The Messe Berlin GmbH group of companies has begun the new year having just concluded its most successful odd-numbered financial year in the company’s entire history. With a turnover of 190 million euros (2011: 180 million) Messe Berlin was able to post a new record. During the past financial year (2013) Messe Berlin’s 58 in-house and guest events attracted around 26,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries, who rented 1.22 million square metres of hall space. Over 20,000 exhibitors participated in the company’s in-house events, of whom around two-thirds came from abroad. 51 in-house and guest events had previously taken place in 2011. These were attended by around 20,000 exhibitors, who rented approximately 900,000 square metres of hall space. In 2013 over 1.5 million visitors from Germany and abroad attended the company’s events (2011: 1.4 mio.). More than 550,000 of this number were trade visitors (2011: 500,000), of whom around 60 per cent came from abroad.

Dr. Christian Göke, Chief Executive Officer of Messe Berlin GmbH, gave a positive assessment of the financial year: “In terms of structuring 2013 was a difficult year. We had to conduct large-scale investment in the CityCube, our new multi-purpose venue, and we are operating new exhibition grounds next door to BER, the capital’s future new airport, which has not yet opened. Despite this, Messe Berlin posted a profitable turnover of 190 million euros, the best in the company’s entire history in an odd-numbered year, in which traditionally there are fewer events.“

Leading organiser of large-scale medical conferences
In 2013 the Berlin Exhibition Grounds once again played host to numerous large-scale congresses, particularly in the medical field. Thus over 13,000 visitors came to the International Congress Center Berlin (ICC Berlin) to attend the world’s largest gastroenterology congress. Overall, Messe Berlin Conventions organised 35 congresses and shows. The total number of visitors was 135,000, of whom around 60 per cent came from abroad. Berlin ExpoCenter City also hosts hundreds of conferences, meetings and workshops, which are part of the supporting programmes for trade fairs. Events took place at established venues such as the International Congress Center Berlin (ICC Berlin), the Palais am Funkturm, the Marshall Haus and in the display halls on the southern section of the grounds.

Fashion and agricultural machinery at Berlin ExpoCenter Airport
Berlin ExpoCenter Airport is Messe Berlin’s second event venue, located adjacent to BER, the capital’s future new airport. In 2013 highlights here included the January and July editions of the fashion show PANORAMA BERLIN. Showcasing high-turnover collections of mens’ and womenswear, shoes and accessoires, each of the two editions was attended by around 70,000 trade visitors from around the world. John Deere, the world’s largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery, also presented its products on the new grounds. During August and September the company exhibited its 2014 line-up to 5,000 selected sales representatives, dealers and major customers, who came from 40 countries.

Guest event attendances continue to rise
For the Messe Berlin Guest Events division the awards ceremony in early December 2013, at which Federal President Joachim Gauck presented the ’Zukunftspreis’ award, was one of the financial year’s highlights. Other events including Velo Berlin and the World Publishing Expo also attracted widescale media attention. Altogether, over 235,000 visitors (30,000 more than in 2012) attended the 41 guest events held by Messe Berlin in 2013. Exhibitor numbers grew as well and reached approximately 4,500. The events run by this division are extremely diverse and include highly specialised trade fairs such as CWIEME Berlin, the largest coil winding exhibition in the world, Hochzeitswelt, Einstieg Berlin, an event for career starters, and Kreativ Tage Berlin.

All of the leading trade fairs scheduled for 2014
Messe Berlin’s CEO Dr. Christian Göke is optimistic about the prospects for the current financial year: “In 2014 the CityCube heralds the start of a new era in trade fairs and congresses for Messe Berlin. Both the exhibition grounds and the CityCube are almost fully booked up for 2014. Messe Berlin expects turnover to reach around 250 million euros, equalling the record of 2012, a year with a similar number of events.“

In 2014 all of Messe Berlin’s leading trade fairs are scheduled to take place. They include the International Green Week Berlin 2014 (17 - 26 Jan.), FRUIT LOGISTICA Berlin 2014 (5 - 7 Feb.), ITB Berlin (5 - 9 March), the International Berlin Air Show ILA 2014 (20 - 25 May), IFA 2014 (5 -10 Sept.) and InnoTrans (23 - 26 Sept.). Abroad, Messe Berlin organises two highly successful shows, offspins from the corresponding trade fairs at home: ITB Asia in Singapore (29 - 31 Oct.) and ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA in Hong Kong (3 - 5 Sept.). In the space of only a few years each has become a leading industry event in Asia.

Focusing on the user and the digital economy, ’tools’, Messe Berlin’s new trade fair format all about web-based business applications, will debut on 7 and 8 May 2014. This new platform has the user firmly in its sights, and in particular the growing importance of IT for line managers and their specific demands.

Besides these events Messe Berlin will be organising other outstanding trade fairs for the industry in 2014. They include bautec (18 - 21 Feb.) – the International Trade Fair for Building and Construction Technology, laser optics 2014 (18 - 20 March) - the International Trade Fair and Congress for Optical Technologies and Microsystems, YOU 2014 (27 - 29 June) - the leading event for Young People, the fashion show PANORAMA BERLIN (8 - 10 July), belektro 2014 – the Trade Fair for Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Lighting (15 -17 Oct.), Bazaar Berlin 2014 (formerly the Import Shop), the Consumer Trade Fair for Handicrafts, Design and Natural Goods from Around the World (12 - 16 Nov.) and HIPPOLOGICA Berlin – the International Exhibition for Equestrianism (11 - 14 Dec.).

Numerous congresses in 2014
The CityCube, the multi-purpose hall for trade fairs and congresses, will be able to host events with up to 11,000 participants and is due to open in May 2014 with the national conference of the Confederation of German Trade Unions (11 -16 May). At the same time the ICC Berlin will terminate operations in order to undergo extensive restoration work. Further conference highlights await, and immediately afterwards the CityCube will host the World Congress of the International Trade Union Confederation (18 - 23 May). Numerous large-scale medical congresses will follow, including the Diabetes Congress 2014 (28 - 31 May), the Medicine and Health Congress in the Capital (25 - 27 June) and the annual conference of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP, 18 - 22 Oct.).

Berlin ExpoCenter Airport: ILA is the highlight in 2014
In 2014 events at Berlin ExpoCenter Airport will kick off in style. As part of the Berlin Fashion Week and with its new segments THE MALL and L’Hotel, the fashion show PANORAMA BERLIN (14 - 16 Jan.) will be presenting the world’s first fashion show featuring franchises and concessions. From 13 to 16 March 2014 Auto Camping Caravan Berlin 2014, the ’region’s largest consumer exhibition for motorhomes’, will be showcasing a wide-ranging line-up of motorhomes, towing vehicles and camping equipment. TransporterTage 2014, the parallel event, will be presenting utility vehicles for the transport and logistics sector. At the end of March the focus will be on pedigree dogs at the 1st National Pedigree Dog Show 2014 in Berlin/Brandenburg, which will take place on 29 March, and the 45th International Pedigree Dog Show, which will take place on 30 March. Dogs of all breeds with a pedigree recognised by the breeders’ associations Verband für das Deutsche Hundewesen (VDH) and Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) may take part. The highlight of the year is ILA 2014, which will be taking place from 20 to 25 May. The Berlin Air Show will be showcasing cutting-edge aerospace technology from all parts of the aerospace industry. The first three days of ILA (20 - 22 May) are reserved exclusively for trade visitors. On the weekend the show will be open to the public (23 to 25 May). Among the highlights will be a flying display programme over several hours featuring aircraft of all types and sizes from all eras.

In 2014 Messe Berlin expects its numerous events to attract around 30,000 members of the media from all over the world, who will be providing written and broadcast coverage of the events taking place on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.