Manfred Brinkmann (European Business): Mr. Frese, what makes Cologne so attractive for top events like gamescom, DMEXCO, and Anuga?

Oliver Frese: Cologne is located in the strongest economic region in Europe. Within a radius of 100 kilometers, more than 20 million people live, which is why we are at the heart of Europe. Additionally, we are ideally connected – whether our guests arrive by car, airplane, or train. With the Cologne Messe/Deutz train station, we even have our own ICE connection. This transport infrastructure is a real advantage for international trade visitors. Add to that the large hotel and catering offerings right in the city, which make the trade fair stay pleasant. Koelnmesse itself is one of the largest and most modern exhibition centers in the world and scores with its proximity to the city center. Our latest highlight is the Confex. With it, a state-of-the-art congress and event center has been created, which significantly advances Koelnmesse's positioning of its events in the current trade fair world and also attracts new target groups. The respective congress programs of many of our top events also take place there. The three mentioned top events are evidence of the high innovation and international appeal of Koelnmesse.

Dr. Endre Hagenthurn (European Business): What role does artificial intelligence play at your trade fairs?

Oliver Frese: Among other things, we have developed an AI-based chatbot that offers semantically and contextually correct answers on products, exhibitors, appointments, and the conference program, thus improving the service for our exhibitors and our visitors. Another example is our AI-based digital product that uses facial recognition to identify every official event photo in which one appears as a visitor. Instead of searching for photos, the photos find the visitor – in real time and fully GDPR compliant. Today, we already see AI as a defining element of our fairs. It helps us to analyze visitor flows more intelligently, to bring people and interests together more precisely, and to personalize the entire fair experience – from digital navigation to smart recommendations on-site. Exhibitors benefit from improved lead generation (keyword: „Lead+Meet“), market forecasts, and automated processes afterward. Ultimately, AI will make our trade fairs more efficient, sustainable, and customer-centric. Above all, it helps us to do what we have always been best at: bringing the right people together at the right time in the right place – but now even more precisely and effectively. We understand technologies like AI as an essential competitive advantage that differentiates successful from unsuccessful organizers.

Dr. Endre Hagenthurn (European Business): What is Koelnmesse doing to make its events more sustainable – beyond just the slogan of the fair?

Oliver Frese: Sustainability has been made a core part of our corporate strategy at Koelnmesse, and we have set ambitious goals: By 2030, we plan to operate the energy supply for our company and our events in Scope 1 and 2 completely carbon neutral. To achieve this, we already operate the largest inner-city PV system in Cologne, saving 1,850 tons of CO2 annually. Together with E.ON and RheinEnergie, we are also converting our entire heating supply to fossil-free energy from groundwater by 2028 – thereby saving an additional 5,800 tons of CO2 each year. By utilizing modernized ventilation systems and LED lighting, we save up to 50 percent of electricity in the operation of our exhibition halls. Through our digital logistics management eSlot, we manage 50,000 trucks annually, reducing congestion, CO2 emissions, noise, and pollutants around our premises. The NUNAV app smartly guides visitors to the correct parking garage or to one of our 170 electric charging stations. At our trade fairs, we reduce large amounts of waste by using sustainable system construction, aiming to use 80 percent reusable materials by 2030 and ensuring that floor coverings are 100 percent recycled by that time. Sustainability for us is not just a nice slogan, but a solid mission.

Manfred Brinkmann (European Business): How do your trade fairs manage to stand out in a global event jungle and set real highlights abroad?

Oliver Frese: While personal contact remains indispensable for business development, expectations are increasing for events with an experiential character. Similarly, "Event-in-Event" formats are gaining importance, where smaller specialized events occur within a larger trade fair. This enables more targeted outreach to niche markets and promotes knowledge exchange in specific subject areas. Especially against the backdrop of increasing digitalization, personal encounters become even more important. Therefore, we develop individual formats with our clients both domestically and internationally, tailored to their needs. With these innovations and new themes, Koelnmesse will remain the first choice for customers. Our global events make a significant contribution to building and expanding international business relationships – up to direct sales closures. Our digital platforms like the Opening Night Live at gamescom also allow experiencing the fair both on-site and online. This significantly enlarges the event's reach and opens up new international target groups.

Manfred Brinkmann (European Business): Three mega trade fairs in quick succession – what goes through your mind personally as a fair manager?

Oliver Frese: First of all, absolute anticipation! Of course, the successful organisation and execution of these leading international events are associated with great efforts in our house. But I have great confidence in the professional work of our experienced trade fair teams and remain relaxed. If I'm honest, these are always the best times of the year for me when our grounds are buzzing!