With its array of autobahn, railway and flight connections, the transport hub of Dortmund is quick and easy to get to. The former mining city has undergone a successful transformation into a cutting-edge, innovative centre of commerce. However some industrial relics are maintained as monuments to the city's traditions and present an enticing excursion for exhibition guests.

Well over 40 trade fairs and exhibitions are now established in Dortmund. These include both regional and international specialist trade fairs as well as consumer and special interest exhibitions for hobbies and leisure, which attract a wide range of people from far and wide. Europe's hunting community makes an annual pilgrimage to Dortmund, as do model makers and tobacco goods traders from all over the world – the Exhibition Centre welcomes one million visitors and 9,000 exhibitors through its doors every year.

Dortmund boasts compact, medium-sized exhibition grounds, guaranteeing rapid access. Four new exhibition halls have opened in the last few decades, providing an elegant contrast to the venerable dome of Westphalia Hall 1, which is a listed site of historical interest. Dortmund continues to focus on services tailored to its clients' needs: comprehensive consultation, an array of bookable service packages and centralised service facilities.