Nuremberg Trade Fair celebrates record sales: The way out of the crisis!

Nuremberg Trade Fair celebrates record sales: The way out of the crisis!

The Nuremberg Trade Fair has reported back impressively, and the numbers speak for themselves. After a difficult pandemic year in which losses of over 100 million euros were accumulated, the trade fair company, as a major player in the events industry, achieved a record turnover of 358 million euros in 2024. This marks their first significant profit since the Corona years, when the balance sheet was in the red in 2020, 2021 and 2023. After all, a small surplus of 3.3 million euros was recorded in 2022. Managing director Peter Ottmann has great ambitions: He expects to be able to fully compensate for the losses by 2030 at the latest. A further turnover of around 350 million euros is forecast for 2025, which would also represent a record for an odd year. Antenna.de reports an investment push of over 100 million euros in the future of the trade fair, with the focus on the exhibition center, an international event portfolio as well as IT and artificial intelligence.

The anniversary year of NürnbergMesse, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, couldn't be going any better. In 2023, the trade fair company was able to hold 150 events and experienced a rush with 28,135 exhibitors and around 1.3 million visitors that is reminiscent of the great times before the pandemic. The net area of ​​the events was 904,466 square meters and shows that interest in trade fairs remains high. In a global comparison, NürnbergMesse is not only one of the 15 largest trade fair companies, but also the fifth largest in Germany with 1,246 employees.

Current trends and challenges

But the trade fair industry itself is not without challenges. Although the industry is gradually recovering from the shadows of the pandemic, hurdles remain, particularly due to inflation and increased energy costs. A recent survey shows that over 40 percent of companies have no plans to reduce their budgets for future events. In 2023, 166 national trade fairs were held in Germany, which corresponds to the previous year. Statista highlights that the number of exhibitors in this area has increased to over 147,000.

NürnbergMesse is planning a total of 137 events for 2024, 68 of which will be in Nuremberg alone. In order to expand their offering, five new special trade fairs were launched last year. NürnbergMesse even operates beyond national borders: the first “NürnbergMesse Christkindlesmarkt” will be held in India in December 2024.

Sustainability in focus

In addition to economic success, sustainability also plays a major role. The investment plans include an energy-efficient renovation of the “NXT74” employee building, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. In addition, 21,000 photovoltaic modules will be installed, which will generate around 9 million kilowatt hours of solar power annually. The goal: to ensure a CO₂-neutral energy supply by 2028. The trade fair operation not only generates billions in tax revenue, but also secures over 12,000 jobs.

The successes of NürnbergMesse in 2024 are not only a ray of hope for the trade fair industry, but also show that the industry is on the road to recovery. With future-oriented investments and a clear focus on sustainability, the trade fair could emerge even stronger from the Corona crisis in the coming years.