CPhI Worldwide · 2026

Agoris analysis · updated June 2026

Key takeaways

• CPhI Worldwide is presented as the world's largest trade fair for the pharmaceutical industry, organised each year by Informa Markets on a rotation between Milan, Barcelona and Frankfurt.
• 35th edition on 6, 7 and 8 October 2026 at Fiera Milano, Italy. Pre-show Sustainability Summit on 5 October. No Paris edition is scheduled: Paris hosted CPhI only once, in 2014.
• Record 2025 Frankfurt edition (28-30 October): 62,000+ visitors (official CPhI Europe figure, up to 67,000 according to Messe Frankfurt), 2,400 exhibitors, more than 166 countries represented, 260 speakers, 250+ presenters. Leading countries: Germany, Switzerland, India, China, Italy, USA, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom.
• 2024 Milan edition (8-10 October, 35th anniversary): 58,664 visitors (170 countries), 2,838 exhibitors (74 nations), 145,000 sq m mobilised.
• Organiser: Informa Markets, a division of Informa PLC listed on the London Stock Exchange. The CPHI Global umbrella brand claims 280,000+ professionals reached across the network.

Who exhibits

Typical profile

CPhI Worldwide covers the entire pharma value chain, historically structured into 6 co-located zones under a single ticket:

• CPhI Worldwide (historic core): APIs, custom manufacturing, excipients, fine chemicals & intermediates, natural extracts.
• FDF (Finished Dosage Formulations): finished forms, Big Pharma, CMOs, out-licensing opportunities.
• ICSE (International Contract Services Expo): pharma outsourcing and contract services.
• P-MEC + LabWorld: pharmaceutical machinery, equipment and components, laboratory and analytical biotech.
• InnoPack: primary and secondary pharmaceutical packaging.
• BioProduction: bioprocessing and biopharma manufacturing.

The 2026 edition adds 4 new zones: AI & Tech, Cold Chain & Logistics, Contamination Control and Labelling.

Notable exhibitors and 2025 winners

The CPHI Pharma Awards are presented on the first evening, during the CPHI Celebration. There were 13 categories in 2025, expanded to around 15 categories for 2026. 2025 winners (Frankfurt):

• API Development & Innovation: CordenPharma for TAPS (TAG Assisted Peptide Synthesis).
• Accelerating Innovation: NunaBio for its cell-free synthetic DNA.
• Manufacturing Excellence: Enzene for EnzeneX, a continuous manufacturing platform.
• CEO of the Year: Lars Petersen, Fujifilm Biotechnologies.
• Supply Chain Excellence: Cryoport Systems.
• Woman of the Year: Adriana Kiędzierska-Mencfeld, RezonBio.
• At the Heart of Pharma: CNX Therapeutics.

On the recurring exhibitor side: APIs and active ingredients (Dr. Reddy's, Aurobindo and Chinese players in force), excipients (DuPont, Roquette, BASF Pharma Solutions), CDMOs / CMOs (Lonza, Recipharm, Catalent, Fareva, CordenPharma, Flamma), packaging (Schott, SGD Pharma, Gerresheimer, Stevanato), biotech and bioproduction (Fujifilm Biotechnologies, Enzene), pharma machinery (IMA, Romaco, Bosch Packaging / Syntegon).

Quality of attendance

In 2025 the show locked in its status as the world's largest gathering for the pharmaceutical industry:

• 62,000+ professional visitors (official CPhI Europe figure, up to 67,000 according to the Messe Frankfurt press release).
• 166+ countries represented.
• 2,400 exhibitors present, 2,990+ announced on the initial programme.
• Top 9 exhibitor / visitor countries: Germany, Switzerland, India, China, Italy, USA, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom.

Activities & community

Pre-Connect Congress and Sustainability Summit

CPHI now extends its in-person event over 4 days: pre-show Sustainability Summit on 5 October 2026, then the Pre-Connect Congress the day before opening, a premium-format day of conferences dedicated to strategy, BD and R&D leadership.

Speakers Corner and conference programme

On the floor, the Speakers Corner runs a continuous programme over 3 days covering the industry's major trends. The 2025 edition lined up 260 speakers and 250+ presenters: AI applied to R&D, continuous manufacturing, peptides and oligonucleotides, cold chain, GLP-1, India / China sourcing.

The 4 new themed zones for 2026

The 2026 edition introduces 4 brand-new zones that structure the visitor journey:

1. AI & Tech: artificial intelligence applied to R&D, smart manufacturing, drug discovery.
2. Cold Chain & Logistics: cold chain, traceability, critical pharma logistics.
3. Contamination Control: contamination control, cleanrooms, controlled environments.
4. Labelling: labelling, serialisation, packaging regulatory compliance.

The CPHI Network

CPhI Worldwide is the central European event of a global network structured by Informa Markets: CPHI India + PMEC India, CPHI China (Shanghai), CPHI Japan, CPHI South East Asia, CPHI Americas Philadelphia (launched 2024). The CPHI Global umbrella brand claims 280,000+ professionals reached across the entire circuit.

On site: what you need to know

Access, parking and accommodation: see the Fiera Milano listing.

Specific to the show:

• Dates and opening hours: 6, 7 and 8 October 2026, 3-day format. Sustainability Summit on 5 October.
• Access: strictly reserved for professionals, badge to be pre-registered online. Free professional visitor badge with pre-registration.
• Digital platform: the Events by CPHI app (also known as the CPHI Event Planner) for pre-show matchmaking, business appointment booking and on-site navigation.
• CPHI Celebration: Pharma Awards ceremony evening on the first night, an essential networking moment.

How much it costs to exhibit

Exhibitor rates not published to date: bespoke quote on request from Informa Markets. Figures not publicly available.

Visitor rates: free professional badge with online pre-registration (proof of professional status required). The Pre-Connect Congress and the Sustainability Summit are subject to separate pricing not published to date.

Preparing your visit

For the exhibitor

• 12 months out: make contact with Informa Markets, choose the zone (CPhI core, FDF, ICSE, P-MEC + LabWorld, InnoPack, BioProduction, or the new AI & Tech, Cold Chain, Contamination Control, Labelling zones).
• 9 months out: enter the CPHI Pharma Awards (~15 categories in 2026): a strong visibility lever with Big Pharma buyers.
• 6 months out: brief the team on the top expected countries (Germany, Switzerland, India, China, Italy, USA, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom).
• 3 months out: prepare appointments via the Events by CPHI app as soon as matchmaking opens.
• 6 weeks out: align your pitch with the 4 new 2026 zones if relevant (AI & Tech, Cold Chain, Contamination Control, Labelling) to capture curiosity traffic.
• 2 weeks out: confirm attendance at the CPHI Celebration (Pharma Awards evening) and the Pre-Connect Congress if you have a BD / strategy profile.

For the decision-making visitor

• Online pre-registration is mandatory, proof of professional status required, free badge.
• Download the Events by CPHI app to set up appointments in advance: matchmaking generally active from 6 weeks out.
• Prioritise the CPHI Pharma Awards (first evening) to identify the disruptive players in APIs, manufacturing and supply chain.
• Make the most of the Pre-Connect Congress (day -1) and the Sustainability Summit (day -2) for BD, sourcing and R&D profiles.
• Plan for 3 full days: 6 historic zones + 4 new zones = a typical 145,000 sq m to navigate.

CSR policy & initiatives

Over several editions CPHI has structured a CSR approach integrated into the programme and the floor:

• Sustainable Pharma Excellence Award: a dedicated category for green chemistry, clean manufacturing and the circular economy.
• Excellence with Purpose Award: a category for social impact and patient-first thinking.
• Sustainability Zone on the floor: exhibitors aligned with the industry's ESG challenges.
• Pre-show Sustainability Summit: a dedicated day on 5 October 2026 in Milan, ahead of the official opening.
• At the Heart of Pharma programme: a focus on inclusion, diversity and patient impact, with a dedicated Awards category (2025 winner: CNX Therapeutics).

How the show has evolved

Trajectory analysis

Created in 1990 in Frankfurt with 16 exhibitors and 250 delegates focused exclusively on APIs, CPhI has established itself over 35 years as the world's largest trade fair for the pharmaceutical industry. The strength of the model rests on three levers: a 6 co-located zones under a single ticket format (CPhI, FDF, ICSE, P-MEC + LabWorld, InnoPack, BioProduction) covering the entire value chain, a European rotation between Milan, Barcelona and Frankfurt that maintains geographical appeal without diluting the brand, and a global CPHI Global network (India, China, Japan, South East Asia, Americas Philadelphia since 2024) claiming 280,000+ professionals reached. The 2025 Frankfurt edition locked in a record of 62,000+ visitors and 166+ countries. The 2026 Milan edition introduces 4 new structuring zones (AI & Tech, Cold Chain & Logistics, Contamination Control, Labelling) that broaden the historic APIs / formulation / packaging perimeter towards data, supply chain and compliance topics. Organiser Informa Markets, a division of Informa PLC listed on the LSE, gives the show an industrial footing that is rare in the pharma trade-show ecosystem.

Unless otherwise stated, all factual data in this listing comes from the organiser's official website (cphi.com).