Trade fairs are going from strength to strength in Frankfurt 777 years on from first event.
This year could see sales of over €650 million ($725 million) announced the organisation in a press release. Mayor Peter Feldmann, Chairman, Messe Frankfurt Supervisory Board said the work of the President and CEO Wolfgang Marzin and his board was “sterling” adding: “Messe Frankfurt is building on its growth consistently in the 2017 financial year. If things continue in this positive vein, the company may well see sales pass the €650 million mark.”
Marzin commented: : “In 2016, we generated sales of approximately €647 million, which reached the same heights attained in 2015, our most successful year to date. A new record level of EBITDA was reached with around €124 million. New records were also set for pre-tax earnings (approx. €74 million) and annual net income (approx. €50 million). 2016 saw a total of 417 events take place under the Messe Frankfurt umbrella, attracting some 4.2 million visitors, over 3.5 million of which to its trade fairs and exhibitions.”
He also said that the organisation would continue to invest and grow and that it intends to expand on the Safety, Security & Fire industry segment and that Messe Frankfurt is the “world’s leading organiser of trade fairs and congresses in the international growth segment of civil security”.
Executive board member, Detief Braun, commented: “Once again, we are happy to report that the event business has been very dynamic with a high level of growth. Our excellent positioning and networking in every single country around the globe helps to increase the international component at our Frankfurt base, which was already very high.”
The event organisation said that they are working on brand developments and new event formats and Braun added: “At present, this is occurring above all in the consumer goods and musical instrument sectors and in the areas of mobility and logistics. I am confident that these wide-ranging developments will have a greater effect on our trade fair sector in the next three years than any that we have experienced in the past three decades. The number of exhibitors has increased by around 20 percent to 1,125 companies and gross exhibition space now totals 92,000 square metres – around 12 percent more than the previous event.”
There is also investment in interactive formats at forthcoming shows where there is already much successful foreign trade and business. Messe Frankfurt have also invested €1 billion ($1.12 billion) in modernisation of its event sites and hall 12 is underway and on time and within budget.
Marzin finished by saying: “Messe Frankfurt is reliably increasing its earnings power while sustainably reinforcing its leading position in the global market. From this strong position, we can continue to invest in developing our Group in the long term and in those precise areas where the needs of our customers exist.”