SWITZERLAND - Basel-based exhibition organiser and venue operator MCH reported a commercially satisfying first half of 2011, with exhibitions business making up almost three-quarters of company income.
Although operating income and profit were below those of the previous year, MCH says this is due to a less busy exhibition schedule with the absence of Swissbau.
Overall group profit for the period of 1 January to 30 June 2011 was CHF25.2m (US$32m), a drop of 13.4m year-on-year but an increase of almost 10m compared to the same period in 2009.
Exhibition business accounted for 73.3 per cent of total group income, down from 78.7 per cent in 2010 and 76.4 per cent in 2009. This is due to significant rises in income from the company’s event services division, with revenue of 46m this year compared to 39.1m in 2010 and 35.9m in 2009.
“The economic framework conditions are a key factor for our company's success, since the event-marketing business is highly dependent on the economic climate,” said MCH CEO René Kamm. “We are unfortunately not able to influence this factor. But we can determine to a certain extent how we face up to this challenge. For several years, therefore, we have been pursuing a sustainably effective strategy aimed at strengthening the market position of the company, and also of its products and services, in the different segments. That also paid off in the first half of 2011.”
Fourteen of MCH's exhibitions and 18 third-party exhibitions took place at the company's venues in Basel, Lausanne and Zurich during the period, attracting approximately 7,500 exhibiting companies and more than one million visitors.
In the coming year MCH hopes to cultivate its Art Basel brand with geo-clones in Miami and Hong Kong.
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