Annual Report 2021

“We are ready if you are!” That was our closing message at this juncture one year ago. We were ready and still are, and so are many of our trade fair customers all over the world. Our shared vision for a re-start became a reality in autumn 2021.

Read more in our Annual Report 2021 (.pdf) .

Find out all about our up-to-date trade fair dates.

Furthermore our CEO Gerald Böse looks back on the trade fair year 2021 – which was again marked by the pandemic but also by the re-start in autumn.

Have a look at his video statement.

Expanding _opportunities

A merger of conference and exhibition

With its “Koelnmesse 3.0” investment programme, and the event and congress location Confex currently under construction, Koelnmesse is creating a fl exible foundation for location-based trade fairs with digital excellence, working from Cologne to combine live events with new formats and a worldwide online presence. Realising completely new event formats is the vision of the MODERN ERA: Confex will make organisers’ wishes for a direct combination of trade fair, congress and event come true. And Cologne will become more attractive than ever before as a conference destination – beginning in 2024, which also marks the 100th anniversary of Koelnmesse.

Thinking _globally

Fresh opportunities thanks to worldwide connectivity

The trade fairs of the MODERN ERA take place in the international space. By providing optimal customer service, Koelnmesse guides its sectors to the relevant growth markets all over the world: The know-how thus acquired is transferred to international satellite events and expanded through local expertise. New trade fairs are systematically added each year to broaden the spectrum. This is how core Koelnmesse themes are expressed worldwide, with customers around the world benefi ting from the customary Koelnmesse service. With new formats, premieres and the added experience of organising German Expo Pavilions, the international competence of Koelnmesse is plain to see.

Achieving_more

A new level for digital services

For Koelnmesse, digital excellence means: On the trade fair grounds in Cologne and online as well, we offer our customers a new level of digital services, growing our communities for the benefi t of all. This creates new opportunities for buyers and sellers alike. Digital showrooms and worldwide online formats will shape the MODERN ERA. Meanwhile, digital signage and geofencing enhance the live experience on site. This is how we offer our customers global reach of hitherto-unknown proportions – up to 365 days a year.

Consistently_improving

Sustainability as an attitude

In the MODERN ERA, sustainability is a corporate attitude: Consistently striking a balance between economic activity on the one hand and social and ecological challenges on the other. This is expressed in a holistic sustainability concept that defi nes, prioritises and creates a framework for key topics along the lines of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Koelnmesse has committed itself to reducing the CO2 emissions of its events to “net zero” internationally by the end of 2050 – in the interplay of numerous measures on the trade fair grounds, at its events and also with the active participation of its customers.