--- title: "Detail view" url: "https://location.cologne-tourism.com/destination-cologne/mice-news/detailview/koelnmesse-reports-a-highly-successful-financial-year-2025" description: "Koelnmesse reports a highly successful financial year 2025. Strong figures, international growth and strategic investments underline Cologne’s importance as a leading global trade fair and congress destination." language: "en" type: "NewsArticle" image: "https://location.cologne-tourism.com/fileadmin/Mediendatenbank/Locations.Koeln/Bilder/2_Veranstaltungsort_Koeln/News/MICE-News/PM_Bilanz_2025_Copyright_Koelnmesse_Oliver_Wachenfeld.jpg" breadcrumb: "Root > locations.cologne by KölnTourismus > Destination Cologne > MICE news > Detail view" --- MICE news Cologne Koelnmesse reports a highly successful financial year 2025 ========================================================== 28.01.2026 Koelnmesse reports a highly successful financial year 2025. Strong figures, international growth and strategic investments underline Cologne’s importance as a leading global trade fair and congress destination. Koelnmesse looks back on a very successful 2025 financial year. With preliminary revenue of around €450 million (2024: €365.8 million) and consolidated group earnings of approximately €60 million (2024: €21.3 million), Koelnmesse has confirmed the successful development of recent years. Key drivers included strong trade fair and congress business in Cologne, efficiency gains in ongoing operations, and growth in international markets. “2025 was a strong year for us—economically, internationally and operationally. At the same time, we know that the coming years will be more challenging, and that 2026 will be a difficult financial year due to the trade fair cycle,” says Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse. To address this development at an early stage and strengthen its resilience, Koelnmesse is using its strategic “level35” agenda to set the course for stability and growth in an environment heavily shaped by uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. In total, Koelnmesse hosted 79 events in Cologne and around the world in 2025, including 57 of its own events. The particular highlight was the world-leading trade fair Anuga, which set entirely new benchmarks as the largest event in the company’s more than 100-year history. More than 8,000 exhibitors from 110 countries and over 145,000 trade visitors from more than 190 nations filled all exhibition halls in Cologne, covering approximately 300,000 square metres. International participants accounted for 94 per cent of exhibitors and 80 per cent of visitors. In a year marked by global tensions and protectionism, Anuga sent a clear signal in favour of international exchange. “Anuga demonstrates the importance of international industry gatherings, especially in challenging times: they support dialogue, build trust and show just how interconnected and dynamic the global economy is,” comments Oliver Frese, COO of Koelnmesse. **Strong event portfolio: 79 events worldwide—38 of them abroad** In 2025, Koelnmesse substantially expanded its global presence. Of the 79 events, 38 were held abroad, supplemented by eight new formats. These included interzum jakarta, International Hardware Fair Indonesia, International Hardware Fair Saudi Arabia, FSB Sports Show Riyadh, ORGATEC WORKSPACE Saudi Arabia, ORGATEC India, DMEXCO Asia and Labotec in Parma. “The international growth of recent years shows that our strategic direction is working and that we continue to raise our profile in key regions. At the same time, our global development is gaining noticeable momentum,” Gerald Böse says of Koelnmesse’s international activities. To drive this development forward in a targeted way, Koelnmesse made organisational changes in both Asia and the Middle East in 2025. With the appointment of Mathias Küpper as Regional President Asia-Pacific, the companies in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China and Hong Kong will be more closely connected, while the continued development of key trade fair brands in central Asian growth markets will be supported. Another subsidiary will be opened in Indonesia next year. At the same time, Koelnmesse is restructuring its sales operations in the MENA region—the Middle East and North Africa: a network of local chambers of foreign trade will in future serve the ten target markets in order to expand customer proximity, market development and regional presence. **Koelncongress: Confex as a growth engine for the congress business, with rising demand for guest trade fairs and corporate events** The congress segment also developed positively in 2025. With a very strong booking situation through to 2030 and initial reservations extending to 2032, the Confex Conference and Exhibition Centre achieved a strong market position in its very first year of operation. This momentum was particularly evident in the medical sector: the 20th Annual Conference of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Emergency and Acute Medicine attracted 3,000 participants instead of the 1,500 expected, while the annual conference of the German, Austrian and Swiss Societies for Haematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO) welcomed 6,800 participants rather than the anticipated 5,000. “The medical congresses are a prime example of how attractive our location has become for science, industry and associations. Strong demand confirms that we are on the right path, and we will continue to advance the development of the congress business consistently,” says Ralf Nüsser, Managing Director of Koelncongress. Alongside Confex’s successful launch, Koelnmesse and its subsidiary Koelncongress are recording a considerable increase in demand in the guest trade fair segment. This is particularly evident in their collaboration with RX (Reed Exhibitions Limited), which already stages successful formats such as FIBO and Chemspec in Cologne. From January 2027, another highlight will be added: PSI, Europe’s leading trade fair for promotional products, which RX will permanently host in Cologne in the future. Over three days, more than 11,000 promotional product distributors, finishers and agencies will meet around 600 manufacturers and importers—a strong signal of the location’s attractiveness. **Outlook for 2026: A demanding year ahead** Due to the trade fair cycle, Koelnmesse is preparing for a challenging year in 2026. In addition, Germany’s economic recovery has yet to materialise, small and medium-sized enterprises—which have traditionally used trade fair participation as a gateway to the world—are under considerable pressure, while rising costs and geopolitical tensions are dampening investment and consumer sentiment worldwide. “We are operating in one of the most difficult market environments of recent decades. The key under these conditions is to stay the course and deploy our resources where we can achieve the greatest impact,” says Gerald Böse, looking ahead. At the same time, Koelnmesse is deliberately focusing on international partnerships and activities: 43 events abroad, including eight premieres, are planned for 2026 and will expand the global brand portfolio. **Expo Osaka 2025: German Pavilion delights more than three million visitors** On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Koelnmesse was responsible for operating the German Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025—sending a strong international signal in the process. Over 184 days, the “Wa! Germany” pavilion attracted more than three million visitors and became a true flagship for Germany. “Our contribution in Osaka has strengthened our relationships with Japanese partners and opened up new business opportunities. It demonstrates what Koelnmesse stands for—connecting people and ideas across borders,” says Denis Steker, Senior Vice President International. **Geothermal energy—a key element of the climate strategy** Alongside its positive economic performance, Koelnmesse is pursuing ambitious sustainability goals. To this end, it expanded its photovoltaic area to 20,000 square metres in 2025. At the same time, Germany’s third-largest exhibition centre is preparing to transition completely to fossil-free geothermal energy. Following completed exploratory work and successful test drilling, implementation is now underway: the injection wells have been completed, infrastructure is being expanded, and the bespoke heat pumps will soon enter production. Find out more . **Planning approved for a new multifunctional headquarters** In autumn 2025, the Koelnmesse Supervisory Board approved plans for the long-awaited construction of a new multifunctional building, which will also house Koelnmesse’s administrative offices. Following Anuga 2027, a new building is to be constructed directly beside the Köln Messe/Deutz ICE station, combining office capacity with additional event logistics and catering infrastructure. Koelnmesse will finance the investment volume of approximately €193 million from its own resources. “With foresight, we are investing not only in a building, but in the quality and future viability of our entire location,” says Koelnmesse CEO Gerald Böse.