A milestone for Koelnmesse: After 33 months of construction, on Monday, 3 June 2024, representatives of the municipal building authority, the fire brigade and other relevant authorities carried out the final inspection on site in order to subsequently issue the operating permit for our new event and congress location Confex. The result: Koelnmesse is now authorised to hold major events at Confex.
With the new Confex, which opens at the end of June, we are moving up into the Champions League of congress cities. The Confex offers 22 flexibly partitionable rooms on three levels with direct access to the exhibition halls for events with over 6,200 congress guests. Several elements ensure a wow effect in and around the Confex: The Confexhall, which can be divided into three sections, is twelve metres high, holds up to 4,300 people and allows maximum flexibility for events. Our 5,600 square metre open-air terrace, the Confex Plaza, can be reached through the light-flooded foyer, and the 2,000 square metres of glass surfaces in the upper conference rooms offer an impressive view of the Rhine panorama including the cathedral.
Another important aspect is sustainability. On the Confex roof, 500 photovoltaic modules provide green energy that is consumed directly on site. Koelnmesse is also applying for platinum certification from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) for the Confex. Platinum is the highest DGNB certification and requires fulfilment of at least 80 percent of the extensive sustainability criteria.
Interest in the Confex is already high even before the official opening. Among the first guests in 2024 will be the members of the World Federation of the Exhibition Industry, who will meet in Cologne for the UFI Global Congress. Many other events have already been booked with the trade fair subsidiary Koelncongress, which is responsible for marketing Confex, and there are concrete enquiries up to 2029. Among the interested parties are many organisers who will be hosting an event in Cologne for the first time. The concept of expanding the existing business and tapping into a new clientele seems to be working. This is important news for the future of the trade fair and congress business in Cologne, and not just in Koelnmesse's anniversary year!