RIMINI, Italy – Two of Europe’s largest trade show organizers, Rimini, Italy-based Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) and Hanover, Germany-based Deutsche Messe, have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see IEG acquire 50 percent of Deutsche Messe’s North American businesses.
“With this new, far-reaching agreement, Deutsche Messe and IEG will add new elements of substantial sharing, paving the way for a stable and total collaboration that will bring together organizations and expertise and enhance the activities carried out in the countries,” said Corrado Peraboni, CEO of IEG.
Deutsche Messe, which has more than 100 trade shows worldwide, organizes eight trade shows in Mexico, two of which – Mexico Active & Sports for the fitness sector and Ecomondo Mexico for the green technology sector – are already in partnership with IEG. The two companies had also signed a first commercial agreement in March 2021 to organize a series of events in Mexico.
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“The complementarity of the portfolios of the two companies is the best condition for the agreement to be a win-win,” said Peraboni, who also served as president of UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, in 2018. “IEG in particular will add the trade fair branch to its activity in the United States, which until now has focused on the organization of exhibitions through the specialized company FB International.”
The other six Mexican trade shows in Deutsche Messe’s portfolio include MEM Industrial, a trade show focusing on technology, processing and accessories in the furniture industry, which will be held in Mexico City in March 2023. In addition, Agrotech Mexico, the leading agro-industrial trade show in Mexico and Latin America, and World Seafood Industry, which focus on technological innovation in the agriculture and aquaculture sectors, respectively, will take place simultaneously next year in April in Guadalajara.
Solar Power Mexico, a leading trade fair in the field of solar energy, was held from July 12 to 14 in León, in parallel with Ecomondo Mexico, the green technology fair. The Festival del Adulto Mayor, focused on the well-being of people over 50, is scheduled in León from August 4 to 6, while Industrial Transformation Mexico will be held from October 5 to 7, 2022 in León.
“We are looking forward to intensifying our cooperation with IEG, a competent and growth-oriented partner who manages a trade fair portfolio that perfectly complements Deutsche Messe AG’s events in the Americas,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Messe AG. “Building on our very successful and positive initial experiences of collaboration in Mexico, we are now taking the next logical step and want to continue our success story.”
In Toronto, Deutsche Messe is chairing the renewable energy sector with ETC Electricity Transformation Canada, which will be held from October 26 to 28, 2022. The company has also brought Hannover Messe, a trade event focused on industrial transformation, to the United States for the upcoming Hannover Messe USA, which will be held from September 12 to 17 in Chicago.
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In addition to the planned acquisition of Deutsche Messe, IEG is active in partnership agreements worldwide.
“IEG is increasingly evolving on a global scale, in order to serve and cover the industries it represents at its events,” said Peraboni. “The flow of visitors has changed, so exhibitions have to move: it is a phenomenon that we call the continentalization of events. Just this year, in February, together with Informa, we launched JGT Dubai in the gold and jewelry sector, which added an important step to our leadership in the Gulf. Not long ago, we organized Ecomondo Mexico in Leon, in partnership with Deutsche Messe, to position the Italian green economy and renewable energy chains in the North American market.”
Peraboni also said that in spring 2023, IEG, in partnership with Koelnmesse, will bring SIGEP, The Dolce World Expo, to Shenzhen, China.
Contact Corrado Peraboni at info@iegexpo.it