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The ideal connection

Annual Report 2019

Insight // Preface

Welcome to the 2019 Annual Report of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC)

left: Uwe Fischer, Chief Financial Officer / right: Bernd Aufderheide, President and Chief Executive Officer © HMC / Michael Zapf

Once a year, we take a look back, give you a glimpse behind the scenes, and inform you about our plans for the future. Our annual report is divided into the sections titled “Insight,” “Outlook,” and “Vision,” but the “Outlook” is a particular challenge for the publication of this report in the summer of 2020: with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, a wrench has been thrown into the works of our routines and processes around the world. Public life has sputtered, the global economy has been dealt a heavy blow, and no one can predict how quickly we will be able to return to normalcy, which is why we too are breaking with routine and beginning with the outlook in this foreword.
Hamburg Messe und Congress felt the first effects of the threat presented by the coronavirus at the beginning of February 2020, when questions arose regarding the safe participation in our exhibition oohh! The Leisure Worlds of Hamburg Messe. We went ahead with realization of the exhibition after careful consideration, but the oohh! event remains the last of our own events to have taken place. The virus, which at that time had only been found in China, was spreading with increasing speed. This was followed by uncertainty around the globe, protective measures, prohibitions of large-scale events, travel restrictions, postponements of exhibitions and congresses, and ultimately cancellations en masse.
Even though we are now quite confident that several of our leading exhibitions can be realized after postponement, our plans of finishing 2020 as the fiscal year with the most revenue in company history will not be possible; on the contrary, we will conclude the 2020 fiscal year with an unexpectedly significant loss. However, we are still very happy that, to date, all of our employees have managed to stay healthy during the pandemic.
And, with that, we come to our 2019 reporting year, which – with 73 events on the exhibition grounds, more than 1.26 million square meters of used space, two successful premieres of own exhibitions, and a well-received Rotary International Convention – featured a series of special events. In addition to seven of our own trade fairs, we hosted 36 guest events and 30 events on the exhibition grounds that had to be relocated due to the temporary closure of the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg. All in all a new record for us, just like the total gross floor area used.
In spite of these successes, we considered the 2019 fiscal year as a trailblazer for our plans for 2020, a year in which we were looking forward to the first events in the new CCH in the summer. But, due to the coronavirus pandemic, these first few events will also not be able to proceed as planned.
We are convinced, however, that the exhibition and congress industry will emerge from this crisis even stronger than before. On the one hand, the pandemic has led to the significant acceleration of the digitization already under way. On the other hand, the temporary contact restrictions made necessary by the pandemic once again brutally demonstrated to us how valuable personal encounters are.
At this juncture, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our exhibitors and visitors, our partners, our Supervisory Board, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, and all of our employees for their support and loyalty throughout 2019 and during the ongoing crisis.

Kind regards

Bernd Aufderheide
CEO

Uwe Fischer
CFO

Insight // Key Figures

That Was the Year 2019

73
+1
Events
73+1
Events
Together, a total of seven own exhibitions, 36 guest events, and 30 events that had to be relocated due to the temporary closure of the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg mark a new one-year record for the exhibition grounds in 2019. On top of that, the HAMBURG ancora YACHTFESTIVAL in Neustadt, Holstein, also took place in 2019.
10,237
Exhibitors
10,237
Exhibitors
Be it for cruise ship cabins, electric bikes, medical innovations, or networked commercial kitchen technology – during the reporting year, 10,237 exhibitors from various industries presented their products and services in Hamburg.
1.26
 Million Square Meters
gross floor space used
1.26 Million Square Meters
gross floor space used
With 1,264,036 square meters of gross floor space used, the events needed more space on the exhibition grounds in 2019 than in any year prior.
67.9
 Million Euros
Revenues
67.9 Million Euros
Revenues
More than two-thirds of the annual revenue of 67.9 million euros was generated by the divisions Own Events, Guest Events, and Exhibitions, as well as the associated services.
696,749
Visitors
696,749
Visitors
Nearly 700,000 people came as visitors or congress participants to the 73 events held at the Hamburg exhibition grounds.
3
Premieres
3
Premieres
With the realization of two premieres and preparations for a third shortly after the end of the year, 2019 was a very special year in terms of events.

Insight // Our management

Two managing directors and four divisional heads

Bernd Aufderheide
President and Chief Executive Officer at HMC since 2007, 2004–2007 Managing Director of CCH – Congress Center Hamburg
Uwe Fischer
Chief Financial Officer at HMC since 2018
Ulas Boyaci
Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Business Development at HMC since 2013
Lars Kanbach
Senior Vice President of Technology and Infrastructure at HMC since 2007, 2004–2007 employee of HMC
Heike Mahmoud
Chief Operating Officer at CCH – Congress Center Hamburg since 2018
Volker Müller
Senior Vice President of Finance at HMC since 2014, 2001–2014 employee of HMC

Insight // HMC Events

Returnees, Partnerships, and New Events

© HMC / Michael Zapf

Our Own, Guest, and International Events

© HMC / René Zieger

Own Events: From Ship Cabins to Craft Beer

© HMC

Guest Events: Architects, Advertisers, Retailers

© Jochen Utecht

International Events: Hamburg, Mumbai, Tokyo

Insight // Time Line

The Year in Brief

Dec
© HMC

December

The Hamburg Boat Show is discontinued after two editions. The event was initiated under the auspices of the German Boat- and Shipbuilding Association.

Nov
© HMC

November

Hamburg throws its hat in the ring to organize the International Motor Show Germany – and makes it into the top three contenders – but is ultimately not the city chosen to host the event.

Oct
© Leipziger Messe GmbH / Uwe Frauendorf

October

The successful premiere of therapie HAMBURG.

Sep
© Polizei Hamburg

September

On September 30, the Hamburg police department launches its “In Hamburg schaut man hin” (“In Hamburg, we keep an eye out”) public relations campaign on the Hamburg exhibition grounds. The successful campaign helps strengthen the connection between the people of Hamburg and their police force.

Aug
© HMC

August

Gamevention announces that, in November, it will be the first exhibition for computer gaming to come to Hamburg’s halls.

July
© HMC

July

Hamburg’s mayor Peter Tschentscher emphasizes the important role that Hamburg Messe plays and thus quashes any speculation about potential apartment construction on the grounds.

June
© Rotary International / Alyce Henson

June

Around 26,000 people from around the world make the 110th Rotary International Convention a friendly celebration in the exhibition halls as well as the rest of the city.

May
© DSGV

May

At an event of the German Savings Banks Association in the Hamburg exhibition halls, German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeals: “The savings banks should remain the good soul of the region.”

Apr
© Jochen Utecht

April

In the Chinese capital Beijing, the International Horticultural Expo 2019 opens its gates for nearly half a year. HMC is on-site with its employees and is responsible for operating the German pavilion.

Mar
© HMC / Michael Zapf

March

As the leading European exhibition for out-of-home gastronomy, INTERNORGA is an important signboard for Hamburg and, in 2019, the largest exhibition in the city.

Feb
© DiCoNgroup GmbH

February

The Hamburger Motorrad Tage event celebrates its 25th anniversary on the Hamburg exhibition grounds and thus is one of the longest-standing guest organizers in the Hanseatic City.

Jan
© HMC

January

At its annual press conference, HMC announces three premieres coming up in the next 12 months: MARINE INTERIORS, therapie HAMBURG, and HAMBURG OPEN.

© HMC

January

At its annual press conference, HMC announces three premieres coming up in the next 12 months: MARINE INTERIORS, therapie HAMBURG, and HAMBURG OPEN.

Insight // Premieres

Premieres: Three at Once

© HMC

The HAMBURG OPEN networking event was to the liking of creative types.

© HMC

therapie HAMBURG delivered brilliant results from the very start.

© Leipziger Messe GmbH / Uwe Frauendorf

With MARINE INTERIORS, HMC has closed an event gap in the industry.

Outlook // Podcast CCH

The New CCH: Hamburg’s Global Stage

Size, flexibility, sustainability, modern technology, and top-notch catering make the new CCH what it is. The soft-opening phase is scheduled to begin at the end of 2020.

© ZEUS e.V.

Anticipation of the New Congress Center Hamburg

At the ZEUS Fireside Chat on November 27, 2019, Heike Mahmoud and Hartmut Hofmann spoke with Thorben Grosser about the special features of the new CCH.

Outlook // City Council Election 2020

A Full House in the Media Center on the Hamburg Exhibition Grounds

© HMC / Michael Zapf

Tangible Excitement in Hall A2

Normally, the studios for covering the Hamburg City Council elections are set up in the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg but, because of the renovations, the media moved into the exhibition halls instead.

Outlook // Calendar

Overview of Dates

All HMC Dates

Hamburg Messe und Congress and its public exhibitions and trade fairs are geared towards a broad audience and many different target groups.

Outlook // Podcast HMC and OMR

Coronavirus Pandemic Makes Its Mark on 2020 Fiscal Year

With the spread of the coronavirus since the beginning of the year, economic prospects and opportunities were drastically shifted – and HMC is no exception.

© OMR

„I Look Forward to Being Able to Hug People Again“

As the man behind the OMR Festival at the Hamburg exhibition grounds, which had to be cancelled in 2020, Philipp Westermeyer is a customer of HMC and directly impacted. In a talk with the CEO of HMC, Bernd Aufderheide, they discuss their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as its impacts and the future outlook.

Outlook // HMC Impressions

The Coronavirus and HMC: A Chronology

© HMC / Michael Zapf

When the World Descended into Disorder: How HMC Experienced the Coronavirus Pandemic

With the first cases of coronavirus in Germany at the beginning of 2020, Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC) is also faced with the question of what suitable measures to take.

Vision // New Impulses

Helping Shape the Future

© HMC / Michael Zapf


Trade fairs and exhibitions are always a glimpse of the future: with fresh ideas and the use of new technologies, HMC is helping to shape this future.

© HMC

Sofia Zindler has already won awards for her bachelor’s thesis.

© HMC

The robot named Lionel has been providing support in hall layout planning since the end of 2019.