Internationale Modellbahn-Ausstellung (IMA) Friedrichshafen — Messe Sinsheim

The Internationale Modellbahn-Ausstellung, known as IMA, is held at Messe Friedrichshafen near the airport on Lake Constance. The organiser, Messe Sinsheim GmbH, calls it Europe's biggest model railway event and says more than 200 exhibitors and the builders of many European layouts take part. It adds that the layouts tell hundreds of small everyday stories in miniature.

The exhibition takes place at the same time as Faszination Modellbau, a model-making fair covering aircraft, cars, trucks, ships and plastic and paper models, and the Echtdampf-Hallentreffen, a live steam hall meeting. The visitor ticket is sold for the three events together. According to the fair's hall plan, halls A1 and A2 are given to railway modelling and layouts, and the offers include the Junior-College Europa of the Bundesverband Deutscher Eisenbahn-Freunde, where children build their own small layout diorama. A model railway forum on new products and developments runs from Friday to Sunday.

The organiser says the exhibition takes place every two years, and its press page carries reports on earlier fairs as well as on the current one, which it numbers as the 41st IMA.

Model railway layouts in many gauges, stands of small-series makers and dealers with accessories and scenery, a model railway forum with news and developments, a children's diorama-building area (Junior-College Europa), and the model-making and live steam shows in the neighbouring halls on the same ticket.

Held at Messe Friedrichshafen GmbH, Neue Messe 1, 88046 Friedrichshafen, close to the airport. Opening hours are Friday and Saturday 9:00 to 18:00 and Sunday 9:00 to 17:00. The organiser asks visitors to buy tickets online in advance: a ticket is valid for one chosen day, and only a few emergency ticket desks open on site from 8:30 to 17:00, with long waits expected. Tickets are available as a day ticket, a reduced day ticket (ages 9 to 17, pupils, students, pensioners with ID, and people with a disability) and a family ticket. Children up to 8 years have free entry. Dogs are not admitted. Parking is charged and external car parks have a free shuttle bus.