This year's Olma under the motto "Genuine Olma"
Under the motto «echt Olma,» Switzerland’s largest public trade fair will open its doors from October 10 to 20, 2024. This year’s event will feature new additions such as the «Olmaplaza» meeting place, as well as classics like the «Erlebnis Nahrig» special exhibition.
"For eleven days, thousands of people come together on our exhibition grounds and experience their own personal Olma moments. This creates a strong sense of community that makes Olma the best eleven days of the fall," says Christine Bolt, CEO of Olma Messen St.Gallen. Olma will take place for the 81st time in 2024.
2024 with some innovations
After parts of the then almost completed St.Galler Kantonalbank hall were used for the first time last year, the foyer and the outdoor area in front of the hall will also be used at the 81st Olma. There will be various special shows in the foyer, while food stands and exhibitors, including Feldschlössen with the Schwing- und Älplerhütte, will be present on the open-air site.
The offer in the St.Galler Kantonalbank hall is also being expanded: The Olma Genussmarkt, presented by Laveba, enjoyed great popularity last year and is therefore being enlarged. Looking at the entire site, Olma has over 50 more exhibitors in a larger area than last year.
Another new feature between the exhibition grounds and the fairground is the "Olmaplaza", the new meeting place next to the Olma main entrance. This offers a mixture of gastronomy and entertainment for up to 4,000 guests throughout the day. In the evening, it transforms into a lively party zone with DJs and exclusive lounges. "With the Olmaplaza, we are taking the Olma visitor experience to a new level. The meeting place invites visitors to linger in its cozy atmosphere from early in the morning until late at night," explains Katrin Meyerhans, Head of Products at Olma Messen St.Gallen. Another new feature is the Olma Ostwind Pass, which is being introduced in partnership with the Ostwind fare association. From October 7 to 20, 2024, the pass offers free travel on the Ostwind network and free admission on all eleven days of the fair for 72 francs.
"Aha" moments at the special shows
In addition to around 600 exhibitors presenting their specialties, novelties and classics to Olma visitors across the entire site, agricultural and social topics are also part of various special shows. In the foyer of the St.Galler Kantonalbank hall, for example, Uefa will be providing a preview of the Uefa Women's Euro 2025, which will be held in Switzerland and also in St.Gallen.
At Swissint's special exhibition on peacebuilding in Hall 2.0, visitors can find out how members of the Swiss Armed Forces are involved in voluntary missions abroad in conflict-affected areas.
Commitment is also a top priority at the special exhibition of the Sempach Ornithological Institute - which is celebrating its 100th anniversary - in Hall 9.0: In the interactive exhibition "Experience Meadow Breeders", interested visitors are made aware of the endangered bird species with films, animations and games.
Visiting the guest canton of St.Gallen "uf Bsuech dihei"
This year's guest canton is the home canton of St.Gallen, which has appropriately chosen the motto "uf Bsuech dihei" and is inviting visitors to the St.Gallen living room (Markt-kom.com reported). Its oversized design forms the centerpiece of the presentation in Hall 9.1B. On the "Day of the Guest Canton" on Saturday, October 12, over 1,500 people parade through the city center of St.Gallen during the Olma parade.
