Germany’s NürnbergMesse has announced that its fiscal year 2018 beat all previous company records for both financial and event figures.
Management said its internationalisation strategy had helped gain momentum, including investment in Greek market leader FORUM SA.
CEO Dr Roland Fleck reported the group’s sales were €315.1m, with a profit of €28m and an EBITDA of €67.9m.
The Messe attracted 35,000 exhibitors over the period and 1.5m visitors, with 1.2m sqm. of net exhibition space sold.
Fellow CEO Peter Ottmann was speaking with Dr Fleck at a press conference in Athens about FORUM SA joining the NürnbergMesse Group as its largest international subsidiary.
“We’ve achieved the goals we set in our corporate strategy two whole years ahead of schedule. And that major step forward will give us the momentum we need to approach the next chapter of the NürnbergMesse success story,” the joint CEOs said in a joint statement.
Investing in Greece’s leading tradeshow organiser provides NürnbergMesse access to an events portfolio including BIOFESTIVAL (8-10 May 2020), FOOD TECH (12-14 October 2019) and OENOTELIA (7-9 March 2020). The CEOs said they were all excellent fits with the Messe’s own exhibitions BIOFACH (12-15 February 2020), BrauBeviale (12-14 November 2019) and FachPack (24-26 September 2019).
NürnbergMesse’s foothold in Athens also offers market development opportunities in the direction of Italy, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean.
New events in 2019/2020 organised by the group include eight in Greece, two in Mexico, four in Brazil, and one each in China and India.
From 29 to 31 July 2020, Central America’s biggest beverage trade show, Beviale Mexico, will be held at the Centro Citibanamex, and covering the industry’s entire process chain. And from 10 to 12 November 2020, EUROGUSS Mexico will debut at the Expo Guadalajara exhibition centre.
The portfolio is also growing in the markets served by NürnbergMesse’s existing international subsidiaries. For example, EXPO REVESTIR (interiors and plumbing fixtures) has made its debut in Brazil. Other new developments scheduled for 2019 are the LATAM RETAIL SHOW (retail, franchising, e-commerce, 27-29 August 2019), Pet Experience (pet supplies, 30 August-1 September 2019) and ABRAFATI (colourings and coatings, 1-3 October 2019), all in São Paulo.
In Shanghai, PAK-iD (packaging, processes and technology) has had its premiere, and in India, India Mattresstech Expo (mattress and upholstery technology, Bangalore) has joined the events schedule, along with the integration of the three new wood processing exhibitions DELHIWOOD, MUMBAIWOOD und INDIAWOOD.
NürnbergMesse is clearly not neglecting its home shows; the 10 international tradeshows from the year’s first half grew significantly (exhibitors: +8%, exhibitor booth space: +6%, visitors +3%). And here it is worth mentioning the launch of MedtecLIVE (31 March-2 April 2020).
It will also be interesting to see how the new ‘kicker Convention’ goes on 7 November 2019. This event is a co-operative effort by Olympia-Verlag/kicker and NürnbergMesse, to illuminate all aspects of sports management and the concept of ‘eSport’.
The new Hall 3C, included in the facilities schedule for the first time with iENA and SPS at the end of 2018, will also play a strategically important role for the company, according to Dr Fleck. “It not only represents our biggest single investment to date, at some €70m, but is a genuine gain for our exhibitors and visitors. Platinum certified by the German Sustainable Building Council, a design icon, and an urgently needed exhibition space – we’re delighted that our Hall 3C, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, is meeting with such a warm welcome.”
Ottmann expects consolidated sales of more than €270m for the current year for NürnbergMesse, which is now one of the 15 largest exhibition companies in the world.
