30.06.2010 Messe Frankfurt remains profitable and stable in crisis year 2009

Successful start to the 2010 trade fair year

Investments and alliances hone competitive edge

Messe Frankfurt continued to be profitable in spite of difficult economic circumstances in 2009, retaining its top position among German and European trade fair organisers. “With approx. 424 million euros in sales, the Group has achieved very good results, maintaining the level of 2007, the most recent comparable year,” said Wolfgang Marzin, Chairman of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt, at the Group’s Annual Results Press Conference in Frankfurt earlier today. “Messe Frankfurt did not give up in the face of the crisis – instead, it invested: in events, in markets, in our exhibition grounds and in our employees,” said Marzin. With pre-tax earnings of 36.6 million euros, the company once again made a profit, showing consistency that is unrivalled in the German exhibition industry over the past few years. Consolidated annual net income amounted to 23.4 million euros.

Subsidiaries within Germany and abroad once again played a significant role in the company’s success. Sales outside Germany amounted to 89.6 million euros in 2009, more than one fifth of the Group’s total. The subsidiaries in Asia accounted for the majority of this sum, approx. 53 million euros.

In 2009, the Messe Frankfurt Group organised a total of 91 trade fairs and exhibitions worldwide. A total of some 63,400 exhibitors and 3.85 million visitors took part in the Group’s events.
31 trade fairs and specialist exhibitions were held in Frankfurt, of which 14 were organised by Messe Frankfurt itself, attracting some 18,900 exhibitors and 744,000 visitors. Some 823,000 square metres of exhibition space were sold at the Group’s own events.
With approx. 67 percent of exhibitors and 38 percent of visitors at the Group's own events coming from outside Germany, Messe Frankfurt is the marketplace with the consistently highest share of foreign exhibitors and visitors.
54 events took place abroad, registering some 22,300 exhibitors and over 837,000 visitors. In 2009, the main region for foreign business was once again Asia with 30 events. A total of 483,000 square metres were sold.
As well as this, Messe Frankfurt organised 19 German Pavilions on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

Successful first half of the 2010 trade fair year
The first six months of 2010 have been successful ones for Messe Frankfurt. “We have been able to ‘beat the market’ with practically all our own events,” said Wolfgang Marzin. The company’s second pillar, i.e. guest events, conventions and other events, also registered a higher level of bookings "than we have ever seen before,” said the Chairman of the Board of Management.

Marzin emphasised that: “Our success at our home base in Frankfurt also depends on having strong business outside Germany.” He referred to the company's successful international strategy, which has just proved its worth in this time of crisis. With its powerful trade fair brands, Messe Frankfurt is present in all of the key markets, as well as in all growth markets around the world. In Asia, for example, particularly in China, the Group is one of the top private trade fair organisers.
In order to place an even greater focus on the Group’s foreign business, Stephan Buurma, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt Asia Holding, will be joining the extended Board of Management with immediate effect.

New strategic moves create competitive advantages
Messe Frankfurt has already established new strategic pillars in 2010 as a result of a series of investments in new trade fairs, alliances and collaborations, including one with Spain’s largest trade fair organiser, IFEMA, to jointly organise Motortec Automechanica Ibérica. In Russia, Messe Frankfurt has entered into a partnership with OWP Ost West Partner – Russia’s largest lighting fair will now be known as Interlight powered by Light+Building. As a result of the acquisition of the Ethical Fashion Show in Paris, Messe Frankfurt is now able to cover the entire value-added chain in the field of textile fairs.

The company will be continuing with its investments and the expansion of its global areas of exertise. “As part of our globalisation efforts, we have already identified an additional field of expertise – security technology – in which we will be increasing our market presence worldwide,” said Marzin. Messe Frankfurt has established five events around Intersec in Dubai, which it acquired a few years ago, creating a global network for all topics related to security technology.

Messe Frankfurt's various CSR activities, its events and its performance as a trade fair organiser clearly demonstrate the company's commitment to society and the environment. “We are also the first German trade fair organiser to join the United Nations Global Compact,” said Marzin.

For the 2010 financial year, Messe Frankfurt is expecting sales to increase to the 2008 level. With regard to the company's strategic orientation, Marzin emphasised that: “Our Frankfurt headquarters are the focus of our activities, and it is from here that we will be expanding our market leadership.”

Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is Germany’s largest trade fair organiser, with 424 million euros in sales and more than 1,660 employees worldwide. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries, five branch offices and 52 international Sales Partners, giving it a presence for its customers in more than 150 countries. Events “made by Messe Frankfurt” take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2009, Messe Frankfurt organised more than 90 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany.
Comprising an area of 578,000 square metres, Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds are currently home to ten exhibition halls and an adjacent Congress Center. The company is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com