Palexpo
Palexpo is Switzerland's largest exhibition and convention centre, opened in stages from 1981, located next to Geneva International Airport and about 4 km from the city centre. It offers around 106,000 square metres of indoor space across seven pillar-free halls ranging from roughly 1,500 to 27,000 square metres, with removable soundproof partitions for flexible layouts, plus 29 conference rooms seating up to around 5,000. Outdoor space includes a 15,500 square metre esplanade and the 21,000 square metre Parc Sarasin, and covered parking handles around 3,000 vehicles with EV charging.
Every hall being column-free is the design point here. It removes the usual constraint of working a stand plan around fixed pillars, so island stands, long sightlines and large open layouts are straightforward rather than compromised. The removable soundproof partitions also mean hall sizing can be adjusted, so confirm your actual footprint and neighbours with the organiser rather than assuming a fixed hall geometry.
The airport adjacency matters for freight as well as visitors: air-freighted exhibits arrive essentially next door. For high-value or time-critical shipments that is a real advantage over an inland ground.
One correction worth making, because older guides still repeat it: the Geneva International Motor Show is no longer held here. Its organising foundation was dissolved on 31 May 2024, the final Geneva edition ran 26 February to 3 March 2024, and Palexpo's own programme no longer lists it. The brand continues only as a Qatar event. Palexpo separately hosts autoXperience Geneve, a regional new-car retail show run with UPSA Geneve, which is a different and much smaller event rather than a continuation of the old show.
Palexpo's current recurring programme centres on Automnales, CHI Geneve, Art Geneve, the Salon du livre and the International Exhibition of Inventions. We do not hold fair listings for Geneva in our directory, so this page covers the city and venue rather than a calendar.
Swiss customs and cost
Switzerland is outside the EU customs union, so stand materials and exhibits from an EU country clear customs and temporary import procedures apply. Agree who owns clearance before anything ships. Swiss build costs generally run above the Western European average, which should be factored in when comparing quotes across countries.
No local builders listed yet
We do not currently list a stand builder headquartered in Geneva. Exhibitors here in practice use contractors from across Switzerland and from neighbouring France, given the border position. We list 4 builders in Zurich. If you need a stand at Palexpo, submit a brief and we will match you with builders who work Swiss grounds.