Hitting the ground running in the new year: Messe München sees 2022 as a year of economic upswing

Since the IAA MOBILITY in September 2021, the Munich trade fair company has got back into the business of holding in-person events, albeit under pandemic-related limitations. The tried and tested implementation of protection and hygiene concepts for the health of all those involved provides planning security to the customers of the more than 54 trade fairs in 2022 – a strong year for events. For these reasons, Messe München is optimistic about the new “super event year.”

Messe München, buoyed by the strong trade-fair business it enjoyed in the fall of 2021, has brought the second year dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic to a successful conclusion. Klaus Dittrich, the Chairman and CEO of Messe München, summed up the company’s performance in 2021 this way: “After 18 months of lockdown, significant cost reductions and adjustments to the company structure, the international trade fair business returned to Munich in September: IAA MOBILITY made trade-fair history, with more than 400,000 participants and presentations that were held not only on our trade fair grounds, but also in the most beautiful places in the middle of the city. Coupled with EXPO REAL and productronica, IAA MOBILITY sent a powerful signal to the entire industry and showed just how major international trade fairs could be held in Germany under conditions dictated by the coronavirus,” says Klaus Dittrich, Chairman and CEO of Messe München, taking stock of 2021. We are now planning to hold 54 of our own events inside and outside Germany during the new year. With the help of our full event calendar, complementary digital programs and three open air concerts as a special highlight, we are entering a year of exceptional events and economic momentum in 2022.”

The 2021 business year

In economic terms, 2021 was another pandemic year of moderate results. According to current projections, revenue of EUR 122.5 million is expected for Messe München GmbH (previous year: EUR 93.6 million). Globally, the company is expected to generate consolidated sales of €154.5 million. The company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) totaled minus €49.6 million for 2021, the figures show. During 2020 and 2021, Messe München lost about €400 million in revenue as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Exhibitors, visitors and events in 2021

Despite the challenges it faced, Messe München held 125 events at its international subsidiaries and guest events in 2021. They were attended by more than 1.1 million visitors and participants – both online and in-person. Five of the company’s own in-person events were held in Munich. Messe München GmbH remained a reliable partner for its exhibitors and visitors during the year by holding 17 of its own online events in its home market and offering other digital events that were organized by its subsidiaries abroad. With the help of digital formats, it kept the exhibitors and visitors up to date about the latest developments and industry information. The company organized 21 events at its international locations, while an additional 82 guest events were held in Munich.

Digital programs and relaunch of in-person trade fairs

During the first half of the year, Messe München held a number of successful international and digital formats. These included BAU ONLINE, with about 18,000 participants from 141 countries, and ISPO Munich Online, with about 26,000 guests from 115 countries. In July 2021, Messe München organized TrendSet, the first in-person event held during the pandemic at the company’s home location and a pilot project for the company’s coronavirus-driven business in the fall. During the three-day event, a total of 16,000 people visited the international trade fair. With the help of IAA MOBILITY, Messe München cleared the way for such fall events as EXPO REAL and productronica.

International activities: a focus on China and India

In March, productronica China created a lively setting for the electronics manufacturing industry in the Shanghai International Expo Centre (SNIEC). In April, IE expo China focused on environmental technology. It was the second IE expo China organized during the pandemic and attracted an increased number of exhibitors and visitors. In India, the company’s in-person business began to pick up once again as well. In December, a satisfying total of seven events was held as hybrid exhibitions. They included drink technology India / IFAT India, analytica Anacon India, India Lab Expo and electronica India/ LASER World of PHOTONICS INDIA/ productronica India.

Outlook for 2022

Messe München is optimistic about the future in spite of the pandemic. TrendSet demonstrated just a few days into the new year that trade fairs may continue to be held at the highest protection and hygiene level. 2022 will be another strong year in the cycle of Messe München as the company plans to hold 54 of its own events inside and outside Germany.

The trade fair calendar is packed full in the second half of the year in particular. Trade fairs that will be held as in-person events starting in the spring include LASER World of PHOTONICS and IFAT. These industry get-togethers will generate much-needed momentum for the economy. In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, the issue of climate and environmental protection has returned to the top of the society’s agenda. IFAT has already begun to reflect this trend as the large number of registrations by exhibitors from all parts of the world show. All 18 halls are fully booked. One of the highlights will be bauma 2022, which will take place in October and focus on the leading issues of the future affecting the construction, building materials and mining machinery industry with live presentations, discussions and talks.

ISPO Munich will be held at the end of November and will open the winter season for the first time. It will continue to be held in the future at this time to address the needs of the industry. As part of the global trade-fair alliance bauma NETWORK, the Munich-based exhibition company interlinks the construction, building materials and mining machinery industry, as well as the construction vehicles and construction equipment industry, with bauma CHINA in Shanghai, bauma CTT RUSSIA in Moscow and, at the beginning of 2023, bauma CONEXPO INDIA in New Delhi.

A summer of concerts taking place on the fairgrounds in Riem is another highlight: In August, Robbie Williams, Helene Fischer and Andreas Gabalier will give separate concerts that are expected to attract up to 150,000 fans.