WHEN GL EVENTS VENUES BECOME FILM SETS
What if the venues managed by the GL events Group became film studios? Why not! In Budapest and Turin, Hungexpo and Lingotto Fiere also welcome audiovisual productions. These projects showcase the flexibility of their infrastructure and the expertise of their teams, with one particular requirement: confidentiality.
A convention centre transformed into an airport, exhibition halls turned into competition arenas… GL events venues offer audiovisual productions possibilities that extend well beyond their traditional event uses. At both Hungexpo and Lingotto Fiere, this ability to transform relies on versatile spaces and support tailored to filming requirements.
Budapest: a strategically important activity
Hungexpo hosts feature films, Hungarian and international series, and commercial productions. Alongside its studios, the venue offers filming locations with a variety of settings: contemporary offices, retro interiors and industrial spaces. The convention centre itself can serve as the backdrop for an airport terminal or shopping centre. Production offices, storage facilities and outdoor spaces complete the offering.
Developed during the pandemic, the studio business has become a strategic pillar of the venue. Several major international productions filmed there in 2025, strengthening a model that combines exhibitions, conferences and large-scale audiovisual productions.
Turin: a full-scale transformatio
This Hungarian experience inspired the development of Lingotto Studios. Between June and August 2025, the Turin venue hosted Endemol Shine Italy’s production of Physical Italia: da 100 a 1 for Netflix. Three halls covering more than 64,000 sqm were used over 64 consecutive production days, with ten sets built specifically for the project.
Around 300 people worked on the project each day. GL events Italia’s teams provided 10,000 hours of on-site support, demonstrating the scale of the technical resources, logistics and coordination required for these productions.
Confidentiality: an essential requirement
Hosting a shoot also means maintaining production confidentiality. At Lingotto Fiere, restricted access and dedicated areas help protect the privacy of production teams, even when other events are taking place simultaneously. Production offices, storage facilities and catering areas support day-to-day filming operations within the venue. This discretion is an integral part of the relationship with producers.
The development of these services opens up new opportunities across other destinations.