Austria’s largest fair for careers, studies, and further education opened its doors from Thursday, March 12 to Sunday, March 15 at Messe Wien (VIECON), Hall C. Admission was, as usual, free of charge.
Over the four days of the fair, everything centered around the theme “Your Path to the Future.” More than 55,000 visitors followed this guiding principle and took the opportunity to gather comprehensive information about educational and career paths and to plan their next steps toward their future.
As a central information and orientation platform, the BeSt is aimed at everyone concerned with their professional future—regardless of age, educational background, or career stage. In doing so, the fair provided more than 300 exhibitors with access to a broad and interested audience.
Short Facts:
- Over 55,000 visitors
- 309 exhibitors
- Four days full of conversations & encounters
- 120 stage slots: over 70 of which on the main stage and deep dive stage, aligned with the focus topic:
- Orientation, Decision, and Self-Management: 7
- Study Choice and Future Competencies: 24
- Career Paths: 19
- International Perspectives: 7
- Future Fields: 14
- 25 Workshops
- Countless personal conversations at the exhibition stands
The exhibitors included universities, universities of applied sciences, academies, colleges, schools, private educational providers, and consulting institutions from all over Austria and abroad. The offering was complemented by companies seeking skilled workers and apprentices, as well as by interest groups, federal ministries, and authorities.
THANK YOU! A heartfelt thank you to our exhibitors, partners, and visitors. You made this fair an unforgettable experience.
Countless opportunities
to discover the path to the future together.
The focus was on personal exchange at eye level. Numerous conversations took place at the exhibition booths, educational paths were discovered, professions explored, job opportunities assessed—all with the goal of finding one’s own path to the future.
A varied stage and workshop program complemented the fair offering and made the content experiential.
Your path to the future
The focus theme “Your Path to the Future” ran like a common thread through the entire program. The contributions addressed key questions that concern young people and those interested in continuing education today—from choosing the right apprenticeship or degree program to international opportunities and the skills that will be in demand in a dynamic future.
The organizers of BeSt are the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research, and the Austrian Public Employment Service. For over 20 years, BeSt Klagenfurt and BeSt Innsbruck have been organized by SoWi-Holding. In addition, SoWi-Holding has been serving as the fair office for BeSt Vienna since this year.
Next Opportunities in 2026
BeSt Klagenfurt
October 15 to 17, 2026
BeSt Innsbruck
December 02 to 04, 2026
