Messe Düsseldorf Well Positioned for Global Expansion and Investment

Düsseldorf, May 23, 2025. Messe Düsseldorf once again posted strong financial results for fiscal year 2024: The Messe Düsseldorf Group recorded sales of €395.1 million (previous year: €422 million) and a profit after taxes of €78.8 million (previous year: €94.6 million). In line with the usual event cycle, 22 trade fairs were held in Düsseldorf (previous year: 27).

For Dr. Stephan Keller, Mayor of the City of Düsseldorf, the capital of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the trade show company, the result shows the high esteem in which Düsseldorf’s trade shows and the location in general are held:

“The outstanding results achieved last year once again underscore the high performance of our trade fair company. With their global appeal, our world-leading trade fairs strengthen Düsseldorf as a trade fair location and create lasting value for the city and region.  At the same time, the company is actively helping to secure the future of our business hub by investing in infrastructure and sustainability – an effort that deserves the highest recognition.”

At their meeting on May 23, 2025, the company’s shareholders approved a dividend payout of EUR 22 million.

The Middle East: A Market With a Future
In order to further reinforce the strong position of the company and the trade show city of Düsseldorf in the future, Messe Düsseldorf is pushing ahead with its new international business. After its acquisition of a stake in a new subsidiary in Türkiye and the staging of its first events in Mexico (GIFA Mexico and wire Mexico) in 2024, the growth offensive in the Gulf region kicked off successfully. The company established a presence in the business hub of Dubai when it launched the Messe Düsseldorf Gulf Office in the beginning of the year. Backing this push is a management company that operates exclusively on behalf of Messe Düsseldorf. A first achievement: the upcoming launch of EuroShop Middle East in Dubai in autumn 2026.

There have already been visible results in Saudi Arabia. In early May, Messe Düsseldorf hosted its first-ever trade fair in Riyadh with the debut of metalflow ALLIANCE Saudi Arabia. The next milestone followed in mid-May when HRH Prince Saud Turki Al Faisal Bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of the Riyadh Exhibitions Company, and Wolfram N. Diener, President & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Riyadh aimed at the future integration of the Düsseldorf-based leading global trade shows K, interpack and drupa into the trade shows Saudi Plastics & Petrochem and Saudi Print & Pack.

Customers, Shareholders, the Company: A Win-Win-Win for All
Wolfram N. Diener, President & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, explains the advantages: “In the Middle East, we are expanding in the world’s fastest-growing trade show market, which strengthens our position as one of the most successful trade show companies internationally. We’re also doubling down on our commitment in other select growth markets, which further boosts the global appeal and competitiveness of Düsseldorf as a trade show location.” In February, Tube Mexico took place concurrently with wire Mexico in Monterey for the first time. Other new international events this year will include ANKIROS for metallurgy and foundry technology in Istanbul (Türkiye); JIOSH+W for safety, health and wellbeing at work in Osaka (Japan); and the Organic Food Festa in Shanghai (China) for the organic food industry. “Customers and shareholders will benefit in equal measure from the expansion,” emphasizes Diener. “We’re covering attractive markets for our customers and draw even more international guests to our leading global trade shows in Düsseldorf.”

Eleven New Events – Six of Them in Düsseldorf
The impact of the international activities on Düsseldorf as a trade show city is reflected in the predominantly international audience at Düsseldorf’s leading global trade shows. Some 76.5% of the exhibitors and 39% of the attendees at Düsseldorf’s leading global trade shows in 2024 hailed from outside Germany. drupa (80%) and MEDICA (76%) led on the visitor side, while MEDICA (88%) and wire (83%) topped the list for international exhibitors.

Another major success of Messe Düsseldorf’s global new business initiative was the launch of XPONENTIAL Europe in Düsseldorf in February. The new leading European trade show for autonomous systems and robotics emerged from the largest trade show acquisition in the company’s history. In 2023, the world-leading trade show, XPONENTIAL in the U.S., was co-organized by Messe Düsseldorf North America for the first time. Dr. Keller had announced the creation of a European edition at that time – and officially opened the new XPONENTIAL Europe in Düsseldorf this year.

XPONENTIAL Europe is one of six new events in Düsseldorf in 2025. The inaugural Circular Valley Convention, the first comprehensive, cross-industry trade show and conference on the circular economy, and the first “The Art of Beauty & Health” have already been staged, as well. The latter, a B2C event held concurrently with the BEAUTY and TOP HAIR shows, reinforced Düsseldorf’s status as the capital of the beauty industry. Following in late October will be GRIDexpo, the first comprehensive trade show in Germany for smart power grids. Two additional guest events round out the 2025 newcomers: the fashion trade show Asia Apparel Expo, and iba, the world’s leading trade show for bakery, confectionery and snacks.

A Boost for the City and the Region
Messe Düsseldorf Chief Operating Officer Marius Berlemann stresses the significance for Düsseldorf: “With numerous new events at our home base, we are generating vital momentum for Düsseldorf and the surrounding region. These events enhance our high-caliber trade fair portfolio, which serves as a major economic driver for the city. And 2025 promises to deliver real highlights – including the world’s largest trade fair for mobile travel, the CARAVAN SALON, and the fully booked K, which after three years will once again bring together the international plastics and rubber industry in Düsseldorf. For K, we even expect to surpass the visitor numbers of the previous edition – with more than 70 percent coming from abroad.”

Last year’s trade show highlights included drupa, the world’s largest trade show for printing technologies, which returned to Düsseldorf after eight years, and the largest wire and Tube ever held. In 2024, 22 trade fairs took place in Düsseldorf in accordance with the usual event cycles (previous year: 27), including eight partner and guest events, which together attracted a total of 24,637 exhibiting companies (previous year: 26,866) and 1,044,650 visitors (previous year: 1,146,874).

International Growth Trajectory Continues
The number of international trade shows ticked up: In 2024, 54 events took place outside Germany, compared to 46 in the previous year. Messe Düsseldorf not only tapped into new markets, the company also realigned its operations in Asia. o fully tap the potential of the continent, the five subsidiaries in New Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo were united in the centrally coordinated network “Messe Düsseldorf for Asia” (MDfA). From its base in Singapore, MDfA coordinates sales and visitor marketing for both the leading regional trade shows in Asia and the leading global trade shows in Düsseldorf. A first milestone was the consolidation of the seven Asian health shows under the MEDICARE ASIA umbrella.

Investments Bolster Düsseldorf’s Appeal as a Location for Business
With an eye firmly on the future, Messe Düsseldorf is investing not only in its portfolio but also in digital services, environmental sustainability, and the attractiveness and competitiveness of its site. Investments are rising significantly – from €12 million in 2024 to €31 million this year and on to €69 million in 2026. One of the keystones is the modernization of Hall 9 and the North Entrance; about €200 million has been earmarked to be spent on that project before drupa 2028. Moreover, a new corporate headquarters, the “Messe Düsseldorf Cube,” is going up at a cost of approximately €100 million. The new building will replace the front tower of the Exhibition Center high-rise and, together with the completely renovated tower in the back, will form the future Messe Düsseldorf headquarters.

Bernhard J. Stempfle, Managing Director Finance & Infrastructure at Messe Düsseldorf, makes a strong point: “Featuring contemporary working environments at our new headquarters, we’re positioning ourselves as an attractive employer. At the same time, the revamped North Entrance and Hall 9 will align our site even more closely with the needs of our customers. Plus, we’re making progress when it comes to sustainability: This year alone, we’re putting into operation solar panels covering an area of 79,000 square meters on five hall roofs. We’re funding all these investments entirely from our own resources.”

Strategic foresight guides Messe Düsseldorf in the further development of its portfolio, infrastructure and location – ensuring that the company continues to serve the economy, the city of Düsseldorf and the region as a powerful partner.