Like the Olympic Games, trade fairs and conven-
tions represent competition, diversity and inter-
nationality. Good preparation, hard work and
perfect exhibitions are prerequisites for success.
By applying these principles, Hamburg Messe
und Congress GmbH (HMC) achieved a record
year in 2014. We successfully competed in new
disciplines, winning and establishing important
events for Hamburg with exhibitions such as
WindEnergy Hamburg and the ordering trade
show Nordstil, in addition to Deutsche Lufthansa
AG’s Annual General Meeting. Existing trade
fairs were enhanced and expanded. Thanks to
a high density of exhibitions, more visitors at
trade fairs, conferences and conventions and a
significant rise in exhibitor numbers and leased
floor space, our revenues reached the EUR 100
million mark in 2014 for the first time.
This in turn boosted the economy of the Hanse-
atic city: according to calculations by the Munich-
based ifo Institute for Economic Research, our
exhibitors and visitors spent over EUR 760 million
in 2014 on accommodation, meals at restaurants,
services and shopping.
As a host, we welcomed more than 14,000 in-
ternational exhibitors and 1.2 million trade fair
and convention visitors from around the world.
HMC is thus one of the places in Hamburg that
reflects the Olympic ideal of being a platform for
international encounters and understanding in the
figurative sense. We are all fired up about host-
ing the Olympic Games on the banks of the Alster
and the Elbe and back Hamburg’s bid for the
2024 Olympic Games with great enthusiasm.
This is due in part to the fact that the CCH –
Congress Center Hamburg and the Hamburg
exhibition halls are part of the current plans for
the city’s largest existing competition sites, where
the medal winners in a dozen sports in the
Olympic and Paralympic Games would be deter-
mined. It is also one of the reasons why this an-
nual report has an Olympic theme. As a part of
the city, we would like to see the games being
held in Hamburg.
As a company, we are continuing to face up to
the competition. Based on our current ten-year
strategy entitled Road to 2025, we will continue
the successful work of recent years, relying in
particular on our team of employees, who have
worked very hard to ensure that in 2014 a number
of finishing lines were reached in record time.
We would like to sincerely thank you for this.
Our thanks also go to our Supervisory Board for
their constructive assistance in the year under
review and to all exhibitors and visitors for their
keen interest in our events.
BERND AUFDERHEIDE
President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
DR. ULLA KOPP
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
05
Hamburg Messe und Congress | Annual Report 2014
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT