BEFA FORUM - the funeral industry trade fair, was launched over 75 years ago in 1949 by the German Federal Association of Funeral Directors (BDB) at the ‘Ehrenhof Düsseldorf’. From 1970 onwards, the exhibition was held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre, initially every five years. Later, the frequency was reduced to every four years.

The Largest and Most International Edition in BEFA History

BEFA FORUM has developed into a mega-event for the international funeral industry throughout Europe. The anniversary BEFA from 4 to 6 June 2026 will be the largest and most international BEFA FORUM ever and is one of the largest trade fairs of its kind worldwide. For three days, over 250 national and international exhibitors will present their products and services in an area of around 25,000+ square metres. "This breaks our previous records – both in terms of the number of exhibitors and the exhibition space," say Udo Gentgen and Stephan Neuser, the two managing directors of BEFA FORUM Messe GmbH. The interest of the public is likely to be correspondingly high - more than 10,000 trade visitors from over 40 countries on all five continents are expected.

Innovation, Sustainability and Market Transformation

The exhibition spectrum covers the entire range of innovative products and services. Classic and modern funeral items such as coffins and urns, funeral stationery, cemetery and tombstone technology, decoration, vehicle and equipment solutions, but also digital products for administrative optimisation and customer communication. The topic of animal funerals will also be represented, because "the bond with pets is becoming increasingly important for many people, and so is saying goodbye to them," says Udo Gentgen.
The funeral industry is also changing in Germany. New materials, technical innovations and sustainable concepts, as well as advancing market concentration, are very important topics. The wide variety of exhibitors will meet these visitor expectations.

Global Industry Networking

The supporting programme of the trade fair, running parallel to the exhibition, will once again offer a comprehensive specialist programme with lectures and panel discussions in 2026. Industry experts will address important topics such as legal changes, business challenges, digitalisation and succession issues in funeral homes, and social developments in dealing with death and grief.
Among other exhibitions, a special exhibition entitled "150 Years of Cremation in Germany" is planned as an additional highlight of the trade fair, highlighting historical and cultural aspects of what is now the most important form of burial. Also included is the new mobile mourning stop of the Culture foundation of the funeral Association.
The affiliated congresses will attract many international guests: the European Cremation Network (ECN) is holding its annual meeting as part of the BEFA FORUM, which took place in Greece last year and will be held on the Rhine this time. Estimated number of participants: approx. 200 people. EFFS and the International Cremation Federation (ICF) will also be holding their board meetings in Düsseldorf at the trade fair and will, of course, combine this with a visit to the fair.

FIAT-IFTA at BEFA FORUM 2026

FIAT-IFTA will have a strong and highly visible presence at BEFA FORUM, supported by additional exhibition space dedicated to the Manifesto of Visibility and Voice project. This creates an excellent platform to promote the initiative and to engage directly with the international funeral community. Visitors are warmly invited to meet FIAT-IFTA representatives and Board members, learn more about our activities and discuss current challenges and opportunities within the sector. The Board will participate in the official opening ceremony on the morning of 4 June, followed by the Board meeting in the afternoon, ensuring FIAT-IFTA is actively present and available for exchange, networking and cooperation throughout the fair.

We warmly invite you to visit our stand H16 & H18 in Hall 13

The list of international companies among the exhibitors is long: visitors can look forward to products and services from all over Europe and even from Africa and China. There are a particularly large number of international exhibitors this year, reports trade fair director Udo Gentgen. ‘This time, we are around 25 per cent bigger than the last BEFA in 2022 – and that means really, really big. We are very much looking forward to the trade fair.’

More information like exhibitors list and ticket shop can be found at: www. befa-forum.com

See you at BEFA FORUM!

>> You can also read this article in THANOS magazine 1/2026 on pages 10-12