Commercial image rights includedGallery within 5 working days20+ years of trade fair photographyNow also in Munich — flat travel fee €55
BAU 2027 · 11–15 January · Messe München · now also in Munich

Trade fair photographer
BAU 2027 in Munich

Your presence at the world's leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems. Booth architecture, materials and conversations – captured by a trade fair and architectural photographer.

Dates
11–15 Jan 2027
Monday to Friday
Venue
Messe München
Am Messesee 2, 81829 Munich
Delivery
Gallery in 5 working days
Same-evening express available
From
€390 / 2 hrs
plus VAT · image rights included
Booth with window and frame exhibits and trade visitors
Reference: booth with window exhibits and trade visitors
Trade fair photography in Munich

Trade fair photographer for BAU in Munich.

According to the organiser, BAU is the world's leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems: façades, windows and doors, glass, timber, insulation, hardware, building services and digital design and construction, across 18 halls at Messe München. The booths here are architecture in their own right – generous structures of glass, timber and metal, built to make materials tangible. Add to that a very high density of visitors. That combination is exactly what makes BAU demanding to photograph.

Trade fair photography has been my speciality for more than 20 years – now also in Munich. And I am also an architectural photographer: straight lines, clean perspectives and material in the right light are my daily craft. At BAU that means photographing large booths the way architects conceived them, showing surfaces and profiles in detail – and planning the empty booth shots for the quiet hours before opening, because the halls are packed during the day.

Your trade fair presence is an investment in booth construction, exhibits and team. Professional images make that investment visible and usable beyond the fair: for your website, LinkedIn, sales material, press work and the planning of your next show. You receive the complete, edited gallery within five working days, and on request a first selection on the same evening for a surcharge.

20+
years of trade fair photography
1.8 m
images in the archive
€55
flat travel fee Munich
5 days
until the complete gallery
With every booking, at no extra cost

Commercial image rights are included.

Website, social media, catalogue, advertising, booth design, press work – unlimited in time, territory and content. No re-licensing, no tiered prices by usage, no follow-up fees next year. From delivery, the images are yours to use.

Unlimited commercial useNo re-licensingWeb and print resolutionAlso for your dealers and partners
What gets photographed

Seven subject areas for your BAU presence.

Your trade fair presence costs many times what its documentation costs – and afterwards it lives almost entirely on the images. That is why at BAU I cover every subject you will actually need later: for website, post-show report, social media and sales.

Bright, empty trade fair booth before opening

Booth architecture

Your booth as built architecture: straight lines, clean perspectives, light and material – ideally before opening, when the booth is finished and empty.

Cross-section of an aluminium profile with glazing, detail shot

Materials & details

Profiles in cross-section, glass edges, timber surfaces, hardware, colour samples: detail shots that make quality visible – ready for catalogue, website and tender documents.

Consultation with a material sample in hand

Expert conversations

Advice with the sample in hand, conversations with architects and installers, the handshake after the meeting: real situations instead of staged scenes – the images that work on LinkedIn.

Exhibits in use

Doors that open, windows that tilt, systems you can touch: I photograph your exhibits so that function and operation read clearly in the image.

Stage & forums

Presentations on your booth stage, talks at the fair's forums, panel discussions – speaker, audience and stage design in one set.

Team & portraits

Your booth team in action, plus clean business portraits right at the booth on request – without anyone having to leave the hall.

VIP receptions & evening events

Architects' evening, customer reception, booth party after closing: the occasions where relationships are built. Bookable in addition to the show day – with the lighting that evenings require.

References

Images like the ones your presence will get.

A selection from my trade fair reportages: booth architecture, materials, exhibits, conversations, stages, details – the subjects I will also photograph for you at BAU.

Visitor testing a door at a trade fair booth
Exhibit to try out
Mirrored columns as exhibits in an exhibition hall
Material and reflection
Booth with hardware exhibits on a graphic wall
Exhibit wall
Cross-section model of a window profile as an exhibit
Exhibit in cross-section
Coloured material samples in yellow, black, red, orange and blue, detail shot
Detail: colours and surfaces
Speaker presenting an exhibit on the booth stage
Presentation at the exhibit
Busy meeting area with bar tables at a trade fair booth
Conversations at the booth bar
Bright booth with a large image wall and visitors
White booth architecture
Two visitors in conversation in front of an exhibit
Conversation at the exhibit
How it works

From the first call to the finished gallery.

01

Briefing call

In 15 minutes we clarify booth number, hall, time slot, shot wishes and whether management is only on the booth at a specific time. Free of charge.

02

On site

I arrive on time, work quietly and never interrupt a conversation. With a fixed shot list if you like, otherwise documenting as things happen.

03

Same-evening express

On request and for a surcharge you receive a selection of edited images the same evening – in time for the social post or press release the next morning.

04

Complete gallery

The full, edited set is in your online gallery within 5 working days – that is the standard. Download in web and print resolution, full usage rights.

Not just photos

Video of your trade fair presence.

A photo shows the booth – a film shows the atmosphere. Reach on social media, emotion in your post-show report, a lasting image film for your website: video can be added to the photo coverage, from one source and at the same booth.

Social media clips

Short vertical clips for Instagram, LinkedIn & TikTok – edited fast, on request while the fair is still running. Standalone or in addition to photos.

Image film

Your trade fair presence as a story: booth, team, products and customer voices in a high-quality film that works long after the show.

Full trade fair film

The whole show as a professional film – multi-day coverage, clean lighting, interviews and agency-level editing. Ideal for your next show recap.

Video is quoted individually and can be booked separately from photography – just mention it in your enquiry.

Prices

Transparent pricing, no per-image fees.

You pay for the time on site – not the number of images. Every package includes editing, online gallery and commercial image rights. For assignments in Munich a fixed travel fee of €55 applies – no mileage billing, no surprises.

Compact
€390
up to 2 hours · plus VAT
  • Booth & exhibits
  • Commercial image rights included
  • Online gallery in 5 working days
Enquire
Popular
Half day
€750
up to 4 hours · plus VAT
  • Booth, exhibits & conversations
  • Commercial image rights included
  • Briefing call and shot list
  • Gallery in 5 working days
Enquire
Full day
€1,500
up to 8 hours · plus VAT
  • All subjects in one day
  • Commercial image rights included
  • Business portraits at the booth included
  • Talks and demonstrations
  • Same-evening express available
Enquire

Each additional hour €150. Express delivery of first images on the same evening for a surcharge. All prices net plus VAT. The terms of the price list apply.

A different calculation

Are you a booth builder?

Then you need something different from a reportage. Not as much of the trade fair bustle as possible, but a few perfect shots of the booth you built – for your portfolio and your next tender. Straight lines, clean light, distractions retouched away: this is architectural photography in a trade fair setting. That is why there is a fixed package instead of an hourly rate – the effort lies less in the time at the booth than in the retouching afterwards.

Ideally before the fair opens. Then your booth is finished and tidy, with no visitors in the frame – the difference between a reference photo and a snapshot. For this I need an exhibitor pass from you in good time. At Messe München, photography on your own booth is permitted during build-up, dismantling and exhibitor opening hours; only shots during the night closure require a permit with a security escort – we organise that together.

Reportage for exhibitors
from €390 / up to 2 hrs
unlimited images, standard editing
Booth photography for booth builders
€390 / up to 6 images
up to 1.5 hrs on site, incl. high-end retouching K2

More images or several booths: gladly on request. Booth photography at the exhibition centre is a special item and therefore not part of the general price list. All prices net plus VAT, commercial image rights included here too.

The trade fair

BAU 2027 – key facts.

BAU is the world's leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems. It is organised by Messe München GmbH and takes place every two years in January at Messe München. In 2027 it runs from Monday, 11, to Friday, 15 January.

For context: according to the organiser, more than 180,000 trade visitors attended in 2025, and 2,230 exhibitors from 58 countries presented themselves on 200,000 m² in 18 halls. At this density an architect or installer decides within seconds whether to stop at your booth – and those seconds are what your images should tell later.

Event
BAU 2027 – world's leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems
Organiser
Messe München GmbH
Dates
Monday, 11 to Friday, 15 January 2027
Venue
Messe München, Am Messesee 2, 81829 Munich
Frequency
every two years
Results 2025
2,230 exhibitors from 58 countries, more than 180,000 trade visitors, 200,000 m² in 18 halls
Your photographer
trade fair photography for more than 20 years – now also in Munich, flat travel fee €55
FAQ

What exhibitors want to know first.

What does a trade fair photographer at BAU 2027 cost?

Coverage starts at €390 plus VAT for up to two hours on site. A half day (up to 4 hours) costs €750, a full day (up to 8 hours) €1,500, each additional hour €150. For assignments in Munich a fixed travel fee of €55 applies – no mileage billing. Every package includes editing, online gallery and full usage rights. You pay for the time on site, not the number of images – no re-licensing and no extra fees for web, print or social media use.

When will I receive the images?

The complete, edited gallery is ready within five working days as standard – for download in web and print resolution. If you need first images on the evening of the show, for a social post or the press release the next morning, an express selection is available for a surcharge. Just mention it when booking.

The halls are packed – how do we get images of the empty booth?

With good planning. At Messe München, photography on your own booth space is freely possible during build-up – ideally on the last build-up day or the evening before the fair opens, when the booth is finished and tidy. Shots during the night closure require a permit from Messe München and a security escort; the cost is borne by the exhibitor, under the current rules a flat fee of €80 including VAT. We apply for it together in good time. During the day, with the halls full, I then concentrate on conversations, exhibits in use and atmosphere.

You are also an architectural photographer – what does that bring us at BAU?

An eye that suits the fair. Under the name Der-Architektur-Fotograf I photograph buildings, façades and interiors – with straight lines, clean perspective and material in the right light. That is exactly what booths at BAU demand, as they are architecture in their own right, and exhibits such as windows, façade elements or surfaces. For you that means booth images that hold their own next to your project references, and detail shots that show material quality rather than just depicting it.

You are based in Nuremberg – why not a photographer from Munich?

Because trade fair photography has been my speciality for more than 20 years – with leading trade fairs, exhibitors and booth builders from all over Germany. Now I also offer it in Munich: with the same packages, the same prices and a fixed travel fee of €55. For you that means a well-rehearsed process, a consistent visual style for your presence and no mileage billing. If you also exhibit in Nuremberg, you get both fairs from one source.

I am a booth builder and need images of the booth – how does that work?

That is a different product from a reportage and is therefore offered as a fixed package instead of an hourly rate: €390 plus VAT for up to six images and up to 1.5 hours on site, including high-end retouching K2. Booth photography means straight lines, carefully placed light and retouching that removes distractions – technically it is architectural photography in a trade fair setting, and most of the effort lies in post-production. Ideally these shots are taken before the fair opens, when the booth is finished, tidy and empty. For this I need an exhibitor pass from you in good time, so I can access the grounds before the visitors. More images or several booths are quoted individually. Booth photography at the exhibition centre is a special item and therefore not part of the general price list. Commercial image rights are included here too, so you can use the images without restriction for portfolio, website and tenders.

How many images will I get?

There is no fixed limit. Two hours typically produce 60 to 120 usable images, a full day several hundred. You receive the edited selection – rejects, duplicates and blinks are sorted out beforehand.

Is photography allowed at the fair at all?

Yes, with clear rules. The Messe München house rules generally prohibit photographing booths and exhibits – photos on your own booth space are permitted. As the photographer commissioned by you, I enter the grounds with your exhibitor pass and photograph your booth, your team and your guests; other exhibitors' booths and new products stay out of the frame. Shots during the night closure, for example the empty booth before the show opens, require a permit with a security escort – we apply for it together in good time. For events at the ICM and the MOC, I clarify the respective rules in advance with you and the organiser. Just let me know your hall, booth number and contact person early on.

Are commercial image rights included?

Yes, with every booking and at no extra cost. You receive commercial image rights unlimited in time, territory and content – for website, social media, catalogue, advertising, booth design, press work and sales material, including passing them on to your dealers and partners. No re-licensing, no tiered prices by usage and no follow-up fees next year. A photo credit is appreciated but not required.

What about people in the images – how do you handle data protection?

At trade fairs I work strictly in reportage style. That means no portraits of visitors, and nobody appears as the main subject of an image. People appear in booth situations, overviews and conversations as part of the scene – not as the subject. Anyone shown more closely is one of your own staff or their conversation partner at the booth. This approach is designed so you can use the images without having to collect consent from strangers afterwards. On request I also deliver a selection in which no third parties are recognisable.

Is video available too – social media clips or a trade fair film?

Yes. Video can be added to the photo coverage, from one source and at the same booth: short vertical social media clips for Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, a narrative image film of your presence, or a high-quality film covering all show days. Clips can be edited while the fair is still running. Video is quoted individually – just tell me what you need in your enquiry.

Do you also photograph VIP receptions and evening events?

Yes, and at trade fairs that is often the most valuable part. VIP reception, customer evening, booth party after closing, award ceremony or dinner with your key accounts – I can be booked for these, also in addition to the show day. Evening events need different lighting and a different presence than the hall; I bring both from more than 20 years of event photography. In mid-January it gets dark early – receptions and evenings for architects and planners around BAU depend on well-controlled light. Just mention in your enquiry whether an evening slot is included.

Can you come for just a few hours or a single day?

Yes. Many exhibitors book exactly the time slot when management is at the booth, a product launch takes place or a talk is scheduled. Two hours is the minimum; anything beyond is charged by the hour or as a day package.

How short-notice can I book?

In principle up to the day of the show – realistically only as long as the date is still available. BAU opens on 11 January 2027, right after the holidays – if you need shots during build-up or on the evening before, ideally enquire in the autumn. For major leading fairs the days are usually taken several weeks in advance – if you want to be sure, enquire early.

Which trade fairs in Munich do you photograph?

In principle all trade fairs at Messe München, the ICM and the MOC – from BAU and EXPO REAL to productronica. An overview with dates can be found on the page trade fair photographer Munich. And Nuremberg is my home turf anyway: trade fair photographer Nuremberg.

Contact

Book your date for BAU 2027.

Tell me your hall, booth number and preferred time slot – we will clarify the rest in a short call. For Munich a fixed travel fee of €55 applies.

Dirk von Honnerlagengrete
DER Eventfotograf
Egidienplatz 4
90403 Nuremberg, Germany
Phone Munich: +49 89 96 27 99 27
Phone Nuremberg: +49 911 477 58 410
Mobile: +49 151 120 443 49
E-mail: office@d-h-l-group.de