Messe München aims for more in 2017
Messe München holds about 40 trade fairs annually for industrial goods, consumer goods and new technologies. Separately, it holds 14 international trade fairs in various countries and cities.
Germany’s Messe München, one of the world’s leading trade fair organizers, capped 2016 on a high note with Bauma, the biggest construction show in the world included, bringing its estimated earnings to at least €400 million.
Gerhard Gerritzen, Messe München Deputy Managing Director, told Air Cargo Update Bauma (International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment) and the company’s separate transportation and logistics events held in China, India and Istanbul, have done well despite the many economic challenges in 2016.
“In general, 2016 was a very successful year for our company. We had Bauma. We expect a turnover of about €400 million. Our China transport event was successful. We were able to increase our number of visitors,” said Gerritzen.
And while many events in Turkey were canceled due to security concerns, Messe München International (MMI), organizer of the worldwide leading exhibition transport logistics in Munich, and EKO Fair from Turkey, the strongest organizer of shows for the logistics sector in the region, successfully jointly held logistrans, the international trade fair for logistics and transport last November 16-18, 2016.
The event held in Istanbul, Turkey, which aimed to bridge between European, Asian and Russian markets in the logistics and transport sector, drew a good crowd turnout despite the odds.
“A lot of shows in Turkey were canceled but logitrans was in a good condition. We, as well as the exhibitors, were satisfied with the number of visitors and the quality of visitors. We had a good feedback,” said Gerritzen.
Widening reach
The company, which humbly traces its roots in a small trade fair in 1964, had transformed itself into a major international fair trade organizer with the Free State of Bavaria and the City of Munich as partners.
In 1998, it moved its hub in Munich where it currently maintains the Messe München trade-fair center, the ICM Internationales Congress Center München and the MOC Veranstal-tungscenter München. It will soon have two more exhibition halls and a new conference center at the complex.
Messe München holds about 40 trade fairs annually for industrial goods, consumer goods and new technologies. Separately, it holds 14 international trade fairs in various countries and cities.
Gerritzen said this 2017, the company wants to step up its activities outside of Munich with expansion plans targeted in the United States and India, an emerging economic powerhouse.
In December of 2016, Messe München held the Bauma ConExpo India, which took place in Delhi, bringing in some 647 exhibitors from 30 countries and drawing in an audience of over 31,000.
“For the next two years, we are focusing on the Indian and the US markets,” said Gerritzen who has been in the industry for nearly three decades.
“The Indian market is fast developing. If you traveled there 10 years ago, you will now note that there have been major changes. For us, Mumbai is our first step in India. Maybe in the future we could open up more shows in other places around the country,” he added.
Two major IT and transport events have been lined up in Atlanta, Georgia and India in 2018.
The executive said there are reasons to be optimistic in 2017 despite the challenges as the world economy is showing signs of rebound largely fueled by e-Commerce.
“All sectors face big competitions. We believe that we will also see some changes in the future related to new opportunities that will be driven by the demand on the internet,” said Gerritzen.
