Werner M. Dornscheidt

Despite economic crisis and a cyclically weak exhibition year: stable development of events in Düsseldorf and expansion of the international exhibition programme

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH expects to close 2009 ahead of budget

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH initially budgeted for a turnover of around 173 million euro ahead of the low-event exhibition year 2009. “When preparing the budgets as well as during the first months of 2009, nobody could have foreseen the precise extent of the international economic crisis”, explains Werner M. Dornscheidt, Chairman of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. At the start of the economic crisis, we initially included a risk mark-down of three percent (around five million euro) in the budget, a figure that had to be increased again by the same amount in the summer of 2009, continues Dornscheidt. “Today, there are many indications that our fall in turnover as a result of the crisis may even be lower, i.e.: we are expecting a slight increase in the turnover of the GmbH compared to the business plan.” In addition, disciplined cost management and further savings in the cost of materials and overheads will enable the exhibition company to exert a positive influence on the budgeted annual loss in the cyclically low-event exhibition year 2009.

“I call that sustainable management“, is the comment of Dirk Elbers, Lord Mayor of the State Capital Düsseldorf and Chairman of the exhibition company’s Supervisory Board, on the forecast results for 2009. The importance of the exhibition company in the international trade-fair sector is of major significance for Düsseldorf as a location. “It positions itself successfully in the market, responds precisely to the requirements of its customers even in times of crisis, cushions the effects of recession through forward-looking management and makes a major contribution to the development of both city and region.”

During the cyclically weak year 2009, 15 own events were held at the Düsseldorf exhibition location, attracting more than 15,000 exhibitors and over 800,000 professional visitors. On top of this were 18 partner and guest events, including two editions of the newcomer to Düsseldorf - Goodies XXL, the leading European trade fair for special items and promotional goods.

Despite the severe downturn in the overall economy in 2009, most exhibitions in Düsseldorf saw a positive development – at least in terms of one key statistic, the number of exhibitors and visitors. The highlight of the year was MEDICA – International Trade Fair with Congress, World Forum for Medicine - with 4,330 exhibitors and 132,000 visitors. In addition to MEDICA, the exhibitions Beauty International Düsseldorf, ProWein – International Trade Fair Wines and Spirits - and A+A – Safety, Security and Health at Work – firmly consolidated their position as the leading exhibitions in their sectors with increased numbers of exhibitors and visitors.

“For us as innovation brokers this means: the high quality of our exhibitions has been underlined”, is Dornscheidt’s assessment of exhibition developments. “However, this also means: we must raise the profile of our exhibitions even higher as worldwide n° 1 in their sectors and thus further increase the benefit for exhibitors.“

Expansion of the trade-fair portfolio at the Düsseldorf exhibition location in 2010

Following on from the cyclically low-event year 2009, 2010 is again an intensive year for Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. The duo wire / Tube, glasstec, K as well as MEDICA mean there will be five major capital goods exhibitions. Exhibitor registrations for the above trade fairs are on the level of the respective previous event.

Messe Düsseldorf made a good start with “boot” in January. 240,200 visitors from more than 60 countries ensured good business in many of the product and ser-vice areas on offer. “We achieved our objectives in full”, says Dornscheidt. “We even succeeded in providing the industry with important impulses as well as introducing more young people and families to water sports and to “boot” in Düsseldorf” The concept of paying greater attention to offers of participation and making it possible to experience water sports in exhibition halls was a success.

Prospects for this year’s ProWein in March are good For the first time, more than 3,300 exhibitors from 50 countries have registered. In 2009 the figure was 3,170 exhibitors from 46 nations.

wire 2010 – International Trade Fair Wire and Cable - and Tube 2010 – International Tube and Pipe Trade Fair – remain on course for success. With 1,134 exhibitors from 48 countries over a net surface area of 44,300 square metres, Tube is well booked in terms of space sold. This means that thus far over 2,000 square metres more have been sold than for the whole of Tube 2008 (41,400 square metres). Exhibitors at wire will occupy 51,722 net square metres. A total of around 53,600 square metres were occupied in 2008, a decline of just under 2,000 square metres which resulted from the deliberate reduction in their stand sizes by some exhbitors. Nevertheless, registration figures for exhibitors are already above the final result for 2008 (1,130): as of the beginning of February 2010, 1,190 companies have already regsitered to come to wire in Düsseldorf.

In 2010, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH will expand its event portfolio and celebrate the premieres of two exhibitions: solarpeq – International Trade Fair for Solar Production Equipment - will be held parallel to glasstec International Trade Fair for Glass, Production – Processing – Products With Special Show Glass Technology Live. Also for the first time in Düsseldorf, the Valve World Expo – the leading world exhibition for valves and valve accessories - will take place at the end of November. Parallel to this, KCI Publishing B.V. will be organising the Valve World Conference at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre. Both complement Tube Düsseldorf in terms of their content. “These new exhibitions show once again: the most highly qualified exhibitors meet the most highly qualified visitors on our innovation platforms”, enthuses Dornscheidt. In addition to the expansion of the portfolio, the company is also planning further developments to its services in 2010. Amongst other things, the exhibitor and visitor services of the online portals will be extended and offers such as four exhibitor seminars on new subjects within the framework of the seminar alliance will increase the benefits of participation in the exhibitions in 2010 alone.

International business and global network

In over 60 years of international experience, the group of companies has organised more than 5,000 events worldwide and there will be more than 80 in 2010.

In December 2009, the youngest member of the product family glass, Glasspex INDIA - International Exhibition for Glass Production, Processing, Products – celebrated its premiere;  the Stainless International Stainless-Steel Congress and the Brno Art Fair International - Fair of Art were held for the first time in Brno, Czech Republic..

“Even if the economic crisis has hit the booming markets of Eastern Europe and Asia hard, the trend towards global networking is continuing”, is how Dornscheidt explains Messe Düsseldorf’s strategy of advancing the company’s internationalisation soundly through individual market management. “Consequently, we shall see further exhibition premieres in 2010.” The participation in the FIME International Medical Trade Fair + Congress in Miami Beach will increase the number of medical exhibitions to ten; in March, the MOTOSALON International Trade Fair of Motorcycles, Motorcycle Accessories and Clothes will be held for the first time in Brno.

Knock-on effect of the exhibition business for the city of Düsseldorf

Thanks to the major success of the globally leading trade fairs at the Düsseldorf exhibition location, the State Capital is a well-known trading and business destination throughout the world. Its manifold social-economic effects give Messe Düsseldorf an outstanding position amongst the municipal subsidiaries which brings numerous benefits.

In 2009, exhibitors and visitors spent 888 million euro in Düsseldorf in connection with exhibitions; turnover generated by exhibitions totalled 1.16 billion euro. In concrete terms, the significance for Düsseldorf is as follows: every euro of exhibi-tion turnover generates a total turnover of 6.2 euro. Particularly important against the backdrop of the increasingly difficult situation on the employment market: 12.856 exhibitions secure jobs in Düsseldorf and a further 7,386 in the remainder of North-Rhine Westphalia. Werner Dornscheidt: “This is an important stabilising factor in the current economic climate. Its profits make Messe Düsseldorf an important pillar and motor of regional prosperity.”

In 2010, the event expertise of Messe Düsseldorf is also in demand outside of the international exhibition sector. It is organising and operating the “German House” during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and, for the first time, also at the Paralympics; it is currently preparing the presentation of the State Capital Düsseldorf at the EXPO 2010 Shanghai in the role of general contractor. “Messe Düsseldorf has organised the German pavilion at five world exhibitions and now has ten years of experience in the organising and operating of the “German Houses” at Olympic Games. For the city of Düsseldorf it is the ideal partner and a guarantor for the successful realisation of our presentation in Shanghai – with major knock-on effects for our city“, emphasises Lord Mayor Elbers.

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Contact:

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Messeplatz, 40474 Düsseldorf
Dr. Andrea Gränzdörffer
Phone: +49 (0)211 4560-555
Fax: +49 (0)211 4560-8548
GraenzdoerfferA@messe-duesseldorf.de

Düsseldorf, 18 February 2010

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The Messe Düsseldorf Group

With a turnover of 496 million euro in 2008, the Messe Düsseldorf Group is the most successful German exhibition company and the most successful of all exhibition companies worldwide with their own centre. In this exceptional year, 32,488 exhibitors will present their products to almost 2 million visitors in Düsseldorf alone. With over 40 trade fairs, including 23 globally leading exhibitions in the five areas machines, plant and equipment, trade, handicrafts and services, medicine and health, fashion and lifestyle as well as leisure time, at the Düsseldorf location and roughly 120 own events and international participations, the Messe Düsseldorf Group is one of the leading export platforms in the world. Messe Düsseldorf GmbH is ranked no. 1 in terms of internationality in capital goods exhibitions. In Düsseldorf, just under 60 percent of exhibitors and over 50 percent of visitors come from abroad; overall, our exhibitions in Düsseldorf attract customers from 151 countries. Sales organisations in 127 countries (66 international representation offices) and competence centres in nine countries make up the Group’s global network. The average number of employees in the Group over the year is 1,503.

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