WORLD - Messe Frankfurt has reported that sales reached a new €543m (US$747m) high in 2013 while profits increased to more than €40m.
This is around €6m above the previous record year in 2012, and up 16 per cent on 2011 (€468m).
The venue and organiser said the financial year of 2013 has seen further advances made from a strategic and financial perspective as well as an expansion of its market position among leading international players.
“We have increased our key figures – both sales and earnings – and built substantially on our worldwide market position,” said chief of finance at Messe Frankfurt Klaus Münster-Müller. “We have reached key milestones as part of our strategic programme, thus paving the way for further efficiency and profitability.”
Growth in sales was recorded in 2013, particularly in Germany, where the company generated an estimated €375 million. “This was achieved through improved capacity utilisation at our exhibition grounds, through our services and through the comparatively stable economic climate in Germany,” said Münster-Müller.
The firm said its exhibitor and visitor figures also reflected the successful trends in sales, as the 114 trade fairs and exhibitions played host to around 78,500 exhibitors and 3.6 million visitors.
President and chief executive officer of Messe Frankfurt Wolfgang Marzin (pictured), said there is potential for further profitability in the group in the expansion of existing areas of business and expertise, in further domestic and international growth and in the widening of the group’s portfolio, including through acquisitions and equity investments.
This year Messe Frankfurt acquired water management trade fair and conference Watertech India, expanded its portfolio of environmental technology fairs and now has five events in central growth markets.
Next year, the firm will move into an industrial sector centering on wire, cable and optical fibre with its involvement in Wire & Cable Guangzhou 2014, as well as Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition and Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology – which are scheduled to take part at the same time.
Messe Frankfurt is also continuing to develop its service campaign, including areas such as stand construction, catering and digital services. In 2013, Messe Frankfurt became the first trade fair company in the world to be certified as a Premier SMB Partner of Google in Germany. The new service extends the range of digital products and services that Messe Frankfurt offers its customers under its Dexperty digital brand. These also include exhibitor and product portals, online banner advertising and smartphone apps.
In 2014, Messe Frankfurt aims to reinforce and expand its market position in all business segments.
Münster-Müller said: “We will continue to plough this course – by investing in our products, our services and our base. We have acquired two sites right next to our exhibition grounds and will develop these in the coming years.”
The Kap Europa congress centre is to go into operation in the second quarter of 2014, with the first events booked for June. The venue will host conventions and conferences for up to 2,500 participants and according to Messe Frankfurt – close a gap in the Frankfurt Rhine/Main region between the capacity on the exhibition grounds on the one hand and the hotels on the other.
Messe Frankfurt acquired two sites in the Europaviertel district with direct connections to its Frankfurt exhibition grounds. “This is very fortunate in that it allows us to further optimise our exhibition grounds, our infrastructure and, in turn, our visitor flows,” said Marzin. In the coming years, the firm’s plans include building a new south entrance to the exhibition grounds near the Emser Brücke bridge on Europaallee.
“We expect 2014 to be a very busy year for events and steadily growing international business. We expect sales to increase further and that we will generate our customary positive earnings,” concluded Marzin.
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