12/9/2009

NürnbergMesse raises turnover forecast for 2010

NürnbergMesse defies the crisis. “We naturally have to fight more for exhibitors and visitors, we have naturally lowered our expectations, and we are naturally cutting costs where advisable and possible. But this is no crisis. We are therefore optimistic and expect a new record turnover of more than 170 million euros for the coming year, not including new acquisitions,” says Bernd A. Diederichs, Managing Director of NürnbergMesse. In the summer of this year, the forecast for 2010 was distinctly more restrained, with talk of 160 million euros plus X at that time. “The situation is now clearer and we establish that the downturns feared for our events are either not materializing or are much less than expected.” The some 132 million euros turnover for 2009 is also well above the planned figure. The only bad news is that Walter Hufnagel, longest-serving Director of Exhibition Management and Member of the Management Board, is retiring into private life at the end of the year.

“The global economic and financial crisis has cost us growth in 2009, but not resources,” says Diederichs looking back on the year drawing to a close. The Nürnberg exhibition boss is therefore extremely satisfied with the expected results. With some 132 million euros turnover, the NürnbergMesse Group is well above the planned figure and will achieve the second highest turnover in the history of the company in a year with a weak cycle of events. The operative result will probably also make a spot landing. “This shows that we have not achieved more turnover at the expense of profit,” Diederichs emphasizes. Nevertheless, his team must still make an even bigger effort than usual to achieve the ambitious targets. “I am very proud of my colleagues, who have impressively shown that they can organize successful exhibitions even in an extremely difficult environment.” 
 
NürnbergMesse expects boom year in 2010  
Diederichs expects new records for turnover and profit for the coming year 2010. “We face an exceptionally strong year of exhibitions in Nürnberg and at our subsidiaries in Brazil, China and North America. The turnover of the NürnbergMesse Group is therefore to climb to around 170 million euros, which is appreciably above the last record of 153 million euros.  
 
Diederichs derives his optimism from the good figures for bookings for the company’s own events in the first half of 2010. NürnbergMesse expects a high degree of stability or more growth especially for the large events like the fensterbau/frontale and HOLZ-HANDWERK duo, POWTECH and the leading consumer goods exhibitions IWA & OutdoorClassics and Interzoo.  
 
Declining figures are shown by exhibitions like EUROGUSS, which is heavily dependent on the European car and truck sectors, and BioFach and Vivaness. “In the last ten years alone, the area of BioFach has been trebled and Vivaness included as a new exhibition in the portfolio. Although regrettable, it is ultimately no surprise when this rapid growth is followed by a consolidation phase. We will use this phase to do our homework and secure the sustainable development of BioFach. For example, the orientation in the halls and the assignment of individual segments to each other will be improved appreciably,” promises Diederichs, who intends to develop BioFach’s importance as leading international exhibition and global get-together for the organic industry.  
 
New gateway to success for exhibition and congress centre  
After a suspected record-breaking construction period of less than 18 months, the newly designed central (Mitte) area with its entrance, service, catering and congress facilities will be taken into service in September 2010. “Our new Mitte entrance and congress area is to become a gateway to success for our customers and particularly generate new impetus for the Mitte/West congress area. After all, this area now offers a distinctly larger capacity than CCN Ost,” says Diederichs explaining the reason for the investment of 47 million euros, currently Germany’s biggest exhibition building site.  
 
Walter Hufnagel goes, Rolf Keller and Richard Krowoza follow  
For 35 years, Walter Hufnagel has influenced the development of the own and partner events division, has developed and constantly improved innumerable new exhibitions, has purchased many an event, and in rare cases has even discontinued exhibitions. His work has always been guided by his goal: a healthy, growth- and profit-orientated portfolio of exhibitions that is fit for the future. “Walter Hufnagel has rendered outstanding services to NürnbergMesse. In fact, our success would not have been possible without him. He can be proud of his life’s work,” stressed Diederichs at the farewell attended by 500 customers and colleagues. Hufnagel accepts the compliment and passes it on: “One person alone can never achieve successful exhibitions. It always takes a good team of partners, customers and colleagues. I was lucky to often be part of such teams. I also wish my successors Richard Krowoza and Rolf Keller such good luck.” 
 
Richard Krowoza is “home-grown” in the true sense of the word. The 54-year-old has worked for NürnbergMesse for 23 years and has been responsible for about 80 exhibitions in Nürnberg, other European countries and the United States. So the new Director of Exhibition Management also has experience of international exhibition business. In future, he and his teams will be responsible for events on related themes as well as international exhibitions. These include Altenpflege+ProPflege, Chillventa and the European Heat Pump Summit, embedded world, European Coatings SHOW, Interzoo, IWA & OutdoorClassics with special shows for the hunting and sporting guns industry, Evenord and Cacib.  
 
With Rolf Keller, we have succeeded in gaining the services of a seasoned marketing professional from industry. The 47-year-old worked for a plastic processing company in the packaging industry for almost two decades and was a member of the management board for the last five years of this period. Alone in terms of themes, a number of links can soon be found with the exhibition trio FachPack, PrintPack, LogIntern, which the marketing strategist will control in future as well as Brau Beviale, EUROGUSS, HOLZ-HANDWERK, GaLaBau, e_procure & supply and ELTEC. “I have naturally known NürnbergMesse well for a long time from industry and exhibitor circles. What I have previously seen more from the outside has been confirmed most pleasantly after only a few weeks in the company. I feel very much at home here, am looking forward to my work and to making my contribution to further growth of the company.” 
 
About the NürnbergMesse Group  
NürnbergMesse is one of the 20 largest exhibition companies in the world and among the Top Ten in Europe. The portfolio covers about 120 international exhibitions and congresses at the Nürnberg location and worldwide. Every year, some 24,500 exhibitors (international share: 33 %), 785,000 trade visitors (international share: 17 %) and 305,000 consumers participate in the own, partner and guest events of the NürnbergMesse Group, which is present with subsidiaries in China, North America, Brazil and – new – in Italy. The group also has a network of some 40 representatives operating in more than 80 countries.

Source: NürnbergMesse Group

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