COLOGNE, GERMANY – Colognenmesse GmbH (Koelnmesse) celebrates 100 years of activity in 2024.
To commemorate this milestone, the company will open a new conference and exhibition center named Confex in its congress complex in Cologne. The ultra-modern venue, with a capacity of over 6,000 seats, 22 conference rooms and a multifunctional exhibition hall, is almost fully booked for 2024.
Confex to host 2024 edition UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry World Congress from November 20 to 23.
“It’s really a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary and welcome the global industry at the same time… We are constantly upgrading our convention center to make it very, very attractive, and our goal is to remain among the top ten trade show organizers in the world,” said Mette Petersen, Colognenmesse Inc. The President and CEO said.
Foundation and History
Konrad Adenauer, Mayor of Cologne and later Chancellor of Germany, founded the Koelnmesse in 1924 and opened his first exhibition centre in the city.
“He was the one who had the vision to found the convention center and create the trade fairs to contribute to the stability of Europe at the time. This was shortly after the First World War. The political and economic situation was very unstable and his vision was really to bring business and politics together to help improve the economy,” Petersen explains.
As part of the centenary celebrations, Gerald Bose, The CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH visited the Cologne exhibition grounds this year together with some of Adenauer’s descendants.
The Koelnmesse enjoyed continued success throughout the 20th century.th century and has become one of the largest trade show companies in the world. In 2002, it established its subsidiary in the United States and currently has other subsidiaries in Colombia, Brazil, China, Singapore, Italy, India and Japan.
“Our (U.S.) subsidiary is now 22 years old. We’ve been in Chicago our entire lives and, like our headquarters, we’ve weathered the storm of the pandemic. We’ve been able to keep all of our employees on board, which I’m very pleased about because we have a great team of employees who have been with us for almost 20 years,” Petersen added.
Related. h+h Americas breaks records in 2024
H+h Americasthe North American version of the iconic Koelnmesse h+h cologne The craft fair, launched in 2022, has grown with each edition. The 2024 edition served cakes at the fair to celebrate the centenary of Koelnmesse.
In 2023, Koelnmesse achieved a record turnover of 416 million euros, an increase of more than 70%, with 67 events worldwide, more than 37,800 exhibiting companies from 126 countries and more than 1.7 million visitors from 217 countries. Creative cost-saving measures, a new digital strategy and international expansions contributed to this impressive growth.
“Adaptability is really key to keeping up with the changes that are happening. Whether it’s economic or political or, as we’ve seen recently with the pandemic, we’ve been able to pivot in new directions and be adaptable to really meet the needs of our customers,” Petersen said.
2024 and beyond
Koelnmesse has been named “Company of the Year” 2024 by GERMANY TEST And CONCENTRATE MONEYaccording to a study conducted by the Institute for Research in Management and Economics.
The company is also accelerating its sustainability practices with an innovative traffic management system, climate-neutral stand construction concepts and environmentally friendly energy sources to become carbon neutral by 2030, five years earlier than originally planned. A new partnership with E.ON And RheinEnergie By 2028, the heating supply for the Cologne complex will be ensured by climate-friendly technology.
In total, these efforts are expected to save 5,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
Petersen expects Koelnmesse to add further improvements to the exhibition center, expand into a new office building in Cologne and continue to work with local and international partners to grow its portfolio in the future.
“We are really well positioned for future growth and hopefully for the next 100 years,” she said.
Contact Mette Petersen at m.petersen@koelnmesse.us.
