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Current press releases of Messe Karlsruhe

2023-06-29
Karlsruhe trade fair generates second-best sales since its inception

Karlsruhe, June 30, 2023 - Messe Karlsruhe generated total revenues of 36.8 million euros in 2022. This is the second-best result since the company was founded. And it is only 1.9 million euros below the previous best result of 38.7 million euros, which the company achieved in 2019. The improvement on the previous year, which was heavily impacted by the pandemic, is 17.3 million euros. The improvement on the plan for 2022 is 3.9 million euros.

The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Messe Karlsruhe and First Mayor Gabriele Luczak-Schwarz praises the forward-looking way in which the trade fair management dealt with the challenges posed by the Corona pandemic, which also existed in 2022: "The first quarter of the 2022 financial year was still characterized by event bans, which were countered with a very prudent rescheduling of trade fairs and congresses to the spring and summer, the so-called summer schedule. It is mainly thanks to this management that such an excellent result was achieved, which at the same time had a positive impact on the city's loss compensation."

When planning its results for 2022, Messe Karlsruhe anticipated the impact of the pandemic. For this reason, events were moved from the critical winter months to periods starting in the second quarter of 2022 early on in 2021 to minimize risk. The successful implementation of the summer schedule was the guarantor for the mapping of the essential trade fairs in the portfolio. The resurgence of the Corona pandemic in the winter half-year 2021/2022 underscored the correctness of this forward-looking measure.

Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe, sums up: "We were able to achieve this extraordinary result because our customers and partners have gone this way with us and supported the relocation of the events. This is evidence of a very good and close customer relationship, which is resilient in such volatile times and secures our business. For the post-pandemic event business, it remains to be said that trade shows continue to be sought-after venues for the industries and cannot be reproduced digitally."

Nine trade fairs, six of which were the company's own trade fairs, were held at close intervals in the period from March to September, posing an extreme challenge for all employees, for the service providers, and for the site logistics. With the very successful staging of the 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in September 2022, Messe Karlsruhe once again demonstrated its performance capabilities and secured positive attention for the location worldwide.

"All employees of Messe Karlsruhe have contributed to the successful implementation of the summer schedule and all events in 2022. I would therefore like to thank the entire team at Messe Karlsruhe for their great dedication and personal commitment to Karlsruhe as a trade fair and congress location," said Gabriele Luczak-Schwarz.

With the time window for staging events shortened by one quarter, Messe Karlsruhe succeeded in generating a contribution margin of 7.4 million euros (previous year: 3.1 million euros).

Britta Wirtz: "With the 7.4 million euros achieved, we are 2.2 million euros above the original planning. We owe this to well-performing trade fairs such as LEARNTEC, REHAB and also art KARLSRUHE. The 11th Plenary Assembly of the Ecumenical Council was not only a major media event but also delivered an excellent economic result, which had a strong influence on the contribution margin achieved."

Messe Karlsruhe exhibition building in Rheinstetten. Left of it the media cube with art Karlsruhe advertising.
2023-05-31
Parking area at the exhibition centre gets a new look
Groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the upgrading of P3

Where top-class German rappers were guests a moment ago and ten thousand mostly young spectators celebrated, the excavators are now rolling. On 26 May, construction work began at Messe Karlsruhe to upgrade car park 3 into a multifunctional area. This construction measure is connected with the contractually agreed dismantling of the old runway, which dates back to the time when the trade fair was built 20 years ago. According to the current status, the construction work will be completed by May 2024. The area to be upgraded measures a total of about 80,000 square metres. After the conversion, a multi-faceted, year-round use will be possible. For example, the utilisation concept provides for trade fairs such as RecyclingAktiv I TiefbauLive or an extended outdoor area presentation at NUFAM, whose special feature is the demonstration of machines and vehicles. The use of the area by cultural events such as the HookUp Festival or the Cultural Stage is possible in the summer months away from the trade fair business. And in the autumn and winter months the area is used as a parking area independent of the weather for events that have a great need for parking space such as art KARLSRUHE, Einstieg Beruf, offerta or TIERisch gut.

First Mayor Gabriele Luczak-Schwarz, who is also Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress GmbH, commented on the start of construction: "It is important for Messe Karlsruhe to be able to meet the necessary demand for parking spaces regardless of the weather. That is why it is essential that the P3 area, which has not been adequately paved so far, is now being upgraded. It is particularly pleasing that aspects of sustainability are being taken into account in the reconstruction. And because the area can be used multifunctionally at the same time, I am sure that there will also be positive effects on the trade fair business."

In order to be able to keep the entire area available all year round, regardless of the weather, and at the same time to develop it in an ecologically sustainable manner, the surface - with the exception of the driveways that will be created - will be capable of seepage. As a result, about 70% of the surface will be planted with vegetation and will look like a gravel lawn. In addition, there will be generous planting areas to delimit the adjacent commercial area. Recycled material will also be used in the construction project.

The technical upgrading includes supply connections for electricity, water, lighting and data cabling for event use, as well as facilities for numerous electric charging stations. There is also a basic infrastructure for mobile homes to meet the increasing demand.

District Administrator Dr. Christoph Schnaudigel, as a shareholder of the Neue Messe Karlsruhe, commented: "This is an investment in a modern infrastructure at the fair. The use of the resulting multifunctional area, for example for open-air cultural events, offers the citizens of the district an attractive leisure offer in the direct vicinity."

Upgrading of P3 for the expansion of the outdoor exhibition area of Messe Karlsruhe
2023-04-17
Karlsruhe becomes the capital of Female Empowerment!

Karlsruhe, 04/17/2023 - With the DIGITAL FEMALE LEADER AWARD (DFLA), Karlsruhe will become the capital of female empowerment in the coming years. The DFLA, the most important award in the female digital scene, will take place this year on September 22 and 23 - for the first time over two days and supported by the cooperation between Global Digital Women, Messe Karlsruhe and the City of Karlsruhe.

This means that the most important industry event for all digital topics relating to female leadership is coming to Karlsruhe and also shows what strong partners can achieve with strong cooperation. Together with Messe Karlsruhe, Global Digital Women (GDW) wants to give women in the digital business world a stage and put the topics of the hour ¬- digitalization and diversity - in the spotlight.

"Business has to be rethought in these times ¬- and that includes women being part of this business and making it more diverse," says Tijen Onaran, who first initiated the DFLA six years ago with her company Global Digital Women. The fact that a perfect match has now been found with Karlsruhe, the city where she was born, and Messe Karlsruhe makes her all the more pleased.

No other city stands for digitization as much as the city of Karlsruhe: the first e-mail was received here in August 1984. Even if sending and receiving an e-mail is taken for granted today, Tijen Onaran knows how important her work with GDW Global Digital Women, the leading company in the field of digitization and diversity, is and what kind of radiance it has. Added to this is Messe Karlsruhe, which implements events at the highest level and where the DFLA finds a new home. Tijen Onaran is certain: "Only together can we achieve great things and drive forward digitization, innovation and future issues.

Dr. Frank Mentrup, Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe, is pleased that his city will host the DFLA in the coming years and supports the event to the best of his ability. "Karlsruhe stands for liberality and is a city of law. Women's rights are human rights and Karlsruhe is therefore the perfect place for the topic of Female Empowerment. And, Karlsruhe is a city of change and a place to become,'" he says. "This is where ideas are initiated, brought to life and realized, and then taken out into the world."

The topic of female empowerment is also a matter close to the heart of Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe. Working in a heavily male-dominated industry, she says, "We give DFLA a stage and are happy to put the spotlight on the issues." And, "As a trade fair, we are an institution of the city of Karlsruhe and a place for smart visions."

Tijen Onaran, born and raised in Karlsruhe, can only agree: "I laid the foundation of my career in Karlsruhe. In the meantime, the DFLA and my companies have an enormous charisma and I like to come back to my roots and my home. Here, where it all began, I want to empower and help create a strong network of women - in Karlsruhe, regionally and globally."

The Summit will kick off on Friday, September 22, with a networking event with invited guests at the Center for Arts and Media. On Saturday, September 23, the big thought leaders' forum will start at 11 a.m. with a keynote address and workshops on the topics of diversity, leadership, innovation and sustainability. In the evening, the award ceremony will take place at the Messe Karlsruhe - with inspiring winners, a top-class jury and great partners.

The Summit in 2023 is just the beginning. GDW Global Digital Women, Messe Karlsruhe and the city of Karlsruhe want to follow a common vision and establish THE Female Empowerment Festival in Karlsruhe.

This is the DFLA:

For the sixth year in a row, Global Digital Women (GDW) will present the Digital Female Leader Award (DFLA) as the most important prize in the female digital scene in the DACH region. Under this year's motto "Be Bold, Be Brave, Be You", GDW wants to encourage especially those who are the first in their family: The first to start up or the first to get their own project off the ground. GDW wants to encourage Female Leaders to be trailblazers, to swim against the tide, to be themselves, to be loud, to be colorful - to raise their own voice and just be who they are. The DFLA is dedicated to the different ways of Female Leaders and the responsibility that brands, decision makers and teams take on every day through various initiatives. Because it is precisely this courage and responsibility that is needed to change the world and leave a lasting mark on society. Because good ideas deserve to be found!

2022-11-18
Modernization of the Karlsruhe Stadthalle on course

Finishing line and start of trial operation at the beginning of 2025

Karlsruhe, November 18th, 2022 - "There are no deviations in the construction schedule and we are within the agreed budget", the Mayor Gabriele Luczak-Schwarz informed the members of the Stadthalle advisory committee on November 11th. 2022. By the end of 2022, it is expected that all larger trades will also be awarded.

"The modernization of the Stadthalle, which is the heart of the Karlsruhe Congress Center, is again going according to plan," says Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe. After the partial dismantling of the construction site to make room for the meeting of the World Council of Churches and the realignment of the planning under the direction of the overall planner SSP AG, the modernization of the hall can now pick up speed again - with the planned finish at the end of 2024.

The seamless handover to the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center is then planned. Holger Klanfer, Head of Division Congress & Cultural Events at Messe Karlsruhe, sees a transitional period: “We will initially have a kind of “trial run” with non-public and also smaller public formats until summer 2025. For this start-up phase, we will work with redundancies in order to guarantee the implementation of planned events. My team and I are very happy to be able to market the hall again and are well prepared for it.”

The city of Karlsruhe and the Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress GmbH are confident that the management of the Stadthallen has settled in after the first few months and that the congress, conference and event hall will then be fit for regular operations. The Stadthalle can then position itself again with all its possibilities as an inner-city location on the congress market and in the city.

In December 2021, the municipal council approved this reorientation of planning with a focus on sustainability and a total expenditure of 135.42 million euros as part of the 2022/2023 budget consultation.

Sustainability is an integral part of the planning and construction as part of the renovation: the use of geothermal energy for cooling and heating as a hybrid concept, the use of photovoltaics on the two roof levels and the installation of highly efficient technical systems should be mentioned. This leads to significant energy savings on the one hand and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions on the other.

Menschen in der Stadthalle Karlsruhe

Credit: Messe Karlsruhe / SSP AG

2022-11-15
The magic of the Arabian Nights comes to life in the concert hall

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2022-10-26
Kulturbühne Karlsruhe enters a new round! Silbermond confirmed as the first act for the Open Air Summer 2023 at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre

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2022-10-19
Messe Karlsruhe: Digital, pre-bookable lockers for trade fair visitors

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2022-10-05
Messe Karlsruhe hosts an evening dedicated to inspiring women

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2022-10-04
Messe Karlsruhe opened its doors to the mouse

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2022-09-07
Apply & Innovate: Expert forum for the digitalisation of vehicle development celebrates premiere in the concert hall in Karlsruhe

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2022-08-31
Karlsruhe is in the spotlight of the Christian world

Karlsruhe, August 31, 2022. Four years after the highest body of the World Council of Churches (WCC) decided in favor of Karlsruhe as the venue for the next general assembly, the time has come: around 4,000 Christians from all over the world will come from August 31 to September 8, 2022 for the 11th general assembly of the WCC together in Karlsruhe. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann opened the WCC General Assembly with a visit.

The inner-city congress center, which is located on the fairground and comprises four halls or houses, is transformed into a place of pilgrimage and creates space for encounters and common prayers. With around 45,000 square meters of inner-city event space in tents, halls, outdoors and under a huge magic sky, the General Assembly is a flagship project for Messe Karlsruhe. The trade fair team successfully accompanied the organizers from the conception to the on-site implementation.

“The WCC General Assembly is a very special event format that has never before taken place in our congress center. The fairground is the heart of the event. The open tent of the Magic Sky is framed by the halls of the congress center and supplemented with pavilions and temporary structures. The organizer has around 25,000 square meters of built-up area in the immediate vicinity of the citizens at their disposal," says Holger Klanfer, Director Congress & Cultural Events.

“We are proud to be an essential part of this unique event. Thanks to the excellent cooperation of all actors involved - the WCC in Geneva, the local coordination office in Karlsruhe and all city partners - we were able to design a unique event concept," adds Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of the fair.

Oberkirchenrat Herr Dr. Marc Witzenbacher, head of the local coordination office of the 11th WCC assembly, on the cooperation with Messe Karlsruhe: “The assembly offers space for exchange and encounters. This is guaranteed on the one hand by the "fountain" concept, to which anyone interested has access, and on the other hand by the meeting places in the city. I think it's important that the WCC goes into the city and has a presence. The church should not hide behind walls or fences, but should enter into dialogue with everyone. The team at Messe Karlsruhe provided us with excellent support from conception to implementation in order to create such meeting places.”

The congress center presents itself in an unfamiliar guise

The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the WCC and usually meets every eight years. It is the only occasion when the communion of 352 member churches worldwide comes together in one place to pray, counsel and celebrate together.

The plenary assembly of the WCC will find its center in the inner-city Karlsruhe Congress Center. There, the Garden Hall, the Black Forest Hall, the Concert Hall and the Nancy Hall are used for lecture rooms, plenary sessions and offices. A flexible screen system, the so-called Magic Sky, creates a unique atmosphere on the fairground. With a height of 22 meters and a diameter of 42 meters, it is used for morning services, denominational evening prayers and concerts. The Magic Sky covers an area of ​​around 4,000 square meters and offers space for around 2,800 guests. With its self-supporting roof surface, which is made of translucent material to let more light seep through, it meets all the requirements for all participants to have a clear view of the 144 square meter stage and two huge video walls. 230 spotlights, four cameras and 50 loudspeakers complement the stage's technical equipment.

A networking tent, two catering tents, a two-storey pavilion and 90 pagoda tents were erected next to the Magic Sky in a three-week construction period. 1,200 running meters of site fence enclose the event site and over the entire event period, more than 100,000 meals will be served to the participants on a total of 4,000 square meters of catering space. Essential environmental aspects were taken into account in organizing the General Assembly. In this way, certification by the environmental management system EMAS could be obtained.

Expert advice from conception to implementation

The team at Messe Karlsruhe has provided extensive services that go far beyond just renting the location. Since 2018 they have been in coordination with the organizer and the municipal partners and are accompanying the project. From trade fair construction and catering to rental furniture and tent construction, event and streaming technology to cleaning, mobile toilet facilities, security service providers and interpreters - numerous service providers help to give the event the ideal setting.

The service provider who designed the Magic Sky is the company of the same name from Walzbachtal in Kraichgau. The giant umbrella was last used at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where it formed the roof for the basketball field. Thorsten Hagedorn, Managing Director at Magic Sky, describes his work with the ÖRK as follows: “We provide the temporary structures, but we also do the associated event technology. Of course there are many expectations from customers and service providers that we have to bring together and that is a big challenge for our team. But we are motivated and well structured so that together we can implement a successful event.”

More information about Messe Karlsruhe as host: https://www.messe-karlsruhe.de/de/messe-karlsruhe/geschaeftsfelder/wir-als-gastgeber/

2022-08-24
Successful cooperation between Markant Group and Messe Karlsruhe continues

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2022-08-05
Messe Karlsruhe informs: Set-up work begins for 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches

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2022-08-01
Karlsruhe and Dortmund trade fairs agree to cooperate in staging VeggieWorld

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2022-07-07
Messe Karlsruhe expands portfolio and strategically positions itself on the topic of wine

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2022-05-27
Messe Karlsruhe balance sheet: Operating result improved by 2.3 million euros

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2022-05-04
Public SMART MOBILITY TALKS on three trade fair days of IT-TRANS

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2022-05-04
Enjoy culture and do good along the way

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2022-04-26
Hot trade fair summer for the first time in Karlsruhe and all over Germany

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2022-04-12
SMART MOBILITY KARLSRUHE - Campaign launched

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2022-04-12
The Christian world as a guest in Karlsruhe

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2022-03-18
Messe Karlsruhe accommodates refugees from Ukraine

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2022-03-09
Messe Karlsruhe takes off again

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2022-02-17
Summer, sun, safe!

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2021-12-13
Only 4 minutes from the main station to the congress centre

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2021-10-26
Karlsruhe in demand as a safe congress location

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2021-10-12
NADELWELT Karlsruhe

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2021-07-26
Trade fair restart in the third quarter

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2021-07-26
Messe Karlsruhe presents a true-to-life replica of the Garden Hall as an event location

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2021-06-22
Experience a real event location virtually

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2021-06-07
Re-start for cultural events on a small scale

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2021-05-26
Messe Karlsruhe supports test centre at the trade fair in Rheinstetten

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2021-05-21
Messe Karlsruhe takes stock: Corona can cost up to 9 million euros

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2021-01-26
Messe Karlsruhe postpones REHAB to 23-25 June 2022

Karlsruhe, 26 January 2021 – Persistently high incidence levels of the coronavirus, slower-than-hoped progress with the vaccination programme, and a target group with special needs for hygiene and protection against infection are the reasons why, after consultation with its partners and multipliers, Messe Karlsruhe has decided to reschedule REHAB – European Trade Fair for Rehabilitation, Therapy, Care and Inclusion. The next REHAB will take place at Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre from 23 to 25 June 2022.

“Our early decision to reschedule REHAB is in the best interest of everyone involved. Because now, four months before REHAB would have begun, our exhibitors and partners would have needed to begin making specific plans and investments for their participation in the event”, explains Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe. “This rescheduling should lead to an improvement in planning reliability. We have chosen a date in our calendar that is both suitable for REHAB in the competitive environment and acceptable for the industry.”

REHAB was originally scheduled to take place at Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre from 6 to 8 May 2021.

About REHAB Karlsruhe

Since 1980 REHAB Karlsruhe has been one of the most important trade fairs for rehabilitation, therapy, care and inclusion, and has established itself every two years as the most important platform for high-quality mobility aids and children’s aids from Germany and other European countries. Specialists from all over Germany and neighbouring countries traditionally use REHAB to learn about the latest trends in rehabilitation technology, innovations in the assistive aids industry and new therapeutic options as well as to take advantage of further training opportunities. As a platform for the sharing of information among manufacturers, specialized dealers, therapists, medical professionals, nursing staff, service providers, associations, people with disabilities and their carers, REHAB is a must-attend event on the industry’s calendar. Further information is available at www.rehab-karlsruhe.com.

2020-11-27
INVENTA and RendezVino postponed to 2022

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2020-11-25
Messe Karlsruhe broadcasts to the world via live stream

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2020-11-24
Messe Karlsruhe supports campaign of ZONTA Club Karlsruhe e.V.

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2020-11-04
Messe Karlsruhe reschedules its own trade fair portfolio for the beginning of 2021

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2020-09-04
Where there is smoke, there is no fire this time

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2020-08-28
Trade fairs and congresses do not fall under major events

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2020-07-15
Karlsruhe as a trade fair and congress location sees a ray of hope

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2020-07-09
Extraordinary state party conference of the FDP Baden-Württemberg in the dm-arena

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2020-06-26
Declaration of intent by the state government: unclear perspective with considerable restrictions

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2020-06-15
New date set for New Housing - Tiny House Festival and SBM Summit

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2020-04-07
AAL Kongress Karlsruhe will not be held as an independent event

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2020-03-17
IT-TRANS Conference and Exhibition: 2020 edition to be held in december

UITP and Messe Karlsruhe are pleased to announce that the 2020 edition of IT-TRANS will be held from 1-3 December in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Initially postponed from 3-5 March due to developments with the coronavirus, the new date will see the largest event of its kind dedicated to digitalisation in public transport take place at the same venue, the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre.

UITP and Messe Karlsruhe are now moving forward towards the new date and ready to welcome the world of urban mobility to Karlsruhe in December.

The Taxi & Ride-Hailing Conference and Exhibition, also postponed in February, will remain as a parallel event to IT-TRANS and is confirmed for December.

“We’re delighted to have set the new date for the 2020 edition of ITTRANS, where we look forward to welcoming our exhibitors, conference delegates and all participants and visitors to Karlsruhe. The initial decision to postpone was the correct one and we’d like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and diligence in finalising the details for the December date. We thank you for your patience and understanding.” said Mohamed Mezghani, Secretary General of UITP and Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe.

For updates going forward, we encourage you to stay connected to the dedicated IT-TRANS event website and social media feed.

2020-03-09
INVENTA and RendezVino 2020 cancelled

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2020-02-17
Willow Creek Leadership Congress 2020

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2020-02-06
Musical time travel: Tribute concerts in the Konzerthaus

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2020-01-31
Comedy in Karlsruhe

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2020-01-21
Topic Neurointensive Medicine in Karlsruhe: ANIM 2020

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2019-11-22
Record number of exhibitors at Winzer-Service Fair

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2019-10-31
Karlsruhe is Germany's first Creative City of Media Arts

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2019-10-18
Doctors meet at the Karlsruhe Congress Centre

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2019-10-09
Amusing rays of hope full of cheerfulness and humour at the Karlsruhe Congress Centre

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2019-10-07
Winemaker Service Fair continues in Karlsruhe

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2019-06-12
The build-up is underway: Ninja Warrior Germany starts on Friday in the dm-arena

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2019-05-10
Messe Karlsruhe presents itself at IMEX

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Press accreditation at Messe Karlsruhe

No later than six weeks prior to an upcoming event, media representatives can conveniently register with us online. For accreditation, please visit the website of the trade fair or event for which you are planning an editorial visit. This will enable us to prepare your press card in advance and save you waiting times when registering onsite. Please note our ↓ accreditation guidelines .

We are personally available for you in the press office during the opening hours of trade fairs and conventions, and we will be happy to assist you with information, photos or contacts to organizers and exhibitors.

Our social media channels also keep you informed quickly and up to date. Follow us!

Further information for journalists