HAMBURG:
AN ATTRACTIVE LOCATION
Hamburg Messe und Congress benefits from the appeal of the city of
Hamburg – and vice versa, says Frank Horch, Senator for Economic
Affairs, Transport and Innovation.
s we can see, the impor-
tance of trade for Hamburg
has continued to grow
throughout the centuries.
Even though our city is now much
more than simply one of the world’s
most important transhipment hubs,
the Senate is doing everything in its
power to support and promote this ex-
change. Hamburg Messe has evolved
into a key pillar of the economy. We
provide a marketplace for consum-
er fairs and exhibitions such as the
hanseboot and the HansePferd; other
trade fairs like the INTERNORGA, the
SMM and the WindEnergy are flagship
events in Europe, if not worldwide.
Hamburg Messe is also a dependable,
expert host for large events such as
Harbour Birthday Festival or, recently,
the Annual Convention of the German
Protestant Church.
Given its wide variety of activities,
Hamburg Messe is an indispensable
component of Hamburg’s standing as a
business location. Trade fairs are one of
the main elements of the marketing mix
in business. Even in times of increas-
ing digital communication, companies
need real marketplaces where they can
establish contact with potential cus-
tomers and many other target groups.
Trade show presentations are frequently
anchor points for diverse communica-
tion activities. It is there that exhibitors
conduct sales activities and sales pro-
motions, advertising and image work,
public relations or press work, internal
communications and event manage-
ment. A trade fair needs to be effective
on a number of levels, i.e. appeal to all
the senses – something an online shop,
a sales letter or an advertisement can-
not do. Important aspects of prospect-
A
In a year with a large number of
events, trade fair and convention
visitors spend EUR 800 million in
Hamburg’s shops, hotels, restaurants
and cultural centres.
ing for new clients and customer reten-
tion such as reliability, trust, personal
appreciation, adaptation to individual
requirements and a focus on dialogue
can therefore be conveyed particularly
well at a trade fair.
All told, trade fairs will continue to be
hugely important for us in the future:
we see over one million visitors coming
to trade fairs and conventions in Ham-
burg each year. They are also a signifi-
cant economic factor for the hotels, re-
tailers and service providers in our city.
Hence, the trade fair is a valuable insti-
tution and an important ambassador for
our city all around the world.”
Best regards,
14 HAMBURG MESSE UND CONGRESS Annual Report 2015