EUROPE - Messe Munich International has posted group sales of €222.5m (US$271.8m).
EBITDA came in at €52m, exceeding forecasts by €30 million, a figure the venue and organiser claims is the highlight of a year that ended with sales of €189.3m, €20m more than forecast.
For the first time since the new exhibition centre went into operation, Messe Munich made a profit in a year in which its events programme did not feature giant construction event Bauma. As a result it was able to pay €2.3m in interest to its principal shareholders, interest resulting from a loan used to finance the new exhibition center.
Messe Munich chairman and CEO Klaus Dittrich said the company is making progress with its restructuring.
“Our profitability is increasing further and our market share is rising,” he said. “In the current year of business, too, we will be able to further expand our leading position as one of the highest-earning and most profitable trade-fair companies.”
Dictated by the differing cycles of the various events, Messe Munich’s programme in 2011 had been weaker than normal. With environmental solutions event IFAT switching from a three-year cycle to a two-year cycle, only five of the large, high-earning leading trade fairs were held in Munich in 2011.
Nevertheless, the company' market share increased with rising exhibitor and visitor records. Messe Munich´s exhibitor and visitor figures for 2011, up five and nine per cent respectively, grew considerably more strongly than what it claims is the average for trade fair centres in Germany overall (three and four per cent).
The company claims one highlight in its international activities last year was the successful premiere of the construction machinery trade show BC India in Mumbai. Following strong demand at the first event in February 2011, the total exhibition space for this event will expand next year from 88,000sqm to 130,000sqm.
The positive trend is expected to continue for 2012. The events ISPO Munich and IFAT Entsorga took up all 16 exhibition halls at it’s Munich base, while numbers rose at its travel and leisure fair, F.RE.E by 25 per cent. A new acquisition, LOPE-C, in the organic and printed electronics market, took place for the first time in Munich and also proved to be successful.
Trade-fair operations outside Germany in 2012 will be dominated by Bauma China at the end of November in Shanghai. This is hoped to follow in the success of February’s sports show ISPO Beijing, which experienced a 38 per cent increase in visitors.
Messe Munich is making solid progress with the strategic expansion of its portfolio of exhibitions held outside Germany. Alongside the company’s event IFAT Entsorga, it is also organising IE Expo in Shanghai and IFAT India in Mumbai. The organiser hopes to increase sales at its trade shows abroad by 50 per cent by 2016.
Managing director Dr Reinhard Pfeiffer said he is confident about the second half of 2012. “In view of the positive start to the year, and the pleasing outlook for events in the autumn, we will once again be able to exceed our forecast for the current year.”
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