From 10 to 13 April, the exhibition halls in Dortmund will once again be transformed into a spectacular world of miniature, with model-making enthusiasts from all over Germany and beyond making the pilgrimage to Dortmund to be inspired by fascinating new products, detailed models and a highly varied programme line-up. INTERMODELLBAU brings together all aspects of model making and model sports in six exhibition halls – really encouraging visitors to look around and broaden their idea horizons. A forum for dialogue, inspiration, action and interaction – not just for specialists, but for the whole family. Two things not set to shrink at the show will be exhibitor numbers and floorspace – both of which are set to grow again this year.

Dortmund, 9 April 2025 – Marvelling, learning, participating, getting involved and experiencing things hands-on – that's INTERMODELLBAU, the show powered by international manufacturers and dealers ready and waiting to show their new products to an audience of model making enthusiasts. Participants include the big names in the industry as well as bespoke small-production-run manufacturers and exciting new-name exhibitors. Also in attendance are committed clubs, associations and enthusiasts from all model making segments bringing along their models and demonstration layouts, some of which are the results of years of painstaking work, and ready to share their knowledge and passion with professionals and newcomers alike. These enthusiasts ensure there's a lot to see – and touch – in the halls. This makes INTERMODELLBAU the perfect way to introduce the up-and-coming generation to these fascinating pastimes, with youth organisations and dedicated school groups providing a light-hearted introduction to this exciting hobby and showing young visitors their first tricks of the trade plus insights into club life.

Exhibitor line-up with a host of highlights

From railway and marine modelling and aeromodelling to vehicle and utility model making as well as cardboard and plastic modelling – the list of exhibitors at INTERMODELLBAU is a who's who covering every segment. Also included are some first-timers at the show, including NZG Nürnberger Zinkdruckguss-Modelle GmbH as a go-to business for model vehicles and stationary models, and with TOM Modellbau augmenting the plastic model making segment and COBI GmbH promoting its bricks and plastic model making materials. For the first time in Dortmund, model railway enthusiasts can also browse the stands of Aare-Valley-Modells AG, Kiss Modellbahnen and Beli-Beco e.K., among others. Businesses such as STEPCRAFT GmbH & Co KG are joining the line-up of exhibitors in the accessories segment. The Tamiya-Carson stand is set to be a hit with RC model makers, while freakware GmbH is in attendance for the aeromodelling fraternity.

Of course, visitors to INTERMODELLBAU will also be able to enjoy the big, established names including Märklin & Cie GmbH, FALLER GmbH, Noch GmbH & Co KG, Viessmann Modelltechnik GmbH and Wolfgang Lemke GmbH in the model railway segment, Carrera REVELL Europe GmbH in the plastic and RC model making segment, aero-naut Modellbau GmbH & Co KG in marine and aeromodelling segments and ScaleART OHG Modellbaumanufaktur which specialises in model commercial motor vehicles. Also in attendance will be small-production-run suppliers Stehr Modellbau und Industrietechnik GbR (cast products), Miniwerft (ship modelling), Veroma Modellbau GmbH (truck modelling), ULEX Microelectronic Services GmbH (railway modelling accessories) and Feldherr Lager- und Transportsysteme GmbH.

INTERMODELLBAU – a platform for exciting new products

The exhibitors will also be bringing along new products, some of which they'll be presenting live for the first time. Märklin, for example, is set to attract visitors to its stand with a sensational announcement: At 15:00 hrs on Day 1 of the show, Managing Director Wolfrad Bächle will be making a special appearance to unveil the new AC/DC Rock n Roll Train – plus another highlight in the form of a six‑metre long 1‑gauge train. Further details available exclusively at the show! 

FALLER, too, is so far keeping a lid on some of the highlights of its appearance at the show. The Car System Digital system will definitely be there with new features. And then there's a special model, about which the company reveals only that it's a true icon of Germany's 'Ruhrgebiet' industrial heartland. Visitors will have to wait in anticipation! In any case, they'll be able to vote on whether it should be built as a special anniversary model celebrating the company's 80^th anniversary in 2026. Noch GmbH is announcing a spectacular laser-cut model kit for Linderhof Castle on a scale of 1:87, H0 gauge, supplemented by over 100 3D-printed parts. Viessmann Modelltechnik GmbH will be exhibiting even more realistic CarMotion vehicles at INTERMODELLBAU for the first time. These are not just illuminated but also have sound. And model railway accessories provider Loewe Modellbahnzubehör, for example, will even be bringing special editions of model railway cargo to the show.

From Hall 3 to Hall 8: It all starts with ships and planes

If you're looking for an overview of the entire line-up at the show, we highly recommend the INTERMODELLBAU show app. However, here's a rough guide.

Hall 3 is traditionally the home of model ships and aeroplanes. It's also home to one of the show's great visitor attractions – the 500 sqm (approx.) water basin. From ferries to work-boats, sailing ships to research vessels, submarines to wind power platforms and from the large Roman galley to a model of the Admiral Graf Spee – a host of marine model making clubs will be presenting their models here. During the popular demonstrations on the water, experts will provide the audience with intriguing details, information and stories behind the models. Young visitors can also get actively involved – and can obtain the popular 'Captain's Licence' or make their own first mini boat. Click here for more details of the programme line-up awaiting you on the water.

In the large aviation area, things will be pretty much under the control of the German Model Aviation Association (DMFV) and its youth organisation JUMP!. Seasoned flyers and junior pilots will be taking off in hourly flight shows with their indoor models, amazing aeromodel enthusiasts of all ages with spectacular airborne manoeuvres. You'll be able to see everything from large models with up to 2m wingspans to unusual home-spun designs. Visitors will be inspired by a variety of hands-on activities – anyone so inclined will be able to have a go in the model flight simulator, and there'll also be an option to build your own glider using balsa wood. The MFSD Droneballs drone footballers from the German Model Leisure Aircraft Association will also be exhibiting in Hall 3.

Halls 4 and 7: The home of model railway enthusiasts

Model railway enthusiasts will be well aware of the fact that Halls 4 and 7 are about everything that runs on tracks. Absolute magnets attracting model railway enthusiasts every year are the elaborate demonstration layouts in Halls 4 and 7, where member clubs of the National Association of German Railway Friends (BDEF) will also be contributing several layouts. And of course they're not alone in this. Many dedicated clubs and associations, as well as individual model railway enthusiasts, are already looking forward to exhibiting their diverse works, making model railway fans' eyes light up. The sky's the limit as far as size, track gauge or subject matter go. The systems on show are from Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Denmark and beyond. Some of them will be making their German débuts at INTERMODELLBAU – for example the layout of Danish club Spor 1 Sjaelland specialising in 1-gauge, elements from the GermaNTRAKe.V. demonstration layout, the 'Wiesenberg' layout brought along by model making team De Bimmelbahner and the layout of MSC Kempen from Belgium.

>>> All demonstration layouts are listed in the show app.

Several top manufacturers will also be represented with elaborate demonstration layouts. Gebr. Märklin & Cie GmbH and Gebr. FALLER GmbH will be sharing space to show LGB garden railway models, an N-gauge novelty layout and exciting locomotives from the Märklin heritage spanning over 165 years. With so many impressive things to see, people will be sure to want to engage and 'talk shop', and there'll be an opportunity to do this at the inaugural 'Treffpunkt Modellbahn' model railway meeting point in Hall 4 over snacks and beverages.

Halls 4 and 7 will also feature fairground model making, with IG Kirmesmodelle presenting detailed models of two genuine fairground rides complete with elaborate lighting and genuine fairground illuminations. Exhibitors will include Kirmesmodelle Raue, mxion, ELG Marquardt Steuer- und Regeltechnik and Imprintium. People with a penchant for this segment of the model-making world will also find what they are looking for at Gebr. FALLER GmbH.

Everything with four wheels on hand in Halls 5 and 6

Vehicle modellers will once again find everything their hearts desire in Halls 5 and 6. Hall 5, for example, is set to host the exciting appearance of the German Minicar Club (DMC), with enthusiastic spectators again able to watch exciting race-track competitions – from vintage races and buggy races to short-course races and the final of the NRW Offroad Cup – and with the 12 x 7-metre Mini-Z circuit giving everyone the opportunity to try things out for themselves. Other highlights will include the SHERPA TROPHY action course, the Carrera Track at the Carrera REVELL Europe GmbH stand, and the RC race-track featuring Traxxas models.

Hall 6, on the other hand, will be home to models 'for the rough stuff’, with everything from trucks and fire engines to snow groomers. Here, visitors can experience miniature heavy-duty machinery in action. A good example is the mini-Truck-Club Recklinghausen giving young fans the chance to get their first driving licence. The fire brigades of Dortmund, Datteln and Gelsenkirchen are also represented along with two full-size vehicles. Also in attendance are R.C. Truck-Car-Club Dortmund with its construction site obstacle course and IG Alpintechnik with snow groomers and a cable car diorama. Visitors can stock up on everything they need from exciting exhibitors such as ScaleArt OHG, Veroma Modellbau GmbH, Pistenking Funktionsmodellbau, Stehr Modellbau und Industrietechnik GbR, NZG Nürnberger Zinkdruckguss-Modelle GmbH, Der RCBruder, thicon e.K., RC Hobby Trucks, Servonaut/Tematik GmbH and s-idee.

Hall 8 connecting the future and the past with drones, robots and a steam loco

Things are going to get pretty futuristic in Hall 8. Visitors of all ages will be amazed when air crashers compete in airborne FPV races and home-built robots from the German Roboteers Association face each other off in a terrestrial arena. The drone races, in which the pilots wear VR goggles to navigate at high speeds of up to 140 kph, also count in assessments for the German Championship.

The miniature train complete with steam locomotive, which the NRW Steam Model Enthusiasts traditionally run in Hall 8, offers a wonderful contrast. For a small fee, you can ride along instead of steering remotely – a real highlight, especially for young visitors. In a similar way, indeed, to the world of bricks which can be found in Hall 7. Several large LEGO figures are among the visitor highlights this time around – and one thing can already be revealed: Star Wars fans will definitely be grinning ear to ear! An entire world of building blocks is also dedicated to funfairs.