EMECA Press Releases
European Major Exhibition Centres Association
"Exhibitions buffer crisis"
"Exhibitions buffer crisis"
- Effect of recession differs between EMECA exhibition centres
- Landesmesse Stuttgart new member of the European Major Exhibition Centres Association
- EMECA moves headquarters to Brussels, the "capital of Europe"
- EMECA is a partner in European Consortium
The current economic crisis also affects the European exhibition industry. But the members of EMECA (European Major Exhibition Centres Association) prove the strength of exhibitions in Europe at times of sudden market changes - despite all the individual differences. Overall, the 19 member centres are appreciably better positioned than their colleagues in Asia and America. This became clear at the last General Assembly of this European exhibition club, which took place in Verona. "This shows where the strong and attractive exhibition brands are at home," says EMECA President René Kamm, CEO of the Swiss MCH Group. As exhibitions function as seismographs of industry, the members expect a substantial recovery towards the end of 2010, beginning of 2011. Landesmesse Stuttgart has been admitted as a new member of EMECA.
"Companies which exhibit at our exhibitions now are investing in their own future. They are often pleased to discover that although success has become more difficult, it is still possible, for there is still a substantial demand for products and services. Exhibitions therefore buffer the crisis," says EMECA Vice President Communication Bernd A. Diederichs, CEO of NürnbergMesse.
Admittedly, there are appreciable differences within Europe. For example, after above-average growth in the last ten years, the Spanish exhibition centres now report declines of twenty per cent and more at their national and international exhibitions. This makes them the most seriously affected compared with other European centres. The global financial and economic crisis is aggravated in Spain by the bursting of the building bubble, which is sending shock waves to other economic sectors. Portugal also reports almost double-figure declines. On the other hand, small exhibition countries like Belgium and the Netherlands do not report any proportionally sharp slumps. Germany too, the largest exhibition location in Europe and worldwide, has only been affected in isolated cases until now. The same applies to Switzerland. The exhibition countries of France and Italy see the first half year of 2009 as relatively good, but expect drops in the second half of the year. Surprising for almost all members is the good performance of two product categories: consumer goods exhibitions and public exhibitions. Both appear to show hardly any impacts so far. The EMECA members are therefore already eagerly looking to 2010. "Will there be a recovery and if yes, when?" is the key question that not only occupies the exhibition managers.
Investment in soft factors replaces infrastructure measures
The EMECA members have invested more than 2.5 billion euros in their exhibition centres over the past years. If the new Stuttgart exhibition centre is added, this figure rises to as much as 3.5 billion euros. One example of current investment is the Swiss MCH Group of EMECA President René Kamm. Over 200 million euros are to be invested in the modernization of the Basel exhibition site in the next three years, but the site will then be reduced by some 20,000 m² to 140,000 m² in the same step. "We will then offer an optimum infrastructure that we can use very efficiently," explains Kamm. The former Messe Basel and subsequently MCH Swiss Exhibition is currently active throughout live marketing and supports its customers in all phases of face-to-face communication. This has doubled the turnover of the MCH Group to 230 million euros since 2000 and the net profit has increased tenfold. The leading exhibition centres in Milan, Paris and Frankfurt also report further investment in their exhibition and congress centres.
Dr. Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of Fiera Verona and EMECA Vice President for Infrastructure and Technical Studies, is convinced: "There is currently no exhibition infrastructure in the world better than Europe's." The exhibition companies have therefore now started to use their investment budgets for optimizing the soft factors, primarily the improvement of visitor marketing and visitor services. Overall, the discussion at the General Assembly in Verona, which was marked by openness, transparency and great confidence, showed that more and more different business models are being developed. "This enables us to profit much more from the exchange of views between colleagues at EMECA level than we did five or even ten years ago," explains Michael von Zitzewitz, Chairman of the board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. The second EMECA General Assembly this year is to take place in Frankfurt in November, when the CEOs of the member centres will discuss what 2009 was really like and what trends are emerging for 2010.
EMECA moves headquarters to Brussels, the "capital of Europe"
The move of the EMECA headquarters is the association’s reaction to the still growing relevance of European politics and the increasingly faster changes in the exhibition sector and in the whole economy. "In Brussels we are closer to political activity and can support our goals more effectively. We want to increase the EU’s recognition of the importance and achievements of the European exhibition industry for the economy and sharpen our profile," says Zitzewitz in his function as EMECA Vice President EU. For this purpose, EMECA will hold more talks with the European Commission and the other institutions in Brussels. The issues start with the protection of intellectual property rights at exhibitions and range from strengthening European SMEs to codes of practice for events, security requirements and barrier-free accessibility of exhibition sites. The EMECA members wish to present these and other issues in good time and as a matter of priority.
EMECA has long functioned as an interface between the large European exhibition companies and the European Union. The EU Working Group headed by Messe Frankfurt was launched back in 2004 for intensifying contacts with the European institutions and since then has met in Brussels half-yearly to enable association members to handle and discuss interesting topics. The Technical Working Group headed by Fiera Verona was set up in 2009 to coordinate technical studies and the exchange of views on the existing infrastructure.
Jörn Kronenwerth has been General Secretary of EMECA in Brussels since October 2008 and works together with the EMECA EU Working Group to intensify relations with the Commission. "Almost all the important decisions for the European exhibition industry are meanwhile made in Brussels. After years of intensive work, EMECA is one of the voices that are heard," says Kronenwerth.
The new General Secretariat already has a real success to record: EMECA is part of a consortium that will implement the AL Invest IV economic development programme on behalf of the EU Commission (AL = America Latina = Latin America). The content of the programme is to promote economic relations between small and medium enterprises from Latin America and the EU. Besides information and training, the programme includes plans for sponsored exhibiting at European exhibitions. This programme is managed by Eurochambres and EMECA is responsible for the coordination of appearances at exhibitions. A total of more than 30 pavilions are to be organized at selected European exhibitions in the next four years.
About EMECA
The 19 EMECA venues organize some 1,200 exhibitions a year with around 388,000 exhibitors and 43.5 million visitors on a gross rented display area of about 36 million square metres. According to their own estimates, the exhibiting companies generate a turnover of over 800 billion euros through exhibitions. A KMPG study shows that the economic effects initiated by exhibitions at the EMECA venues amount to some 16 billion euros and secure over 360,000 jobs in Europe. With effect from January 2009, the EMECA Board has been headed by President René Kamm (CEO MCH Group), Michael von Zitzewitz (Chairman of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt) as Vice President is responsible for European Union relations, and Bernd A. Diederichs (CEO NürnbergMesse) acts as Vice President Communication. New on the Board is Giovanni Mantovani (CEO Fiera Verona) as Vice President infrastructure and Technical Studies. The new treasurer is EMECA Vice President Enrique Calomarde (Secretary General Feria Valencia).
The EMECA members:
Germany:
Messe Frankfurt, Deutsche Messe (Hanover), NürnbergMesse, Landesmesse Stuttgart
Italy:
BolognaFiere, Fiera Milano, Rimini Fiera, Fiera Verona
France:
EUREXPO - Centre de Conventions et d’Expositions de Lyon, VIPARIS, Paris
The Netherlands:
Royal Dutch Jaarburs Utrecht
Belgium:
Brussels Expo
Great Britain:
National Exhibition Centre Birmingham
Spain:
Fira de Barcelona, IFEMA - Feria de Madrid, Feria Valencia
Portugal:
Feira Internacional de Lisboa
Switzerland:
MCH Group (Basel, Zurich), Geneva Palexpo
Press and media contact:
Peter Ottmann
Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse
EMECA Press Spokesman
Messezentrum
90471 Nürnberg
Tel +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-83 15
Fax +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-86 40
pressesprecher@nuernbergmesse.de
www.emeca.com
May 7, 2009
"Exhibitions buffer crisis""Exhibitions buffer crisis"
- Effect of recession differs between EMECA exhibition centres
- Landesmesse Stuttgart new member of the European Major Exhibition Centres Association
- EMECA moves headquarters to Brussels, the "capital of Europe"
- EMECA is a partner in European Consortium
The current economic crisis also affects the European exhibition industry. But the members of EMECA (European Major Exhibition Centres Association) prove the strength of exhibitions in Europe at times of sudden market changes - despite all the individual differences. Overall, the 19 member centres are appreciably better positioned than their colleagues in Asia and America. This became clear at the last General Assembly of this European exhibition club, which took place in Verona. "This shows where the strong and attractive exhibition brands are at home," says EMECA President René Kamm, CEO of the Swiss MCH Group. As exhibitions function as seismographs of industry, the members expect a substantial recovery towards the end of 2010, beginning of 2011. Landesmesse Stuttgart has been admitted as a new member of EMECA.
"Companies which exhibit at our exhibitions now are investing in their own future. They are often pleased to discover that although success has become more difficult, it is still possible, for there is still a substantial demand for products and services. Exhibitions therefore buffer the crisis," says EMECA Vice President Communication Bernd A. Diederichs, CEO of NürnbergMesse.
Admittedly, there are appreciable differences within Europe. For example, after above-average growth in the last ten years, the Spanish exhibition centres now report declines of twenty per cent and more at their national and international exhibitions. This makes them the most seriously affected compared with other European centres. The global financial and economic crisis is aggravated in Spain by the bursting of the building bubble, which is sending shock waves to other economic sectors. Portugal also reports almost double-figure declines. On the other hand, small exhibition countries like Belgium and the Netherlands do not report any proportionally sharp slumps. Germany too, the largest exhibition location in Europe and worldwide, has only been affected in isolated cases until now. The same applies to Switzerland. The exhibition countries of France and Italy see the first half year of 2009 as relatively good, but expect drops in the second half of the year. Surprising for almost all members is the good performance of two product categories: consumer goods exhibitions and public exhibitions. Both appear to show hardly any impacts so far. The EMECA members are therefore already eagerly looking to 2010. "Will there be a recovery and if yes, when?" is the key question that not only occupies the exhibition managers.
Investment in soft factors replaces infrastructure measures
The EMECA members have invested more than 2.5 billion euros in their exhibition centres over the past years. If the new Stuttgart exhibition centre is added, this figure rises to as much as 3.5 billion euros. One example of current investment is the Swiss MCH Group of EMECA President René Kamm. Over 200 million euros are to be invested in the modernization of the Basel exhibition site in the next three years, but the site will then be reduced by some 20,000 m² to 140,000 m² in the same step. "We will then offer an optimum infrastructure that we can use very efficiently," explains Kamm. The former Messe Basel and subsequently MCH Swiss Exhibition is currently active throughout live marketing and supports its customers in all phases of face-to-face communication. This has doubled the turnover of the MCH Group to 230 million euros since 2000 and the net profit has increased tenfold. The leading exhibition centres in Milan, Paris and Frankfurt also report further investment in their exhibition and congress centres.
Dr. Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of Fiera Verona and EMECA Vice President for Infrastructure and Technical Studies, is convinced: "There is currently no exhibition infrastructure in the world better than Europe's." The exhibition companies have therefore now started to use their investment budgets for optimizing the soft factors, primarily the improvement of visitor marketing and visitor services. Overall, the discussion at the General Assembly in Verona, which was marked by openness, transparency and great confidence, showed that more and more different business models are being developed. "This enables us to profit much more from the exchange of views between colleagues at EMECA level than we did five or even ten years ago," explains Michael von Zitzewitz, Chairman of the board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. The second EMECA General Assembly this year is to take place in Frankfurt in November, when the CEOs of the member centres will discuss what 2009 was really like and what trends are emerging for 2010.
EMECA moves headquarters to Brussels, the "capital of Europe"
The move of the EMECA headquarters is the association’s reaction to the still growing relevance of European politics and the increasingly faster changes in the exhibition sector and in the whole economy. "In Brussels we are closer to political activity and can support our goals more effectively. We want to increase the EU’s recognition of the importance and achievements of the European exhibition industry for the economy and sharpen our profile," says Zitzewitz in his function as EMECA Vice President EU. For this purpose, EMECA will hold more talks with the European Commission and the other institutions in Brussels. The issues start with the protection of intellectual property rights at exhibitions and range from strengthening European SMEs to codes of practice for events, security requirements and barrier-free accessibility of exhibition sites. The EMECA members wish to present these and other issues in good time and as a matter of priority.
EMECA has long functioned as an interface between the large European exhibition companies and the European Union. The EU Working Group headed by Messe Frankfurt was launched back in 2004 for intensifying contacts with the European institutions and since then has met in Brussels half-yearly to enable association members to handle and discuss interesting topics. The Technical Working Group headed by Fiera Verona was set up in 2009 to coordinate technical studies and the exchange of views on the existing infrastructure.
Jörn Kronenwerth has been General Secretary of EMECA in Brussels since October 2008 and works together with the EMECA EU Working Group to intensify relations with the Commission. "Almost all the important decisions for the European exhibition industry are meanwhile made in Brussels. After years of intensive work, EMECA is one of the voices that are heard," says Kronenwerth.
The new General Secretariat already has a real success to record: EMECA is part of a consortium that will implement the AL Invest IV economic development programme on behalf of the EU Commission (AL = America Latina = Latin America). The content of the programme is to promote economic relations between small and medium enterprises from Latin America and the EU. Besides information and training, the programme includes plans for sponsored exhibiting at European exhibitions. This programme is managed by Eurochambres and EMECA is responsible for the coordination of appearances at exhibitions. A total of more than 30 pavilions are to be organized at selected European exhibitions in the next four years.
About EMECA
The 19 EMECA venues organize some 1,200 exhibitions a year with around 388,000 exhibitors and 43.5 million visitors on a gross rented display area of about 36 million square metres. According to their own estimates, the exhibiting companies generate a turnover of over 800 billion euros through exhibitions. A KMPG study shows that the economic effects initiated by exhibitions at the EMECA venues amount to some 16 billion euros and secure over 360,000 jobs in Europe. With effect from January 2009, the EMECA Board has been headed by President René Kamm (CEO MCH Group), Michael von Zitzewitz (Chairman of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt) as Vice President is responsible for European Union relations, and Bernd A. Diederichs (CEO NürnbergMesse) acts as Vice President Communication. New on the Board is Giovanni Mantovani (CEO Fiera Verona) as Vice President infrastructure and Technical Studies. The new treasurer is EMECA Vice President Enrique Calomarde (Secretary General Feria Valencia).
The EMECA members:
Germany:
Messe Frankfurt, Deutsche Messe (Hanover), NürnbergMesse, Landesmesse Stuttgart
Italy:
BolognaFiere, Fiera Milano, Rimini Fiera, Fiera Verona
France:
EUREXPO - Centre de Conventions et d’Expositions de Lyon, VIPARIS, Paris
The Netherlands:
Royal Dutch Jaarburs Utrecht
Belgium:
Brussels Expo
Great Britain:
National Exhibition Centre Birmingham
Spain:
Fira de Barcelona, IFEMA - Feria de Madrid, Feria Valencia
Portugal:
Feira Internacional de Lisboa
Switzerland:
MCH Group (Basel, Zurich), Geneva Palexpo
Press and media contact:
Peter Ottmann
Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse
EMECA Press Spokesman
Messezentrum
90471 Nürnberg
Tel +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-83 15
Fax +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-86 40
pressesprecher@nuernbergmesse.de
www.emeca.com
May 7, 2009
