MICE news Cologne

Koelnmesse and RINGFOTO will jointly continue the festival for photography, video and content creation in Cologne from 2027. The first “Imaging World inspired by photokina” will take place at the Cologne exhibition grounds from 24 to 26 September 2027.

Cologne’s Michelin-starred restaurant taku will celebrate its 25th anniversary in October 2026. For the occasion, head chef Mirko Gaul has selected six personal favourites from the restaurant’s history and reinterpreted them for a special menu.

The GenoHotel in Forsbach has published its Corporate Carbon Footprint for 2025. In cooperation with ClimatePartner, the emissions of both properties were once again recorded and analysed in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (Scopes 1–3). The results provide a transparent basis for implementing targeted measures to further reduce emissions.

With 1,322,994 visitors in the first six months of 2026, LANXESS arena reports strong mid-year results. Record-breaking ice hockey attendance, the largest “Lachende Kölnarena” to date and fifth place in the Pollstar ranking highlight Cologne’s international event appeal.

Koelnmesse closed the 2025 financial year with revenue of €455.5 million and a consolidated result of €62 million. Around 2.5 million visitors from 214 countries and more than 43,800 exhibiting companies from 120 nations highlight Cologne’s international relevance as a trade fair and congress destination.

With a new event and conference concept and the GreenSign environmental certification, &REPEAT Hotel Köln Airport is positioning itself as a versatile venue for business events in Cologne’s MICE market.

As of 1 January 2027, Koelnmesse will permanently integrate Design Post Cologne into its exhibition and event architecture. Its subsidiary Koelncongress will be responsible for marketing and operations.