Germany
MusterMesse 4.0
Leipzig will commemorate 860 years of staging trade fairs next year with a strategy that keeps the future firmly in its sights
n 2023 , Leipziger
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Messe continued its post-pandemic upswing with a turnover of € 80.1m . Together with its subsidiaries , it organised 178 events attracting more than 9,600 exhibitors and 792,000 visitors . In the current financial year , the Leipziger Messe Group anticipates sales to surpass the € 100m mark and for the upswing to continue . Next year , Leipzig will celebrate 860 years of hosting trade fairs , making it one of the oldest centres in the world . As the largest trade fair grounds in eastern and central Germany , Leipziger Messe will mark this momentous anniversary by focusing on its newly launched ‘ MusterMesse 4.0 ’ strategy .
The strategy comprises increased new business and the consistent internationalisation of its events , a focus on its service orientation , investments in the modernisation of its infrastructure and digitalisation , plus further development of its sustainability ambitions .
Regarding the internationalisation of its events , this year , Leipziger Messe International ( LMI ) GmbH has teamed up with the Kazakh trade fair company AstanaExpo for the Kazakhstan Machinery Fair , a leading trade fair for mechanical engineering in Central Asia .
In addition , LMI and the Turkish trade fair company TG Expo International Fairs are jointly organising the inaugural Heritage Middle East , a fair for tech and equipment for museums , exhibition centres and libraries , in Abu Dhabi in December .
Leipziger Messe is making extensive investments to modernise and digitalise its exhibition grounds . These include a rooftop photovoltaic system , renewing the entire building management system , and introducing digital signage . The Wi-Fi , admissions and car park management are also being modernised .
Under the motto ‘ Growing in Balance ’, Leipziger Messe invests in sustainable energy . In 2009 ,
Left : Leipziger Messe : Growing in Balance it was the first German trade fair company to be awarded the Green Globe environmental and sustainability seal . It has been recertified every year since then . Since 2023 , Leipziger Messe has exclusively purchased green electricity . In May 2024 , its rooftop photovoltaic system opened and will cover 15 % of internal electricity requirements in future .
Moreover , exhibitors are actively advised on the sustainable design of their stands . This includes , for example , using reusable stands based on modularly configurable components , rental furniture and decorative items , as well as reusing carpet , banners , wood , etc . in line with the circular economy .
There are also sustainable approaches in the catering sector , including reusable packaging , vegetarian offers , a focus on fair trade as well as regional , seasonal and organic products , plus the use of reusable crockery and initiatives to avoid food waste .
A strategic focus on Leipziger Messe ’ s service orientation meanwhile is exemplified by winning , for a tenth time , Die Welt ’ s ‘ Service Champion ’ award for the trade fair industry .
Trends such as service excellence , digitalisation , transformation and a focus on sustainability have long been part of the trade fair business . In a competitive environment , the focus is constantly on further developing offerings and responding flexibly to changing customer requirements .
A venue such as Leipziger Messe needs to put itself in its customer ’ s shoes and develop the optimum offering for their needs .
Trade fairs are and will remain a people ’ s business . Leipziger Messe will continue to focus on enabling this . EW
30 Issue 5 2024 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk