Press information of Koelnmesse

Mette Petersen to retire after 22 years of remarkable leadership Effective 1 January 2026, Darrin Stern will assume the role of President and Managing Director Carefully planned handover underscores continuity, growth, and long-term success in North America

• Sector analysis and certificate issued by the F.A.Z. Institute confirm Cologne’s outstanding sustainability reputation as a trade fair location • Koelnmesse secures the top ranking among German trade fair companies for the second consecutive time • Study analyses around 6.4 million online references relating to some 16,000 companies

• Koelnmesse appoints Mathias Küpper as its first Regional President Asia-Pacific, strengthening strategic leadership across the region • New regional structure enhances collaboration between subsidiaries in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China, and Hong Kong • Expanding Koelnmesse’s portfolio in Asia with major new trade fair launches across key growth markets

• Koelnmesse is realigning its sales in the Middle East region from 1 November 2025 • From now on, the network of local foreign chambers of commerce will serve the company’s ten target markets in the Middle East • The reorganisation is part of Koelnmesse’s steady continuation of its internationalisation strategy

• German Pavilion “Wa! Germany” closes after 184 days with over three million visitors • Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) bestows two awards for outstanding theme development and sustainability • Pavilion impresses with circular innovation, sustainability and immersive design • Koelnmesse, as the organisation responsible for operations, reports resounding success

• A positive climate effect of trade fairs: Consolidated meetings replace multiple business trips • An industry first: With its CHEQ app, Koelnmesse makes carbon savings measurable and personal • Largest pilot to date: Koelnmesse tests its climate calculator at Anuga 2025 • Industry study: Each B2B trade fair visit replaces an average of five business trips

• ORGATEC WORKSPACE Saudi Arabia to debut on 16 September 2025 in Riyadh – bringing the expertise of the renowned ORGATEC Cologne to the Middle East • Koelnmesse advances its internationalisation strategy and expands strong trade fair brands abroad • Strong debuts: FSB Sports Show Riyadh and International Hardware Fair Saudi Arabia attracted 13,110 trade visitors in June 2025 • By the end of 2025, Koelnmesse will launch six further international trade fairs, including in India and Indonesia

• Koelnmesse closes anniversary year with EUR 365.8 million in sales and EUR 21.3 million in profit • Corporate strategy “level35” sets the course for stability and growth in uncertain markets and geopolitical areas of tension

• Successful internationalisation: gamescom latam in São Paulo stands as a beacon for Koelnmesse's globalisation strategy • Joint press conference: Cologne's Lord Mayor Henriette Reker and Koelnmesse COO Oliver Frese emphasise growth potential • Hub for Mercosur countries: Brazil's importance for Koelnmesse and for the German and European economy is growing • Locally rooted: Koelnmesse has maintained a presence in Brazil for 60 years and has had its own subsidiary in São Paulo for ten years

• Koelnmesse and game association further expand successful cooperation with new contract • Stronger support from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the city of Cologne • Last year 335,000 visitors in Cologne and over 500 million viewers online