NürnbergMesse bounced back strongly in 2022. Once COVID-prompted event restrictions were lifted, the exhibitions company enjoyed lively growth for the year, even though the restrictions had kept trade fairs and conferences in Germany from reopening until March. With 155 events around the world (2021: 57), 23,457 exhibitors (2021: 5,493), and 989,338 visitors (2021: 315,440) on 841,612 m2 of net space (2021: 176,558), sales leapt to EUR 257 million (2021: 68.6 million), to yield a positive net income of EUR 3.3 million for the year (2021: –42 million). “The pandemic made 2022 a shortened fiscal year for us. But three strong quarters were enough to put us back on track for success. Our clients want to meet up again in person at trade fairs – as we’re seeing not just in Nuremberg, but worldwide,” said a pleased Prof. Dr Roland Fleck, NürnbergMesse Group CEO. His colleague as joint CEO, Peter Ottmann, is also confident about the future: “The exhibitions business is recovering at a blistering speed worldwide. Our trade fairs are back on track for success.”
In fiscal year 2022, NürnbergMesse organised 88 events in Germany and another 67 internationally. Lively attendance at these events –including those that had been rescheduled to summer and autumn of the year– yielded plainly positive financial results. Sales, at EUR 257 million, fell roughly between the levels for 2012 and 2016 (EUR 236 and 288 million, respectively) and represented the fourth-highest figure in company history. After two years of heavy losses owing to the coronavirus, the accounts have gone back to showing a positive net income of EUR 3.3 million (2021: –42.0 million; 2020: –68.6 million). EBITDA climbed to EUR 32.3 million (2021: –4.4 million). During the year the company also lifted its COVID-necessitated hiring freeze, investing in personnel so that the workforce climbed slightly in 2022 to an average of 1,011 employees worldwide (2021: 946), 545 of them in Nuremberg (2021: 532). New jobs opened up especially in core lines of business, which concentrate on trade fairs, conferences and digital platforms.
NürnbergMesse continues to invest in its exhibition venue, with the aim of making the facility’s energy supply CO2-neutral by the end of 2028. Before 2024 is out, some 21,000 photovoltaic modules will be installed on the exhibition hall roofs and combined with a second-life battery storage system. By the end of the current year, some 9,500 of these modules will be installed on Halls 3, 3A and 3C; over half of them will go into operation this year to supply the site with electricity.
A good dozen new products will appear in the NürnbergMesse exhibition portfolio in 2023 and 2024. The first half of 2023 has already seen six trade fair debuts: the Haus Decor Show in São Paulo, embedded world China in Shanghai, Euroguss Mexico in Guadalajara, FSBI – Fire Safe Build India in Mumbai, PaintIndia North Edition in New Delhi, and Legal Revolution in Nuremberg. Another five premieres are slated for the second half of the year: the Brazilian Footwear Show in São Paulo, the Pacific Coatings Show in Jakarta, the SSCI sustainability conference in New Delhi, and GlobalPack in Athens. Next year, embedded world North America will celebrate its debut in Austin, Texas.
A few weeks ago, Messe München and NürnbergMesse, two of Germany’s biggest exhibition organisations, made history. To consolidate their leading positions in the world market still further, both companies combined their drinktec and BrauBeviale trade fairs into a joint venture, Yontex, headquartered in Nuremberg. The managing director is Rolf Keller, formerly a unit manager at NürnbergMesse.
Another roughly 75 events all over the world are in the programme for the second half of 2023 – 40 of them in Nuremberg. Based on the good booking figures, NürnbergMesse expects sales of about EUR 230 million, even though the 2023 year cyclically has a lighter events schedule.
The photo shows Prof. Dr Roland Fleck (right) and Peter Ottmann (image credit: Ralf Rödel / NürnbergMesse).
