Press Release

Upswing for Berlin as a trade fair and congress venue

Messe Berlin group expects a high annual turnover of around 370 million euros for 2023

In 2024 Messe Berlin kicks off an event-packed year with a strong upswing in the events business from last year and fascinating new events. The group expects a preliminary turnover of around 370 million euros for 2023 and a positive year-end result. Overall, in 2023 around 26,800 exhibitors attended over 110 events, which attracted more than 1.4 million participants. In the fiscal year 2024 Messe Berlin will continue to expand its event portfolio, celebrate new events on the exhibition grounds and pursue the strategic orientation of its sustainability management. International business, which made a positive contribution to the year-end result, was also very successful, especially in Asia, leading to high expectations for this market in 2024.

Full halls and a well-filled event calendar - Messe Berlin draws a positive balance for 2023

Strategic focus on events business expansion
“The outlook for 2024 is very promising. With Grüne Woche, FRUIT LOGISTICA, ITB, ILA and InnoTrans, all leading trade fairs, we expect business in 2024 to be strong“, said Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO, Messe Berlin GmbH. “In expanding its event portfolio, Messe Berlin will focus strongly on technology topics.“ In April the new FinTech festival FIBE, co-organised by Messe Berlin, Handelsblatt and Berlin Finance Initiative, celebrated its debut. In May the GREENTECH FESTIVAL will take place for the first time on the exhibition grounds. 2025 will see the arrival of GITEX EUROPE, a leading international event for information and communication technology and tech startups on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds – co-hosted by Messe Berlin and KAOUN International in Dubai, the organiser of GITEX.

”For Messe Berlin, last year was a year of significant change, but one which the company brilliantly mastered despite global crises,“ said Franziska Giffey, Berlin Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises. ”Through its strong performance and intelligent development of new events, Messe Berlin is a driving force for economic growth in our city. The arrival of GITEX Europe is a big international success which underscores Berlin’s importance as a trade fair venue and innovation hub. A full calendar of events and with it the prospect of over a million visitors is very good news for our hotel trade and a catering industry under pressure. Every euro in trade fair turnover generates additional income for the entire city and secures jobs. In 2024 we will again leverage the profits the city creates to emphasise the outstanding role of Berlin as a business venue.”

Messe Berlin’s commitment to setting up and operating the welcome centre in Tegel has also had a positive effect on the annual result for 2023. “We are pleased that our involvement in Tegel has allowed us to significantly aid refugees seeking help in Berlin to obtain initial shelter“, said Dirk Hoffmann, COO, Messe Berlin. “However, hosting events remains our core business model. In 2023 the events held on our exhibition grounds enabled us to regain the high levels of turnover achieved before the pandemic in 2019.”

New sustainability strategy and ongoing energy transition on the exhibition grounds
In 2024 Messe Berlin will continue to adopt and expand its sustainability strategy. The company also continues to pursue its two beacon projects for shaping the energy transition on the exhibition grounds. Thus by the end of 2024 Messe Berlin will finish building Berlin’s largest rooftop photovoltaics array. Around 20,000 solar panels spread over 20 hall rooftops will produce around 7.3 GWh of green electricity. At the same time the company is modernising its heating and air-conditioning systems on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. When construction is completed in 2025 at least 50 per cent of its heating will be carbon-neutral and supplied by renewable energy sources. New systems will also ensure eco-friendlier air-conditioning when outside temperatures are high. Overall, the modernisation will result in an annual reduction of 5,400 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

About Messe Berlin

Berlin has been a trade fair venue for over 200 years, and for many decades one of the most important worldwide. As the trade fair company owned by the capital, every year Messe Berlin conceives, markets and organises hundreds of live events. It aims to be an outstanding host for visitors to every event, to give individuals an optimum boost for their business and ensure fair conditions for everyone. This approach is reflected in the company’s slogan ‘Messe Berlin – Hosting the World’.