• All leading trade fairs on board again in 2018
• Exhibition grounds almost booked up
• Launch of Smart Country Convention
Berlin, 5 February 2018 – In 2018 the Messe Berlin calendar boasts more events and greater diversity than in any previous year. After a spectacular start with the International Green Week several major events are now due in quick succession. As in every even-numbered year they include two biennial fairs, ILA Berlin and InnoTrans. Together with guest events and international congresses the full range of leading trade fairs, specialist and consumer exhibitions will ensure the Messe Berlin grounds are booked to record capacity. New events successfully launched in 2017, such as the CUBE Tech Fair, will be held again. 2018 will witness the launch of the Smart Country Convention, a new trade fair. At the same time Messe Berlin continues to attract international exhibitors. It is also upgrading the exhibition grounds with a 10,000 square-metre hall (Hall 27), which will be marketed as hub27 Berlin. A large part of this 75-million euro building project will be paid for by Messe Berlin.
Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH: ”Our success in 2017 has given us a big boost and greatly motivated us for the new year. In 2018 hardly a week will go by without a major event on the exhibition grounds, be it a trade fair, media event or medical congress. The short intervals between events will take us to the limit, both logistically and in terms of marketing, and we aim to maximise the resultant positive economic effect on Berlin.“
Messe Berlin in-house events in 2018
Kicking off events in the new year Panorama Berlin (16 –18 Jan.), Europe’s largest fashion show, focused on the upcoming season’s trends. During the Berlin Fashion Week 800 brands presented their new autumn 2018 and winter 2019 collections on an area covering 45,000 square metres. A quick succession of major events began almost immediately with the International Green Week Berlin 2018 (19 – 28 Jan.). Its focus was on the partner country Bulgaria and with 1,660 exhibitors from 66 countries international attendance reached record levels. Some 400,000 visitors came to Berlin’s best-attended trade fair. The next event is FRUIT LOGISTICA (7 – 9 Feb.), the leading trade fair for global fruit trade, after which exhibitors will display their latest building and construction technology products at bautec (20 – 23 Feb.), which takes place every two years. The partner country at this year’s ITB Berlin (7 – 11 March) is Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and for the first time will be a German state. The opening ceremony on the eve of the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show will leave a zero carbon footprint, which marks another first.
Combining a congress, academy, trade fair and networking events, conhIT (17 – 19 Apr.), Europe’s leading event for healthcare IT, has continued to impress trade visitors over the years. Earlier than usual, ILA Berlin (25 – 29 Apr.), whose partner country this year is France, will be gathering aerospace enthusiasts from around the world in Berlin. Following its successful launch in 2017 the CUBE Tech Fair (15 – 16 May), a new format specifically for startups and sponsored by Messe Berlin, will take place at Arena Berlin. Summer events on the exhibition grounds will kick off with YOU Summer Break (22 – 24 June), the leading event for youth culture, which will feature three days of music, sports, lifestyle and a wide range of information for career starters. Focusing totally on fashion, the second edition in 2018 of Panorama Berlin (3 – 5 July) will exhibit a wide range of leading international brands at Berlin ExpoCenter City.
Once again, IFA (31 Aug. – 5 Sept.), the World’s Leading Trade Fair for Consumer Electronics and Home Appliances, will let trade visitors and the general public marvel at the technology trends of the future. Shortly afterwards, InnoTrans (18 – 21 Sept.), which features a unique rail track and outdoor display site, will also occupy the entire exhibition grounds. Classic car enthusiasts can travel back in time at MOTORWORLD Classics Berlin (5 – 7 Oct.), before Bazaar Berlin (7 – 11 Nov.) transforms the Berlin Exhibition Grounds into an exotic shopping mall displaying handicrafts, designer articles, natural goods and fair trade products. Late autumn will witness the launch of the Smart Country Convention (20 – 22 Oct.), a new trade fair and congress, whose subject is the digital transformation in the public sector and administrations. Messe Berlin will be collaborating with the digital association Bitkom. Finally, as one of the last events on the trade fair calendar, BOAT & FUN BERLIN (29 Nov. – 2 Dec.) will invite visitors to find out about the latest water sports products and services. Exhibits will include spectacular sailing boats, sloeps, a new boating trend, the latest motor yachts, as well as stylish classic yachts.
Internationally, Messe Berlin continues to expand its leading trade fairs: from 3 to 5 May the third edition of CE China, the Trade Fair for Consumer Electronics and Home Appliances, will take place in Shenzhen. From 16 to 18 May the second edition of the B2B travel trade fair ITB China, where Chinese trade visitors and international exhibitors meet, will be held in Shanghai. From 5 to 7 September ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA with its focus on fresh produce will take place in Hong Kong, and from 17 to 19 October ITB Asia, for over a decade the successful trade fair for the Asian travel market, will take place in Singapore. In 2018 CHINA FRUIT LOGISTICA (14 – 16 May), another forum for the international fresh produce sector, will celebrate its debut in Shanghai.
Increasing importance of guest events
In 2018 the role of guest events will again be vital to Messe Berlin. The 2018 programme of congress events features numerous in-ternationally important gatherings of the medical profession. The programme will kick off with the 33rd German Cancer Congress (21 – 24 Feb.) and the Cancer Forum of Industry with around 11,000 attendees. Around 18,000 participants are expected to be at the 54th EASD Annual Meeting (1 – 5 Oct.) for diabetologists. At the end of the year the 91st Congress of the German Neuro-logical Society (30 Oct. – 3 Nov.) will take place for the first time on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.
Following the event’s launch in 2017, senior executives from around the world representing landline, mobile phone and cable network operators are due to attend the second edition of the Broadband World Forum (23 – 25 Oct.). More and more compa-nies are making use of our venues and the expertise of our Guest Events team for corporate events as well. This year Daimler AG (5 April) and for the first time Volkswagen AG (3 May) will be among those inviting their shareholders to their annual general meeting in Berlin. The red carpet will also be rolled out on the exhibition grounds for a number of leading media events, including the ECHO Music Awards (12 Apr.) and the German Film Prize (27 Apr.).
A calendar of events with a full list of Messe Berlin in-house and guest events can be found online at: www.messe-berlin.com.
About Messe Berlin
Based on turnover and growth, Messe Berlin is one of the world's ten leading trade fair companies. Each year it develops, markets and hosts hundreds of live events in Berlin and around the world. Its wide-ranging portfolio includes ITB, IFA, InnoTrans, FRUIT LOGISTICA and the International Green Week, all leading global trade fairs, as well as major conferences and iconic events such as the street celebrations (Fanmeile) at the Brandenburg Gate. Messe Berlin has around 90 foreign representatives who market events in over 170 countries. Each year some 30,000 members of the media from all parts of the world obtain accreditation for events on the exhibition grounds in Berlin where the company has its headquarters. Thus, Messe Berlin acts as a driving force of the metropolis that is Berlin. Its aim is to be an outstanding host for visitors to every event at Messe Berlin, to give individuals an optimum boost for their business and to ensure fair conditions for everyone. This approach is reflected in the company slogan: Messe Berlin – Hosting the World. www.messe-berlin.com.
