The Messe Berlin GmbH group of companies has begun the new year having just concluded its most successful odd-numbered financial year in the company’s entire history.
With a turnover of 190 million euros (2011: 180 million) Messe Berlin was able to post a new record. During the past financial year (2013) Messe Berlin’s 58 in-house and guest events attracted around 26,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries, who rented 1.22 million square metres of hall space. Over 20,000 exhibitors participated in the company’s in-house events, of whom around two-thirds came from abroad. 51 in-house and guest events had previously taken place in 2011. These were attended by around 20,000 exhibitors, who rented approximately 900,000 square metres of hall space. In 2013 over 1.5 million visitors from Germany and abroad attended the company’s events (2011: 1.4 mio.). More than 550,000 of this number were trade visitors (2011: 500,000), of whom around 60 per cent came from abroad.
In 2013 the Berlin Exhibition Grounds once again played host to numerous large-scale congresses, particularly in the medical field. Thus over 13,000 visitors came to the International Congress Center Berlin (ICC Berlin) to attend the world’s largest gastroenterology congress. Overall, Messe Berlin Conventions organised 35 congresses and shows. The total number of visitors was 135,000, of whom around 60 per cent came from abroad. Berlin ExpoCenter City also hosts hundreds of conferences, meetings and workshops, which are part of the supporting programmes for trade fairs. Events took place at established venues such as the International Congress Center Berlin (ICC Berlin), the Palais am Funkturm, the Marshall Haus and in the display halls on the southern section of the grounds.
Berlin ExpoCenter Airport is Messe Berlin’s second event venue, located adjacent to BER, the capital’s future new airport. In 2013 highlights here included the January and July editions of the fashion show PANORAMA BERLIN. Showcasing high-turnover collections of mens’ and womenswear, shoes and accessoires, each of the two editions was attended by around 70,000 trade visitors from around the world. John Deere, the world’s largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery, also presented its products on the new grounds. During August and September the company exhibited its 2014 line-up to 5,000 selected sales representatives, dealers and major customers, who came from 40 countries.
Messe Berlin’s CEO Dr. Christian Göke is optimistic about the prospects for the current financial year: “In 2014 the CityCube heralds the start of a new era in trade fairs and congresses for Messe Berlin. Both the exhibition grounds and the CityCube are almost fully booked up for 2014. Messe Berlin expects turnover to reach around 250 million euros, equalling the record of 2012, a year with a similar number of events.“
In 2014 all of Messe Berlin’s leading trade fairs are scheduled to take place. They include the International Green Week Berlin 2014 (17 - 26 Jan.), FRUIT LOGISTICA Berlin 2014 (5 - 7 Feb.), ITB Berlin (5 - 9 March), the International Berlin Air Show ILA 2014 (20 - 25 May), IFA 2014 (5 -10 Sept.) and InnoTrans (23 - 26 Sept.). Abroad, Messe Berlin organises two highly successful shows, offspins from the corresponding trade fairs at home: ITB Asia in Singapore (29 - 31 Oct.) and ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA in Hong Kong (3 - 5 Sept.). In the space of only a few years each has become a leading industry event in Asia.
Focusing on the user and the digital economy, ’tools’, Messe Berlin’s new trade fair format all about web-based business applications, will debut on 7 and 8 May 2014. This new platform has the user firmly in its sights, and in particular the growing importance of IT for line managers and their specific demands.
Besides these events Messe Berlin will be organising other outstanding trade fairs for the industry in 2014. They include bautec (18 - 21 Feb.) – the International Trade Fair for Building and Construction Technology, laser optics 2014 (18 - 20 March) - the International Trade Fair and Congress for Optical Technologies and Microsystems, YOU 2014 (27 - 29 June) - the leading event for Young People, the fashion show PANORAMA BERLIN (8 - 10 July), belektro 2014 – the Trade Fair for Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Lighting (15 -17 Oct.), Bazaar Berlin 2014 (formerly the Import Shop), the Consumer Trade Fair for Handicrafts, Design and Natural Goods from Around the World (12 - 16 Nov.) and HIPPOLOGICA Berlin – the International Exhibition for Equestrianism (11 - 14 Dec.).
In 2014 Messe Berlin expects its numerous events to attract around 30,000 members of the media from all over the world, who will be providing written and broadcast coverage of the events taking place on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.
