Messe Frankfurt and BusinessLive unite to scale Media Expo across India

MUMBAI: Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India has struck a strategic partnership with BusinessLive Trade Fairs to broaden the reach of its media expo brand, folding the long-running Sign India Expo into a single, unified exhibition platform across South India.

Under the alliance, Sign India Expo will transition into Media Expo in Kochi and Hyderabad, while the Chennai edition will operate under the existing Media Expo Chennai banner. The move expands Media Expo’s presence from three cities to five: Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and New Delhi, sharply increasing its national footprint.

Media Expo, which has hosted 56 editions across Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai, will now serve as the primary exhibition platform in key southern markets. Sign India Expo, backed by over 70 editions across India, brings deep regional roots, particularly in Chennai, Kochi and Hyderabad.

The organisers aim to build a broader showcase spanning printing, signage, digital signage, OOH and DOOH advertising, retail displays, large-format and industrial printing, fabrication equipment, Pop-Posm, LED screens, substrates, inks and advanced 3D and laser printing technologies.

Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings executive director and board member Raj Manek, said South India remains a high-growth region for printing and signage, making the collaboration vital to creating a stronger, centralised industry platform.

Palnati BusinessLive Trade Fairs director Siva Prasad, said the partnership blends regional market strength with global exhibition expertise to better serve evolving industry needs.

The expansion comes as India’s printing and signage market is forecast to surge from $1,074.5 million in 2025 to $3,494.3 million by 2034, according to Imarc Group, while the OOH and DOOH segment is projected to grow from $519.93 million in 2025 to $656.13 million by 2030, as per Mordor Intelligence.