We keep receiving inquiries from exhibitors as to whether an external company should update entries in the exhibitor directory “Expo Guide”, “International Fairs Directory” or similar on our behalf. offers.

We hereby expressly point out that we have no connection whatsoever to the “Expo Guide”, “International Fairs Directory” or similar. and have no connection to external companies that offer services in relation to such trade fair directories. Agra Veranstaltungs GmbH always informs its exhibitors about entries in the official exhibitor directories of “agra 2019” as well as about selected service providers who have been commissioned as cooperation partners to create the exhibitor directories. In this context, we would also like to draw your attention to a publication by the AUMA Exhibition and Trade Fair Committee of Deutsche Wirtschaft eV: Publishers of unofficial exhibitor directories specifically offer exhibitors entry in often inferior online directories before trade fairs, which, however, in return can usually contain long-term payment obligations hidden in the small print of several thousand euros. Particularly prominent examples here are the “Expoguide” directory and the “International Fairs Directory”.

AUMA has been advising affected exhibitors for years. He has an extensive collection of case law on misleading registration offers. Almost every day they turn to AUMA about unofficial exhibitor directories. Several hundred cases are already on record at AUMA, so that there is a wealth of experience on how the publishers of unofficial exhibitor directories proceed. The following information is intended to sensitize exhibitors to the machinations of the publishers of unofficial exhibitor directories and at the same time to provide assistance to the exhibitors concerned.

Features of dubious offers:

The letters of the providers of unofficial exhibitor directories are made up in such a way that the addressed exhibitor thinks, when briefly reading, that it is mail from his trade fair organizer or a free entry in an exhibitor directory. A reference to the upcoming trade fair for which the exhibitor is registered, an imprinted customer number or the use of the trade fair logo suggests that a business relationship already exists. The amount of the registration costs results from the

Usually only from the small print. In some cases, a form with the basic data of the exhibitor and the request for correction is also enclosed with the letter. In order to simplify the return, a prepaid return envelope is also enclosed with which the corrected form can be signed and sent back.

The following features should make you wonder:

The amount and duration of the payment obligation can only be found in the small print terms and conditions.
A partially pre-filled data collection form is used.
Only the publication of the so-called basic entry or online registration is free of charge.

• The company is based abroad.

What to do when you receive an offer to register?

Check carefully whether the offer is serious. If it is a fraudulent offer, do not sign. Inform your colleagues, especially from accounting, in order to raise awareness within the company and avoid future cases. Send a copy of the form to the IHK responsible for you or to your professional association. If possible, send the original of the form with your entry stamp and all form attachments to the German Association for Protection against Economic Crime, Landgrafenstraße 24 B, 61348 Bad Homburg.

What to do if you signed by mistake?

It is often only when they receive an invoice that exhibitors notice that they have mistakenly signed a fee-based registration order. In this case, the contract can be contested due to error or fraudulent misrepresentation. (Sample letter using the example of

Guide and International Fairs Directory see below) You can also declare the challenge by email.

What if you don’t pay?

The publishers of unofficial exhibitor directories are often unimpressed by declarations of contestation and the announcement not to pay bills. Therefore, exhibitors must expect that they will continue to be prosecuted by the publisher even after the contract is challenged. This is usually followed by further invoices and reminders with references to the legal situation from the perspective of the publisher. In a further step

debt collection agencies, often based abroad, are sometimes involved or