International involvement pays off:
Rising numbers of international customers in Duesseldorf

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Messe Duesseldorf attained its goals for 2002 both at home and abroad despite the fraught economic environment.

2002: Expected sales of EUR 260 million

2002 was a good year, with expected sales of EUR 260 million and provisional (post-tax) earnings topping EUR 20 million. The budgeted earnings figure of EUR 18.8 million was comfortably exceeded. Fourteen of the 23 No. 1 fairs on the Duesseldorf programme were held in 2002.

Growth in exhibitor and visitor numbers defies the trend

Many fairs at Duesseldorf defied the trend with an increase in exhibitor and visitor numbers – above all among the international public:

• Increase in foreign exhibitors (2%), visitors (5%) and net exhibition space (4%).
• 30,100 exhibitors with a 51% foreign share (55% at proprietary events)
• 1,563,000 visitors with a 28% foreign share
• 1,364,000 m2 net exhibition space rented out

Duesseldorf above industry average

This places Duesseldorf ahead of the figures published by the German trade fair industry association AUMA for 2002, which recorded a 1.5% increase in visitors from abroad and a 1.5% decrease in net space rented out. Comparison with these figures brings out the strong international position of Messe Duesseldorf.

Messe Duesseldorf welcomed 5% more exhibitors to ProWein, 6% to Tube, and 2% to interpack (further examples are a 17% increase at IAM and 4% at MEDICA). Visitor numbers were up at ProWein (12%), Tube (12%), InterMopro (9%), InterCool (15%), InterMeat (20%), plus interpack and Caravan Salon. In addition, there were 24% more international visitors this year at both boot and MEDICA, and glasstec even attracted 27% more international visitors than two years previously.

Duesseldorf milestones in 2002

Key events in 2002 included the Supervisory Board resolution to appoint Werner Dornscheidt as successor to Wilhelm Giese. Pending agreement with the Supervisory Board of Messe Leipzig — of which Mr. Dornscheidt is CEO — he is expected to take up office at Duesseldorf in 2004. He will perform the combined duties of President and CEO together with those of Head of Division 2. Horst Klosterkemper will be retiring at the end of 2003.

• A new subsidiary, 000 Messe Duesseldorf Moscow, was established to further strengthen the eastern European market.
• Work continued successfully on the Pudong project in cooperation with Messe Muenchen GmbH (Munich) and Deutsche Messe AG (Hanover).
• Messe Duesseldorf strengthened its position in the Indian market.
• Service improvements continued, with increased use of the web (trade fair portals) and our Online Order System (OOS).
• Preparations began for further modernisation work at the Duesseldorf site (new Hall 21; extension and modernisation of Hall 13; redesign of the North Entrance; connection to the tram line from downtown).
• Support was provided for Duesseldorf's candidature for the 2012 Olympics.

The 2003 trade fair year

Nineteen proprietary events and 17 guest events will be held at Duesseldorf in 2003. Some 26,000 exhibitors and about 1.1 million visitors are expected to attend. The highlight among the Duesseldorf trade fairs will be a triple event comprising GIFA, METEC and THERMPROCESS. From 16 to 21 June, Messe Duesseldorf will become the international center of foundry, metallurgy and thermo process technology.

Innovations

Two new events will be presented in 2003. The NEWCAST International Castings Trade Fair will take place for the first time as a separate forum for the foundry industry in parallel with GIFA, METEC and THERMPROCESS from 16 to 21 June 2003. The second new event to be launched is TourNatur, a specialist hiking and trekking fair from 5 to 7 September 2003. TourNatur will be held in Duesseldorf to parallel the second weekend of CARAVAN SALON 2003. Messe Duesseldorf anticipates that holding the events simultaneously will produce synergies for both sides. We will also be increasing our involvement in ONLINE, the European Congress Fair of the IT and TC industry.

Expertise in guest events

Guest events are a speciality of Messe Duesseldorf. New events in 2003 will include the Public Design/Systembuild Trade Exhibition on Design and Equipment for Public Areas, the PowerGen Europe power generation, environmental and power station services show, trade journal ComputerPartner's Channelworld Expo, and the eGo eGovernment Congress Trade Fair for the Regions of Europe.

Strong sales and earnings in 2004

The "odd year" 2003 may be regarded overall as the period of preparation for 2004, when both sales and earnings will be higher due to the two No. 1 events drupa and K. We expect sales of approximately EUR 300 million in 2004. Bearing in mind the uncertainties surrounding the tax position, we currently expect post-tax earnings for 2004 to be about EUR 30 million.

Further information:

Messe Duesseldorf GmbH
Ingo Lentz
Phone: +49 (0)211 4560-995
Fax: +49 (0)211 4560-8548

Duesseldorf, 13 January 2003

Further information