Germany
Back in business
Last year was the first full year without any Covid-related restrictions for Messe Stuttgart . With a turnover of € 128.3m , the company is , quite literally , back in business
ollowing the challenges
F of the pandemic , Messe Stuttgart experienced a period of recuperation and growth in 2023 . With 61 company and guest trade fairs , such as CMT , hy-fcell , Motek , Moulding Expo , Stuttgarter MesseHerbst and Comic Con Stuttgart , the event calendar was more than busy .
“ The physical return of CMT with more than 265,000 visitors was particularly remarkable , along with didacta and its 56,000-plus education experts ,” says Messe Stuttgart president Stefan Lohnert .
There were also several new products ready to be launched following the pandemic years . “ REISEN & CARAVANING Hamburg was held by Messe Stuttgart for the first time in northern Germany and enjoyed record visitor numbers . Just as successful were the new
Volta-X and Quantum Effects events ,” explains Messe Stuttgart CEO Roland Bleinroth .
A B2C event also took place outdoors for the first time on the grounds of Messe Stuttgart : the German Grilling and BBQ Championships , organised by the German Barbecue Association e . V . ( GBA ). Also , in the summer , the Jalsa Salana religious annual gathering saw more than 48,000 people come together on the grounds .
To further strengthen ties with important markets outside of Germany , a fourth subsidiary , Messe Stuttgart India , was founded in the autumn . In 2023 , the new company was already involved with DIDAC India , the country ’ s leading education trade fair , and further trade fairs from the industrial sectors were brought on board .
Altogether , 15,959 exhibitors
Right : Messe Stuttgart ' s leadership trio
Left : Messe Stuttgart ' s golden hour
Photos : Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH presented their products and services at Messe Stuttgart in 2023 , with 29 % of these exhibitors coming from abroad . For the first time since the pandemic , visitor figures topped the one million mark : the participation of 1,071,161 visitors , 89,134 of whom came from abroad , also supported the local economy .
The success story continued in the first six months of 2024 thanks to large , well-attended events and a tightly packed calendar .
CMT enjoyed an impressive run despite the train strikes and poor weather . INTERGASTRA / GELATISSIMO and the IKA / Culinary Olympics took place in February , with over 88,000 visitors from 98 nations attending after a four-year break . Around 1,200 chefs demonstrated their skills at the event , cooking around 7,000 menus right in front of the visitors .
Another highlight was R + T at the end of February , with more than 61,000 visitors . After a six-year absence , it once again confirmed its standing as the world ’ s leading trade fair for roller shutters , doors / gates and sun shading systems , despite a weak construction sector .
Other important trade fairs during the first half of the year included LogiMAT , the Frühjahrsmessen , GrindingHub , which has established itself at the international centre for grinding technology , and CastForge , which grew by an impressive 39 % compared to the previous event .
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 5 2024 37