St. Petersburg is not only Russia’s cultural capital but also one of its most important exhibition and conference hubs. At the heart of this activity is the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre, which opened in 2014 and has since hosted over 1,500 events, welcoming its 15-millionth visitor in 2024. From maritime industry gatherings to gas forums and agricultural fairs, the city’s exhibition calendar reflects its role as a gateway to Russia’s industrial and commercial sectors.
ExpoForum: The Center of St. Petersburg’s Exhibition Industry
ExpoForum is the largest venue of its kind in Northwest Russia, with an annual exhibition area exceeding 600,000 square meters (gross) and over 10,000 exhibitors from more than 50 countries. The venue includes multiple exhibition pavilions, a congress centre capable of accommodating up to 30,000 participants, and supporting infrastructure including hotels, business centres, and customs facilities. According to official statistics, an average exhibition at ExpoForum attracts more than 14,000 visitors.
The centre’s record books reveal the scale of its major events. The most attended business events have been the NEVA maritime exhibition and the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum, each drawing around 34,000 visitors in 2024. On the consumer side, the Agrorus agricultural fair leads with 70,000 attendees, while the venue’s longest-running event was Agrorus-2024, which spanned 12 days.
The Flagship Events
NEVA: The Maritime Industry’s Premier Gathering
NEVA is St. Petersburg’s most internationally recognised exhibition. Founded in 1990 and held every two years, it has grown into the largest civil maritime exhibition in Eastern Europe and the entire post-Soviet space, and ranks among the world’s top ten exhibitions in commercial shipbuilding and shipping.
The 2025 edition, held from 23 to 26 September, occupied approximately 50,000 square meters across all ExpoForum pavilions and outdoor spaces. It brought together nearly 700 exhibitors and expected over 35,000 participants from more than 30 countries, with national pavilions from China and Turkey. The exhibition covers the full maritime spectrum: shipbuilding, shipping, port infrastructure, digital technologies, and offshore development, with particular attention to the Northern Sea Route and Arctic shelf exploration.
The business programme includes plenary sessions, conferences, and round tables, supported by a Matchmaking Centre that facilitates direct meetings between Russian and international companies. NEVA also offers a cultural programme featuring a gala dinner, a boat tour along the Neva River, and guided visits to specialised enterprises in St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg International Gas Forum
The St. Petersburg International Gas Forum (SPIGF) is Russia’s largest cross-industry industrial exhibition platform. Launched in 2014, it has grown from 9,000 guests in its first year to 34,000 in 2024, with 600 exhibitors from 10 countries showcasing 20,000 product samples across 50,000 square meters.
The 2026 edition, scheduled for 6–9 October, will be the fifteenth anniversary and is expected to host 35,800 participants from 52 countries, with 620 exhibitors occupying 51,000 square meters. The forum encompasses several specialised exhibitions: InGAS Stream (gas industry innovations), Ros-Gas-Expo (gas industry equipment), OMR (shipbuilding and Arctic offshore development), and corporate expositions from Gazprom and the Gas Equipment Manufacturers Association.
Agrorus: The Agricultural Sector’s Main Event
Agrorus is the largest professional event in the agro-industrial sector of Northwest Russia and a priority project of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture. Held at ExpoForum, it holds the record as the venue’s most attended B2C event, drawing 70,000 visitors in 2024, and its 12-day duration makes it the longest-running event in ExpoForum’s history.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for 16–18 September and will include the International Retail and Restaurant Days as part of its programme, connecting food industry buyers and suppliers.
Metal-Expo: The Metallurgical Industry’s Largest Forum
Metal-Expo is the largest metallurgical forum in Russia and the CIS. The 2025 edition, held for the first time in St. Petersburg, was described as the largest expo event in Northwest Russia, with more than 800 exhibition stands occupying 40,000 square meters. Organisers expected 20,000–25,000 visitors from industries related to metallurgy.
The event includes several specialised exhibitions: MetallStroyForum (metal products for construction), MetallurgMash (equipment and technologies for metallurgy), and MetallTransLogistik (transport and logistics for the mining and metallurgical complex). The 2026 edition is scheduled for 10–13 November at ExpoForum.
Specialised and Public Exhibitions
Beyond the flagship events, St. Petersburg hosts numerous vertical-specific exhibitions. Hipposphere is the largest equestrian event in Russia and the CIS, bringing together 115 exhibitors, 200 horses from over 20 breeds across Russia, and more than 15,000 visitors. IPhEB, the International Exhibition of Pharmaceuticals, Engineering and Biotechnology, is the largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology exhibition in Russia and Eastern Europe. The 2025 edition featured 120 exhibitors, including 63 foreign companies from China, India, Turkey, and Senegal, and attracted over 3,500 specialists. Its Contract Expo buyer programme resulted in 286 preliminary agreements worth 5.24 billion rubles.
On the consumer side, Zooshow presents thousands of pets—dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and other animals—directly from breeders, while Zooindustria is the largest professional exhibition of pet products and services in Northwest Russia, hosting over 30 business events focused on the Russian pet market. City Ecology is a significant forum in the field of environmental protection and natural resource management, promoting innovative environmental equipment and technologies.
St. Petersburg’s exhibition economy is anchored by ExpoForum and driven by three principal pillars: the Gas Forum, the NEVA maritime exhibition, and the Agrorus agricultural fair. These events not only lead Russia in scale but also demonstrate significant international reach, with participation from dozens of countries. For international companies seeking entry into the Russian market, or for professionals tracking industry developments, St. Petersburg’s exhibition calendar offers consistent opportunities for engagement and partnership.
