Messe München: group turnover reaches record 530 million euros worldwide

Having had an intensive year in 2024, Messe München will start the trade fair mega year of 2025 full of confidence. “Messe München was able to generate record sales despite the difficult economic situation,” say the two CEOs Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel. The preliminary projections indicate that Messe München will far exceed its planning. Business abroad was particularly strong for Messe München. Combined with Messe München GmbH at the Munich location, preliminary projections point to a consolidated sales volume of 530 million euros, a consolidated EBITDA of over 130 million euros and an annual result of 60 million euros. At its headquarters in Munich, the company generates a turnover of around 330 million euros, an EBITDA of 60 million euros and an annual profit of eight million euros. Excellent conditions for a mega year in 2025, with eight leading international trade fairs in Munich alone and a predicted record turnover of over 500 million euros at the Bavarian location.

“The strength of our portfolio of twelve leading international trade fairs and a robust core business is evident in this difficult economic environment in Germany,” say Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel, explaining the positive result. “Our events continue to be as popular as ever—something that people are least willing to miss.” Exhibitions are more important than ever as meeting places in such times. “It is the decision-makers who attend, which is important for initiating business at a trade fair,” emphasize the two CEOs.

The global group's financial results have reached a new record, which is mainly due to the enormous success of Messe München's business abroad. Consolidated revenues amounted to 530 million euros, the highest in the company's history, with an EBITDA of 130 million euros and a strong net income of over 60 million euros. Based on the preliminary projections, sales in Munich will be around 330 million euros, the EBITDA will reach around 60 million euros, and the annual result will be eight million euros. “Our aim is to repay our debts from our own resources and to invest in the future,” explain Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel.

2024 was a normal year in terms of the number of trade fairs: Messe München organized 16 events in Munich, plus 93 guest events and 47 events abroad. Munich welcomed around 1.3 million visitors and 32,000 exhibitors, while 1.2 million visitors and 22,500 exhibitors were attracted to events abroad.

Visitor flows from abroad

“There were a few German companies that opted out,” say the two CEOs. “However, this is balanced out by an increase in the number of exhibitors and visitors from abroad.” Compared to the previous events, six percent more visitors attended the company's own events in Munich; the increase in visitors from abroad was 16 percent. Exhibitor numbers were up nine percent on the previous events, an increase of around ten percent. More than 50 percent of the exhibitors were from outside Germany—a rise of around ten percent. The largest share of foreign exhibitors was seen at electronica (76 percent), ceramitec (65 percent) and IFAT (55 percent).

The highlights in Munich: for the first time, electronica filled all 18 halls, received an overwhelming response from the industry and demonstrated the full innovative strength of the companies. ceramitec, which welcomed 35 percent more exhibitors than the last event, confirmed its new position as the 12th leading international trade fair in Munich. The environmental technology trade fair IFAT was larger and more international than ever before, with 50 percent of visitors and 49 percent of exhibitors coming from abroad. EXPO REAL inspired confidence in the crisis-ridden real estate market. And the only public exhibition at Messe München, the travel and leisure fair f.re.e., was very successful together with its partner region of Upper Bavaria.

Involvement abroad also benefits medium-sized companies

Outside Germany, China (with 26 events at six locations) and India (with 19 events at five locations) are the two most important markets. “China is our most important focus market,” state Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel. With rapid innovation, India is currently the fastest growing G-20 economy.

bauma CHINA made a triumphant comeback after a pandemic-related break of four years, welcoming around 180,000 visitors and occupying the entire Shanghai New International Expo Center trade fair grounds (330,000 square meters). In the electronics sector, electronica China, electronica India and productronica India stand out as the central events for their industries in Asia.

“By organizing events in Munich with a high proportion of foreign participation and holding trade fairs abroad, we offer small and medium-sized companies an international platform,” explain the two CEOs. “This is how we can make Bavarian and German innovations visible internationally.” For this, Messe München carefully analyzes new markets that are a good fit, such as Brazil, where the environmental technology trade fair IFAT was launched this year. In 2025, analytica will debut in the US, and in 2026, there will be a real estate trade fair EXPO REAL in Singapore for the first time.

Guest events with energy experts, medical professionals and Adele

“International guest events are an important part of our core business,” explain Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel. With its focus on renewable energies, smarter E Europe has become by far the largest guest event at Messe München, occupying all 18 halls and parts of the outdoor area. In 2024, the International AIDS Conference was held in Munich for the first time, with over 15,000 participants. The One Young World Summit will be held in 2025, with around 2,000 young leaders expected to attend. And in 2026, the European Society of Cardiology Congress will attract around 30,000 visitors.

In August, the concert world experienced a spectacular highlight: ten concerts by superstar Adele performed in a specially built pop-up arena on the grounds of Messe München. “With 730,000 visitors, it was a great event for Messe München and for Munich,” state Stefan Rummel and Reinhard Pfeiffer. “We are open to discussing such extraordinary events when our busy trade fair schedule allows. But one thing is clear: our core business remains trade fairs and conferences.” According to the city's economic department, Adele fans spent around half a billion euros—a blessing for hotels, restaurants and retail. Especially in a month normally weak in terms of tourism.

Mega year 2025 with record sales

The record year 2024 is like a spark for a trade fair firework in Munich in 2025: a mega year with eight leading international trade fairs, a once-in-twelve-years event. The company expects a record sale of 500 million euros at the Munich location alone, which will trigger indirect profitability of around four billion euros. 80 percent of these purchasing power effects will benefit Munich and Bavaria, for example, hotels, restaurants, taxis, retailers, exhibition stand builders and suppliers. “Messe München is not an end in itself, but an important economic engine,” explain the two CEOs Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel.

The year 2025 will kick off with BAU in January, a trade fair that occupies all 18 halls. In April, this will be followed by bauma, the world's largest trade fair in terms of exhibition space, which attracted half a million visitors in 2022. Then, in September, IAA MOBILITY will be back in Munich. As in 2021 and 2023, it will take place at the trade fair center and on public squares in downtown Munich. “Messe München continues to support IAA MOBILITY,” confirm Stefan Rummel and Reinhard Pfeiffer. “Since the previous contract with the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) will expire in 2025, we will apply for the next three-year cycle of IAA MOBILITY in 2027, 2029 and 2031.”

Sustainable: trade fair visits reduce business trips

A new study conducted on behalf of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (Auma), which surveyed 3,000 trade fair visitors from Germany and abroad, shows that travel to a trade fair is sustainable. All participants had an average of 13.1 business contacts per trade fair day. Thanks to the trade fair visit, 5.1 additional trips were avoided. Because trade fair visits are planned highly efficiently: well over a quarter of the visitors (28 percent) combine their visit to the trade fair with additional business appointments and a further 17 percent combine their visit to the trade fair with a private stay. According to the study, especially visitors from abroad benefit from attending trade fairs, as they avoid almost eight additional business trips.