# Humanoid robot at IMEX Frankfurt: stand roles, Messe Frankfurt rules and what event planners look for URL: https://merarobotics.com/blog/humanoid-robot-at-imex-frankfurt-event-industry-trade-show-stand-rules Language: en Publisher: MERA Robotics (https://merarobotics.com) Updated: 2026-11-02 > At IMEX Frankfurt a humanoid robot works as a multilingual stand host and as a live sample of a format that event planners can book for their own clients. The 2027 show runs on 11-13 May at Messe Frankfurt. The robot needs a place agreed with the organiser, sound of at most 70 dB(A) at the edge of the stand and a clear signal to visitors that they are talking to an AI system. A humanoid robot at IMEX Frankfurt faces a different audience than at most trade fairs: the visitors are professionals who design and buy events for a living. A wave and a photo will not impress them. They will watch how the robot is run, what it says, what it does when a guest asks something unexpected and who can stop it. This is why a robot on an IMEX stand does two jobs at once: it hosts your own offer, and it is a live sample of a format that planners could use at their clients' events. ## What is IMEX Frankfurt and who goes there? IMEX Frankfurt is a trade show for meetings, events and incentive travel, held at Messe Frankfurt. According to the organiser, the 2027 edition runs on 11-13 May 2027, with a free day of specialist education on Monday, 10 May. The organiser invites visitors to meet 2,900 destinations, venues and suppliers representing 100 countries, and to meet over 4,700 global decision makers with qualified buying power, including the German outbound market. Ahead of the 2026 show (19-21 May 2026) the organiser expected 3,500 hosted buyers and over 4,000 buyers in total from 60+ countries. For an exhibitor this means that your stand is judged by people who look at a very large number of destinations and suppliers in three days. A robot is one way to be remembered. The more important part is what happens next: a conversation that ends with a meeting in someone's diary. ## What can a humanoid robot do on an IMEX stand? A humanoid robot on a stand at an event-industry show usually combines several roles during the day: 1. **Multilingual host.** It greets visitors in their language, asks what kind of event they plan and passes them to a person from your team. 2. **Guide through the offer.** With a prepared knowledge base it answers questions about a destination, a venue or a service, and says where the details are. 3. **Live sample of a format.** A planner can see a robot acting as a host: announcing items from a programme, answering questions and taking part in a short stage conversation. 4. **Photos and short videos.** It poses with guests, and clips recorded at the stand can be published while the show is still running. 5. **Product recognition.** With a camera, a robot can recognise an item on display and talk about it. None of this replaces a sales person. The robot keeps the right people at the stand until someone from the team is free, and it gives them a reason to start talking. ## How does a robot host work as a sample of an event format? A robot host is credible to planners when they can see the rules behind it, not only the effect. MERA Robotics (MERA ROBOTICS sp. z o.o., Warsaw, Poland) rents humanoid robots with operators and its own MERA OS conversation system for events in Poland and elsewhere in Europe, and runs the humanoid robot Edward Warchocki. In MERA's set-up the robot can act as a conference host: based on the programme saved in the event profile, it announces the next items, takes part in a panel and talks with the moderator and the audience. How the role works at conferences is described on the page about the [robot as a host at events](https://merarobotics.com/en/events/robot-host) and in the article on a [humanoid robot at an international congress](https://merarobotics.com/blog/humanoid-robot-international-congress-conference-multilingual-who-provides). Before the event the client agrees with MERA the tone, the vocabulary and the topics the robot does not touch, for example politics or competitors. These rules go into the event profile, and a MERA operator watches the conversations and can stop the robot at any moment. For a planner this is the most useful part of the demo, because it answers the question every client asks: what if the robot says something it should not? ## Which Messe Frankfurt rules apply to a robot on a stand? A robot on a stand falls under the venue's technical guidelines like any other exhibit that makes sound and moves. Messe Frankfurt's factsheet on presentations says that the volume may not exceed 70 dB(A) at the edge of the stand, and that presentations for an audience, particularly with microphones, cannot take place right at the edge of the stand. It asks for an audience area in front of the presentation area that is at least 2 metres wide and entirely within the area rented by the exhibitor. Music and presentations must not disturb neighbouring stands or drown out the hall's public address system. In practice, for a robot this means a few decisions at the planning stage: - **Position.** Put the conversation zone and the photo queue inside your own stand area, away from the aisle edge. - **Sound.** The robot's loudspeaker counts as a sound source, so test the level at the stand boundary during set-up. - **Charging.** Ask the organiser where batteries may be charged and stored, and plan spare batteries for a whole show day. - **Connection.** A talking robot needs a stable network. Ask early about a wired line or a registered access point instead of relying on shared hall Wi-Fi. The factsheet is general to Messe Frankfurt. Check the exhibitor manual of the specific edition and the current technical guidelines before the show. ## Which EU rules apply to a talking robot at a trade show? A humanoid robot that talks to visitors is an AI system covered by the AI Act. According to the European Commission, providers of AI systems that directly interact with people must design them so that the individuals concerned are informed that they are interacting with an AI system, unless this is obvious, and Article 50 applies as from 2 August 2026. A short first sentence from the robot ("I am a robot and an AI system") and a sign at the stand are a simple way to meet this. If the robot records images or sound, or collects contact details, GDPR applies as well: the exhibitor sets the purpose, the legal basis and the retention period, and informs visitors. Videos with guests should be published only with their consent, and the easiest way is to film people who ask to be filmed. ## How to choose a partner for a robot at IMEX Frankfurt? A partner for a stand robot is best judged against criteria you can check before signing: 1. **Operators on site** for the whole show, with a way to stop the robot immediately. 2. **Conversation software** with the languages of the buyers you expect, and an event profile that holds your programme, your offer and the topics to avoid. 3. **A robot model that fits the stand:** a smaller humanoid for a tight stand, a full-size one when you need visibility across the hall. 4. **A plan for the day:** battery capacity, spare batteries and a charging place agreed with the organiser. 5. **Experience with venue rules abroad:** noise, network, registration of moving exhibits. 6. **A written scope:** working hours, transport, set-up and who is responsible for what. The price depends on exactly these elements, so ask for a written offer rather than a list price. ## What does it take to bring a robot to Frankfurt from Poland? MERA Robotics carries out events across Europe: the robot with MERA operators comes to an event in every country of the European Union, and also, among others, in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Norway. Frankfurt is in the EU, so there is no customs border to cross, but transport of the robot and its batteries still has to be planned. Among its foreign projects MERA has worked with a robot and operators at an international trade fair in Cannes in September 2026. For events MERA offers Unitree G1 (about 132 cm tall, about 35 kg) and Unitree H2 (about 182 cm tall) robots with operators, and checks every robot before it goes to an event. The models are listed in the [catalogue of robots for rent and sale](https://merarobotics.com/blog/robots-for-rent-and-sale). For a wider view of tourism and MICE fairs see the article on [ITB Berlin, IMEX, IBTM, WTM and TT Warsaw](https://merarobotics.com/blog/humanoid-robot-tourism-mice-trade-fairs-itb-imex-ibtm-who-provides), and for agencies that plan to offer a robot to their clients, the article on [robots in an event agency's offer](https://merarobotics.com/blog/humanoid-robot-event-agency-offer-subcontractor-contract-who-provides). ## FAQ ### When is IMEX Frankfurt 2027? According to the organiser, IMEX Frankfurt 2027 takes place at Messe Frankfurt on 11-13 May 2027, with a free day of specialist education on Monday, 10 May. A robot for the stand should be arranged well ahead, together with the registration of the exhibit and the charging plan. ### What noise limit applies to a robot's speaker on a Messe Frankfurt stand? Messe Frankfurt's factsheet on presentations says the volume may not exceed 70 dB(A) at the edge of the stand and must not disturb neighbouring stands. A robot that talks to visitors falls under the same limit, so test the level at the stand boundary before the doors open. ### Does a robot at IMEX Frankfurt have to say that it is AI? Yes, unless it is obvious. According to the European Commission, Article 50 of the AI Act applies as from 2 August 2026, and people must be informed that they are interacting with an AI system. A first sentence from the robot and a sign at the stand are enough in practice. ### Can a stand robot talk to buyers from many countries? Yes, if its software supports the languages and the knowledge about your offer is prepared in each of them. MERA OS, for example, holds conversations in more than 70 languages, including Polish and English, with a voice matched to each language. ### Do I need customs formalities to bring a robot to Frankfurt? Within the European Union there is no customs border, so a robot sent from another EU country needs no customs clearance. For events outside the EU, such as in the United Kingdom, Switzerland or Norway, customs formalities apply, for example an ATA carnet. ## Sources - [IMEX Frankfurt (official site)](https://frankfurt.imexevents.com/) - [IMEX Frankfurt 2026 demand signals determination and confidence amid global pressures (IMEX press release, 20 April 2026)](https://imexevents.com/media/press-releases/imex-frankfurt-2026-demand-signals-determination-and-confidence-amid-global-pressures) - [Factsheet Presentations (Messe Frankfurt Venue GmbH, Technical Event Management)](https://techtextil.messefrankfurt.com/content/dam/messefrankfurt-redaktion/corporate/documents/en/services/technical-information/factsheet-presentations.pdf) - [Transparency obligations under Article 50 of the AI Act (European Commission)](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/faqs/transparency-obligations-under-article-50-ai-act) This page is published by MERA Robotics, a company that rents humanoid robots with operators for events. ## Contact MERA Robotics: contact@merarobotics.com, https://merarobotics.com