Trade - organising trade fairs, exhibitions and markets

If you, as a commercial supplier, wish to organise a trade fair, an exhibition, a wholesale market, a weekly market, a special and funfair or a folk festival, you can apply for the event in question to be scheduled. This authorisation entails a number of benefits (market privileges), for example:

  • Exemption from trade law regulations for standing trades (e.g. trade licence)
  • Exemption from trade law regulations on travelling trade (e.g. travelling trade licence requirement)
  • Exemption from restrictions of the Berlin Shop Opening Act (the opening hours stipulated in the notice of determination take its place)
A trade fair is a temporary, generally regularly recurring event at which a large number of exhibitors display the main products of one or more sectors of the economy and sell them predominantly by sample to commercial resellers, commercial consumers or bulk buyers. The organiser may, to a limited extent, allow end consumers to make purchases on individual days during certain opening hours.

An exhibition is a temporary event at which a large number of exhibitors display and sell a representative range of products from one or more economic sectors or economic areas or provide information about these products for the purpose of promoting sales.

A wholesale market is an event at which a large number of suppliers sell certain goods or goods of all kinds mainly to commercial resellers, commercial consumers or bulk buyers.

A weekly market is a regularly recurring, time-limited event at which a large number of vendors offer one or more of the following types of goods for sale:
  • Food, generally excluding alcoholic beverages. However, alcoholic beverages are permitted if they are made from home-grown products from viticulture, agriculture or fruit and horticulture.
  • Products from fruit growing and horticulture, agriculture, forestry and fishing.
  • raw natural products with the exception of larger livestock.
In addition, other everyday goods (e.g. household goods) may be authorised; further details are regulated by the respective market regulations.

A speciality market is generally a regularly recurring, time-limited event at which a large number of vendors offer certain goods for sale.

A fair is generally a regularly recurring, time-limited event at which a large number of vendors offer goods of all kinds for sale.
Activities in the sense of folk festivals can also be carried out at a speciality market or funfair.

A folk festival is generally a regularly recurring, time-limited event at which a large number of vendors perform entertaining activities in the travelling trade and offer goods for sale that are usually offered at events of this kind.

Procedure flow:

1. submit an application for the authorisation of an event. You can do this informally in writing to the responsible public order office.
  • You do not need a licence to hold private markets (e.g. flea markets). A private market is then subject to the regulations for the standing trade or the travelling trade.
2. you will receive a notice of determination with details of the type and scope of the authorisation.
  • The determination of a weekly market, a funfair or a special market obliges you to organise the event.
  • If you do not or no longer organise a designated fair, exhibition or wholesale market, you must notify the competent authority immediately.

Prerequisites

  • Commercial supplier
    You would like to have the event registered as a commercial vendor. You do not need a licence for private markets (e.g. flea markets). A private market is then subject to the regulations for the standing trade or the travelling trade
  • Personal reliability
    They must have the required reliability. Reliability is checked on the basis of various proofs.
  • Compliance with the criteria of the trade regulations
    The above-mentioned formal criteria of the trade regulations must be met for the event to be authorised.
  • Suitability of the event location
    The venue must be suitable for the event in question, e.g. speciality and funfairs may not be held wholly or partly in shops.

Documents required

  • Application to schedule an event
    You can do this informally in writing to the responsible public order office.
  • Identity document
    Identity card or other official identification document with photo (not required for electronic application). Residence permit if the applicant is not a national of an EU country.
  • Certificate of good conduct for presentation to an authority
    To verify personal reliability, information from the Federal Central Register (certificate of good conduct) is required for submission to an authority (document type O).
    The information must not be older than three months.
  • Excerpt from the central business register for presentation to an authority
    To verify personal reliability, information from the central business register is required for submission to an authority (document type 9).
    The information must not be older than three months.
  • Purchasing or rental contract
    To prove that you have the actual power of disposal over the event rooms/areas.
  • Ground plan
    Floor plans of the rooms/areas intended for the event (if possible on a scale of 1:100).
  • Event concept
    The concept should include measures to ensure the protection of event participants from danger to life or health, as well as measures to prevent other significant disruptions to public safety or order.
  • Liability insurance
    Copy of a valid liability insurance of the organiser.
  • For registered companies and legal entities in the process of being established: Current excerpt from the commercial register or partnership agreement
    Registered companies are required to submit an up to date excerpt from the Trade Register.
    Legal entities that are in the process of being established (GmbH, AG, UG) are required to submit a notarised copy of their partnership agreement or statutes as well as statements of approval by their associates.
  • Conditions of participation and market regulations
    Conditions of participation or market regulations governing the admission and participation of vendors for the respective event.

Forms

Fees

50.00 to 2,000.00 euros (depending on expenditure)
12.50 to 500.00 euros: Amendment or revocation of the determination (depending on the initial fee)

Legal basis

Average time to process request

approx. 2-6 weeks

More information

Hinweise zur Zuständigkeit

You can only apply to the public order office responsible for the event location to have an event organised.

Für Sie zuständig

Bitte wählen Sie für eine Terminvereinbarung einen Standort aus

  • Specific information on this location currently available only on the authority's home page: Bezirksamt Marzahn - Hellersdorf
  • Specific information on this location currently available only on the authority's home page: Bezirksamt Pankow
  • Specific information on this location currently available only on the authority's home page: Bezirksamt Reinickendorf
  • Specific information on this location currently available only on the authority's home page: Bezirksamt Steglitz-Zehlendorf

Bitte wählen Sie zuerst einen Standort aus. Zu den verfügbaren Standorten

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