Is it really that bad?
Not in every field, of course. But the overall mindset here is often misaligned. We shy away from change because it brings uncertainty and the unknown. We don’t experiment, we’re skeptical of visionaries, and instead of bold moves, we tend to opt for small, incremental solutions. My sense is that the country needs a new jolt of momentum. I lived in China for many years, and the appetite for trying something new is much stronger there. Back then, we launched numerous new trade fair themes in a very short period of time. Some ideas worked immediately, others failed. But the willingness to make mistakes paid off in the end. All in all, our courage and determination enabled us to significantly strengthen our market position locally over the long term.
Is it possible that the level of pain here simply isn’t high enough yet?
At the very least, there isn’t enough willingness to step out of our comfort zone. We need to flip the switch quickly. That starts with the right framework conditions. Policymakers must commit to real reforms without delay, follow through decisively on announced investment programs, and actively promote future technologies. All of this is essential if we want to be perceived again as a true hub of innovation. In other parts of the world—especially in growth regions such as the Middle East, India, and Asia—the level of “mental venture capital” is much higher.
How do we develop that mindset?
By being willing to learn from others and accept the new realities. Europe has not been the center of the world for quite some time. Yet we still tend to focus too much on ourselves instead of looking toward more dynamic regions. As a trade fair company, we experience every day how inspiring and motivating global exchange can be. We also see it in our own industry: new exhibition venues and trade fair centers are constantly emerging around the world, especially in the Middle East and Asia. The balance of power is shifting, forcing us to remain agile and continuously generate new ideas. As one of the world’s leading trade fair organizers, we embrace this challenge.
But trade fairs only make innovation visible, don’t they?
No, that’s only part of the story. Our business is about bringing people and ideas together. To do that, we constantly reassess our portfolio and look for ways to further improve our offerings for our customers. We aim to provide the perfect platform for our exhibitors and to curate new products together with them in the best possible way. Studies show that leading trade fairs in particular serve as key milestones for companies to drive innovation and initiate investments. Companies know they have to deliver at their industry’s flagship event. More than that, quite a few deliberately hold back innovations so they can unveil them at the industry’s main gathering of the year. This positive pressure becomes even stronger when we bring specific topics into new—preferably high-growth—markets.
Can you give an example?
A particularly exciting market of the future is India. For a long time, the country played a more minor role in global markets, but it has enormous growth potential. This dynamic is especially visible in the healthcare sector. We recognized this development early and successfully positioned ourselves with Medical Fair India. Today, the event takes place twice a year. This shows that we bring topics to where they are rapidly gaining importance—benefiting not only our customers but also the people on the ground.
Does this apply to other markets as well?
Yes. In general, we now think about markets much more in terms of their future potential. Of course, we have our established core regions where we are very strong—but our focus is forward-looking: India, Mexico, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. These countries are still on the rise but offer excellent prospects. That’s where we want to expand our presence and develop new formats. In doing so, we are building our own kind of “Silk Road”—not for goods, but for the exchange of knowledge about trends, innovations, investments, and initiatives. This network is an invaluable source for the continuous transformation of our business.
So there are still bright spots for Germany as a business location?
Absolutely. Germany still has enormous strengths: a solid industrial base, excellent research, and a highly skilled workforce. But we’ve become too slow at turning these strengths into real transformation momentum. That’s why we all need to make better use of existing impulses and push for more. As a trade fair organizer, we see ourselves as an accelerator: innovation drives us, and we drive innovation. This also applies to Düsseldorf and North Rhine-Westphalia. When we bring together innovative people from around the world at our events—people who are shaping the future of their industries—it also strengthens us as a hub of innovation.
