Consumer Climate Summit 2026 | October 14, 2026 | AXICA | Berlin
Consumption amid geopolitical tensions
The world is in crisis mode: armed conflicts, China’s growing power, and a highly unpredictable U.S. president are unsettling society and the markets. Germany and Europe face the challenge of redefining their economic and geopolitical roles—and generating growth beyond traditional industrial and export models.
- Which consumer groups are particularly pessimistic or optimistic about the future?
- What can help strengthen the confidence of different social groups?
- And how can European consumer spending be specifically leveraged to drive new economic momentum and shape the geopolitical landscape?
Leading voices from academia, business, and politics will discuss these and other questions at the Consumer Climate Summit powered by NIM on October 14, 2026, at AXICA Berlin.
Participants will include Prof. Dr. Clemens Fuest, Sigmar Gabriel, Prof. Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer, as well as Dr. Anja Bauer, Rolf Bürkl, and Dr. Katharina Gangl from the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM).
Drawing on in-depth analyses and data from the NIM Consumer Climate Index powered by GfK, the summit will highlight the measures needed in times of global upheaval to strengthen trust, promote growth, and ensure long-term stability.
Top-class speakers
Sigmar Gabriel
Chairman of Atlantik-Brücke, former Vice Chancellor
Prof. Clemens Fuest
President, ifo Institute
Dr. Katharina Gangl
Director Studies, NIM
Dr. Friederike Driftmann-Egelhof
Chairwoman of the Management Board, CEO, Peter Kölln GmbH & Co. KGaA
Prof. Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer
Director, Harding Center for Risk Literacy, and former director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development
Rolf Bürkl
Head of Consumer Climate, NIM
Dr. Anja Bauer
Senior Researcher - Consumer Climate, NIM
Prof. Dr. Christoph Ungemach
Senior Researcher, NIM
Registration for the 2026 Consumer Climate Summit
October 14, 2026 | AXICA | BERLIN
Start: 11:30 a.m.
End: 5:30 p.m.
Doors open: 11:00 a.m.
Review: Consumer Climate Summit 2025
Can consumer spending support the economy? This was the question at the heart of the second edition of the Consumer Climate Summit, held in Berlin on November 27, 2025.
About 150 participants from the business and political worlds attended the presentations and discussions with renowned economists and industry experts.
Click here for a recap of the event.
Location: AXICA Convention and Conference Center
Located right in the heart of Berlin at the Brandenburger Tor, architect Frank O. Gehry’s masterpiece is one of the most unique conference venues in Germany.
AXICA perfectly combines design with functionality.
Click here for more information about the venue.
ADDRESS:
AXICA Congress & Conference Center
Pariser Platz 3
10117 Berlin
U-Bahn and S-Bahn station: Brandenburger Tor
View the venue on Google Maps.
About the Consumer Climate Summit powered by NIM
The Consumer Climate Summit, powered by NIM, is an annual event held in the fall that focuses on consumer confidence and the economic situation in Germany. The summit was launched in 2024 by the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions. Its goal is to bring together high-profile experts from business, politics, and academia to discuss the current situation, analyze the factors influencing consumer sentiment, and derive recommendations for various stakeholders.
The NIM Consumer Climate powered by GfK
The consumer sentiment survey, which has been conducted regularly since 1974 and monthly since 1980, is considered an important indicator of consumer behavior and a barometer of Germany’s economic development.
As part of a reorganization of responsibilities, starting in April 2026, the NIM took over not only the evaluation and analysis of the consumer climate but also all communication related to it. From that point on, the survey will be published under the name “NIM Consumer Climate powered by GfK,” thereby returning fully to the NIM in organizational terms, which had already been responsible for the study until 1984 (at that time, the GfK Verein).
NIQ/GfK will continue to collect the data on behalf of the NIM. The methodology, data collection, and analysis will remain unchanged.
