PflegeMesse 2026: Between skill shortage, digitalization, and new care concepts
There is a shortage of skilled workers, the demands on care and quality are increasing, digital solutions are supposed to ease daily life. At the same time, the industry needs new ways to attract young professionals and retain experienced nursing staff. From September 8 to 10, 2026, the PflegeMesse at HanseMesse Rostock will bring these topics together. The trade and congress fair for rehabilitation, therapy, and care takes place for the eighth time and is considered the largest nursing trade fair in the northeast.
On more than 4,000 square meters of exhibition space, care facilities, carriers, executives, and specialists meet providers of nursing aids, rehabilitation and therapy, furnishings, hygiene, training and further education, as well as digital solutions. Parallel to the exhibition, the Nursing Congress is held again with more than 30 program items. In past editions, consistently more than 3,000 visitors attended the Nursing Fair; according to the organizer, the congress reaches more than 500 participants.
Nursing between political demands and everyday life
The program kickoff on September 8 is the Nursing Summit 2026. The focus is on the value of professional nursing, the political framework, and the question of how to ensure long-term care in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The program ranges from communication and role understanding to the transfer of medical tasks and the planned nursing reform. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Minister of Social Affairs, Stefanie Drese, is announced with a keynote speech and subsequent panel discussion. An outlook on nursing until 2030 is set to conclude the first day of the congress. Thus, the fair addresses a central question of the industry: How can nursing be further developed when costs, staffing needs, and professional requirements are simultaneously rising? New technology can help, but it alone does not solve structural problems.
Start-ups showcase new solutions for everyday nursing care
This is exactly where the Start-Up Area "PflegeVisionen" comes in. Young companies present digital applications, new products, and concepts designed to support nursing staff or simplify existing processes. On two stages, PflegeForum and PflegeVisionen, companies and organizations present their approaches in short technical contributions. Topics range from digital assistance systems in incontinence and positioning management to personnel recruitment, communication, and new supply concepts. For institutions, the key factor is likely whether new technologies actually save time and can be integrated into existing workflows without additional complexity. Especially in a labor-intensive industry, digitalization becomes interesting when it noticeably relieves employees.
Young Professionals Become a Separate Trade Fair Theme
On September 9th, the focus is especially on apprentices and practical trainers. Under the title "Care Up! – Your Day for Practice and Training", training, career entry, and the daily life of nursing are the main topics. In addition to lectures on social media in nursing and academic nursing education, practical offerings are planned. These include first aid and exoskeleton exercises, as well as workshops with realistic case reviews. To conclude, the Nursing Apprentice Awards Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will be awarded for the first time. The focus is not coincidental. The competition for young talent is among the greatest challenges for nursing facilities. It is no longer just about offering training places. Employers must demonstrate what development opportunities, working conditions, and modern professional roles nursing can offer today.
The Health of Caregivers is Also in Focus
Nursing staff care for the health of others daily, quickly putting their own strain in the background. Together with BARMER, the Nursing Fair therefore offers health days with skin, body, and back checks. On September 10th, the two-time Olympic champion Heike Drechsler-Bryggare will speak about Corporate Health Management and will lead active movement breaks. A workshop also deals with handling violence in daily nursing safely. Other program points are dedicated to the Special Olympics and their health program "Healthy Athletes." With the language opera "Unforgotten Audibly," an unusual approach to the topic of dementia is also created. It is based on authentic conversations with people with dementia and their relatives.
Three Days for Networking and Further Education
The Nursing Fair 2026 takes place from September 8th to 10th, daily from 9 AM to 5 PM at HanseMesse Rostock. In addition to the exhibition, the professional program combines lectures, workshops, discussions, and further education offers for nursing professionals, management personnel, carriers, and executives. The topics show how broad the transformation of nursing has become. It covers digitalization and new aids, but also training, health, political conditions, and the attractiveness of the profession. Which solutions can actually make daily nursing life easier will be seen in September in Rostock.