AMB 2026 has published its Online Exhibitor Directory, giving visitors a more targeted way to prepare for the metalworking trade fair in Stuttgart. The directory can now be filtered by application area, while online hall plans and an updated AMB app are intended to make route planning, exhibitor searches, and programme selection more efficient.
For production specialists, engineers, and technical managers, trade fair time is often limited. Therefore, the value of a large event depends not only on the range of exhibitors, but also on how quickly relevant suppliers, technologies, and contacts can be identified. AMB 2026 addresses this with a digital planning package that combines the exhibitor database, themed hall structure, downloadable grounds plan, and mobile app.
All companies exhibiting at AMB 2026 are now listed in the Online Exhibitor Directory on the AMB website. Visitors can search by themes and applications, then narrow down the results to exhibitors, specialist areas, and participating experts. The application fields include automotive and vehicle construction, material processing, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, electronics manufacturing, maintenance and service, recycling economy and sustainability, aerospace engineering, medical technology, defence technology, tool construction, and mouldmaking.
More focused exhibitor searches
The updated filter function in the Online Exhibitor Directory is designed to reduce the time needed to find relevant information before the fair. Instead of searching only by company name or broad product group, visitors can start from a practical application area. This is useful for companies that are comparing technologies across different parts of production, for example machining, automation, quality assurance, or digital control systems.
For visitors with specific investment projects or technical questions, the practical benefit lies in preparation. A filtered search can help identify which exhibitors are active in a defined field, what their special areas of interest are, and which experts will be present. As a result, it becomes easier to plan meetings, compare suppliers, and structure a visit around current production needs rather than walking the halls without a clear route.
The directory also supports the broader role of AMB as a meeting point for metal cutting technology. Since the event covers machine tools, tooling, software, automation, measurement, components, and services, better filtering helps visitors connect related topics that may be spread across several halls.
Themed halls improve orientation
Messe Stuttgart is again structuring the trade fair grounds according to AMB themes. This gives visitors a physical route that matches the digital search tools. Tooling suppliers are located in the L-Bank Forum, Hall 1, and the Ceratizit Halle, Hall 3. Grinding, gear-cutting, inscription, and surface technology are grouped in Hall 5.
Machine tools and production equipment with a focus on rotating operations will be found in the Mahle Halle, Hall 4. Milling is concentrated in Hall 7, Hall 9, and the Paul Horn Halle, Hall 10. Hall 9 will also include measurement and testing technology, as well as quality assurance, while Hall 7 will feature erosion.
Automation, power transmission equipment, and drive elements are grouped in the Oskar Lapp Halle, Hall 6. Software, digitalisation, and control systems will be bundled in and before Hall 2 of the ICS International Congress Center Stuttgart. Components, assemblies, and operating materials are located in the Alfred Kärcher Halle, Hall 8.
For visitors, this structure is more than a matter of signposting. It supports comparison within technology areas and helps reduce unnecessary movement between halls. Most programme and special areas will be concentrated in the foyer of Entrance East, with connected halls intended to make the event easier to navigate. Online hall plans, including a full list of exhibiting companies, are already available. The grounds plan can also be downloaded from the AMB website.
AMB app supports visits in the halls
The AMB app has been updated for the 2026 edition and brings together key event information in one application. Visitors can access exhibiting companies by category, view products, and check the accompanying event programme. The app also includes hall plans with location tracking and current news from exhibitors.
This is particularly relevant during the fair itself, when schedules often change and visitors need to move quickly between appointments, demonstrations, and programme sessions. Location tracking in the hall plans can help users orient themselves on site, while access to exhibitor categories and product information supports short-notice decisions about which stands to visit.
The app also extends the planning process from the desk to the exhibition floor. A visitor can prepare a route in advance using the directory and hall plans, then use the app during the event to navigate between halls and keep track of updates. The AMB app is now available to download from the App Store.
All ten halls occupied again
AMB 2026 will take place from 15 to 19 September and will again occupy all ten trade fair halls at Messe Stuttgart. According to the organiser, demand from exhibitors remains high, as it was for the 2024 edition.
Romy Arnold, Project Manager for AMB, says that despite economic challenges affecting exhibitors, the event continues to have a strong position in the metal cutting industry and that Stuttgart remains an attractive location for business and personal networking. For visitors, the full occupancy means that planning tools become more important. A complete hall layout, application-based filtering, and mobile access to event information help turn a large exhibition into a more manageable technical visit.
