the 2027 edition moves to Hamburg from 27 to 29 April.
BPI Boston, from the same series, runs as part of Biotech Week Boston. According to its website, 3,000+ bioprocessing professionals from 40+ countries attend. That counter is undated too, and we also read it on 1 November 2026. Of the attendees, 85% are scientists, engineers or director level and above. The exhibit hall features 250+ CDMOs, CROs and suppliers. The 2027 edition is set for 20 to 23 September.
What counts as a useful contact at a bioprocess show?
In this guide, it is an identified person with a clear company and application who agrees to a next step. That could be a visit, a trial or a request for quotation. Badges scanned without a conversation do not count. Settle the definition before the show and use the same one in the calculator and your CRM.
BIO, BIO-Europe and BIOSPAIN. Shows built around partnering meetings
The BIO International Convention opened its 2026 edition in San Diego on 22 June. BIO's press release that day expected 20,000 registrants. Over 40% of them would be international. It also expected 70,000 partnering meetings among nearly 10,000 delegates and cited 68+ countries and 1,600+ exhibitors. These are opening-day figures and the final count may differ.
BIO-Europe and BIOSPAIN are also built on one-to-one meetings. Biotechs, pharma companies, investors and suppliers book them before the show. At these events, look at how many meetings you can lock in before you go. The BIOSPAIN 2025 and 2026 figures and the 2027 dates are in our BioSpain or Farmaforum guide.
From total visitors to cost per useful contact
Start from each organiser's figure and apply your buyer filter. At ACHEMA, use the 32.0% from pharma and life sciences in DECHEMA's summary. At CPHI, the 23% who listed machinery in its report. At BPI Boston, the 85% its website counts as scientists, engineers or director level and above. Each share measures something different and only works within its own show.
Next comes the crida studio trade show cost calculator. It adds up space, stand build, travel, hotels, daily allowances, equipment shipping and insurance, and other costs. Then it divides the total by the qualified contacts and opportunities you expect. Those two numbers are your own estimate. Empty fields count as zero, and the only preset prices are ACHEMA 2027 space fees excluding VAT and stand build. Staff time only counts if you add it under other costs.
To estimate contacts, count how many quality conversations each person on the stand can hold per day and how many meetings you arrive with. Then compare two or three shows under the same rules before signing anything.
- Trade show cost calculator for bioprocess equipment makers
- How to tell whether an international trade show paid off
Should we exhibit at BIO, BIO-Europe or BIOSPAIN if we sell equipment?
It depends on who buys from you. In its press release of 22 June 2026, BIO cited 1,600+ exhibitors and expected 70,000 partnering meetings. At BIO-Europe and BIOSPAIN the weight is on one-to-one meetings. If your customers are start-ups scaling up or CDMOs looking for partners, you can start as a visitor with meetings booked in advance and decide on a stand later.
What to show on the stand when the equipment will not fit
If the production bioreactor or the TFF skid will not fit on the stand, you can show it on screen. A 3D render to scale, a process animation or a cutaway helps you talk connections, cleaning and scale-up with the people who buy. The same material then works on your website and in the follow-up.
David Monje, founder of crida studio, ran marketing at TECNIC Bioprocess Solutions for four and a half years. International trade shows were his testing ground there, and he took technical content into 3D, animation and interactive tools. If you are preparing a 2027 show, have a look at our product render and video services and tell us which equipment you want to show.
