B. COURSE OF BUSINESS OF HMC
In 2015, HMC recorded its highest level of revenue in the
company’s history in an uneven financial year. Compared
with the 2013 reference year, revenue increased by EUR
6.8 million to EUR 62.0 million. The Own Events and Guest
Events Trade Fair sales divisions generated the lion’s share of
the revenue of around 49 percent.
1. HAMBURG MESSE DIVISION
REISEN HAMBURG was held with the integration of Hamburg-
er Autotage once again. In 2015, investments were made in
adventure islands for the themes “Thousand and one Nights”,
“Cruise Dreams”, “Active and Outdoors” and “Extraordinary
Trips”. Although the number of German exhibitors was up
slightly, the number of foreign exhibitors was down.
The INTERNORGA maintained its status as Germany’s num-
ber one catering trade fair in 2015. A total of 1,244 exhibitors
(41 more than at the prior-year event) took up the entire trade
fair grounds including a lightweight hall that was set up. The
number of visitors remained at the same level as the prior-
year event. FH Nord, a trade fair for the butcher trade in North
Germany, was held for the first time in parallel to the INTER-
NORGA. At this fair, 57 exhibitors showed their offerings to the
around 2,500 visitors in Hall H of the CCH.
SEATRADE EUROPE, the cruise & river cruise convention, at-
tracted nearly 4,500 visitors (+12 percent compared with the
prior-year event) from Germany and abroad. Foreign visitors
made up 65 percent of the total number of visitors, while for-
eign exhibitors accounted for 85 percent of exhibitors.
In light of the forecast growth in India’s maritime industry in
the coming years, Informa Exhibitions, which organises the
INMEX INDIA, and HMC, which organises the SMM INDIA,
forged a strategic partnership and jointly presented the INMEX
SMM INDIA, South Asia’s largest maritime event, for the first
time. The biggest maritime event this region has ever seen at-
tracted around 200 exhibitors and 6,000 visitors.
With increases in the number of exhibitors (4 percent) and a
constant net area, HANSEBOOT confirmed its position as
Germany’s second-most important boat fair. In addition,
HMC hosted the HANSEBOOT ANCORA BOAT SHOW on the
grounds of the ancora marina in Neustadt/Holstein for the fifth
time, attracting 139 exhibitors (+6 percent) on a net area of
9,344 m² (+13 percent).
The Guest Events sales division again performed better than
expected in the reporting year. A total of 36 guest events (2014:
30, 2013: 37) were staged on the HMC site. The largest events
were AIRCRAFT INTERIORS EXPO and NORDSTIL.
Last year, HMC temporarily made Halls B6, B7 and A3 avail-
able as an initial reception point for refugees and as a clothing
store.
In the 2015 financial year, a total of 44 trade fairs and exhi-
bitions were hosted (44 in 2013), seven of which were own
events (six held in the grounds and one in Neustadt/Hol-
stein) and one which was held in cooperation with Informa
Exhibitions in India. At 565,693, the total number of visitors
was down 224,004 compared with the 2013 reference year
(789,697). The decline in visitor numbers is mainly due to the
one-off events held in 2013: the 34th Convention of the Ger-
man Protestant Church (130,000 visitors) and the 96th Lions
Club International Convention (23,000 visitors). In addition,
the DDW, which had drawn around 80,000 visitors in 2013,
was not repeated in 2015. The gross area leased, at 810,803
square metres, remained essentially the same as in the 2013
reference year.
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HAMBURG MESSE UND CONGRESS Annual Report 2015