5 minutes with ... Sep 05, 2014

5 minutes with ... Dr. Roland Fleck, CEO NürnbergMesse Group

Bavaria's economy is full of life – and the people who live and work here make the biggest contribution to this. In our monthly "Five minutes with..." section, we introduce an interesting person from business and research. This month, we talked to Dr. Roland Fleck, CEO of NürnbergMesse Group. NürnbergMesse ranks among the top ten European trade fair venues and plays an important role for export-orientated companies.

NürnbergMesse is one of the fastest growing subsidiaries in Europe. What makes the company stand out?

NürnbergMesse, in which the State of Bavaria and the city of Nuremburg serve as the main shareholders, is indeed expanding very dynamically and is now ranked among the top 10 venues in Europe. The first quarter of 2014 was the most successful in the company's history. The exhibition centre in Nuremberg (Messezentrum Nürnberg) has never before recorded as many exhibitors, visitors and sold exhibition spaces in the first three months of the year than at the beginning of 2014. The positive development continued over the first half of this year and in turn affirms the course of direction adopted by the company which sets out to dynamically develop the NürnbergMesse Group further in clearly defined areas of growth. For this reason, NürnbergMesse also plays an important role for medium-sized enterprises who are active in international business. NürnbergMesse intensively supports its affiliated companies and exhibitors in positioning successful trade fair topics in economic regions which are important for the export economy on a global scale. As a trade fair company, it is also particularly successful in establishing corresponding networks in these markets. Examples include BIOFACH, with the leading trade fair in Nuremberg and BIOFACH subsidiaries in Brazil, China, India, Japan and the USA as well as the "Powder & Bulk Network" and the "Global Alliance Fair", a network of the world's leading trade fairs, which touches on the theme of "windows and façades". In addition, NürnbergMesse, on behalf of the federal government and State of Bavaria, organises promoted participation in trade fairs for export-orientated companies.

It is trade fairs that have allowed NürnbergMesse to acquire such a unique expertise. For many years, the company has been successful in the area of highly specialised international trade fairs. It is here where the decision-makers of the respective industry come together in a context specifically focussed on their specialist field. The high degree of target group accuracy ensures efficiency and effectiveness when visiting or participating in the trade fair.
With this concept, the Franconian metropolis has attracted the attention of many large industries, which has in the meantime resulted in a large number of international leading trade fairs for these economic sectors taking place in Nuremberg. This has, of course, also boosted Nuremberg's economy. In fact, it was this anticipated boost in the economy which was the driving force behind the construction of a new trade fair venue in Nuremberg 40 years ago. In these four decades, NürnbergMesse has managed to establish itself among the top 10 trade fair centres in Europe as well as in the top 20 trade fair centres worldwide.


And what about international business?

NürnbergMesse's growth divisions include the company's international business, along with the development and strengthening of the trade fair location in Nuremberg. NürnbergMesse's has its own subsidiaries in Brazil, China, India, Italy and North America. Such engagement abroad is complemented by around 50 foreign representative offices which are active in more than 100 countries and global markets.

NürnbergMesse's strategic objective is to continue to expand its current position in the market. Starting with the successful trade fair location in Nuremberg, international business is to be continuously expanded through strategic partnerships in suitable growth regions around the world.


How significant is the metropolitan region of Nuremberg for you?


Despite the harrowing structural changes of Nuremberg's recent past, the city is today viewed as a economic success story – in particular due to the successful mix of industry, business, trade and services. The metropolitan region of Nuremberg is especially well-positioned in industries sectors including energy, medicine, logistics, automation and social affairs. The region also combines the strengths of close regional networks, such as the Congress Initiative which has been operating successfully for ten years - with topics on the local trade fair and conference location. Additionally, its own brand entitled "NürnbergConvention" forms a congenial connection by addressing the aforementioned business sectors in defined event clusters - the metropolitan region of Nüremberg is superbly positioned in all of these sectors.

The European metropolitan region profits from the NürnbergMesse. We have invested three-quarters of a billion euros in the trade fair venue since the 1970s. Money which has repeatedly paid off. The regional economic effects for the hotel and catering trade, trade fair services, logistics and interpretation services all the way to taxi drivers amount to more than one billion euros each year in the city and metropolitan region of Nuremberg.

Conversely, the metropolitan region of Nuremberg is an excellent location for the NürnbergMesse: central geographical location in the heart of the EU, easily accessible with an excellent infrastructure and inviting ambiance set within the historical old town of the Franconian metropolis. All-in-all optimal conditions for an international trade fair centre!