Koelnmesse Celebrates 100th Anniversary with Opening of Confex

Furniture World News Desk on 6/28/2024

Koelnmesse is marking its 100th anniversary with the opening of Confex, a new event and congress center that can accommodate up to 6,200 guests. Located at the Cologne Messe/Deutz ICE railway station, this state-of-the-art venue is designed to enhance congresses, trade fairs, and corporate events with its strategic location and advanced facilities.

Konrad Adenauer founded Koelnmesse in 1924 to drive economic growth in the West and promote European peace. Among the 2,000 guests attending the anniversary celebrations are Minister President Henrik Wüst and numerous other public figures.

“For 100 years, Koelnmesse has been a centre for ideas and innovations from all over the world. Confex will secure this special position for the next generation,” said NRW Minister-President Hendrik Wüst. “It was the wish of former Mayor of Cologne and Koelnmesse founder, Konrad Adenauer, that the trade fair should grow into a place of encounter – a place that contributes to understanding between nations, between Germany and neighboring European countries. That is truly a success."

The Confex building, a key part of the one-billion-euro Koelnmesse 3.0 investment program, spans 20,500 square meters. Its centerpiece, the Confex Hall, can be divided into three sections and hosts up to 4,300 people. Additional facilities include 22 conference rooms of varying sizes and a 5,600 square meter open-air terrace called the Confex Plaza. The venue is integrated with Koelnmesse's existing infrastructure, providing flexible space for expanding capacity as needed.

“With the new opening, Koelnmesse is closing a gap that has existed in our trade fair infrastructure for quite some time. As an especially attractive venue for congresses and hybrid events for over 6,000 guests, Confex will draw entirely new events and target groups to Cologne. This is why the city and state, as shareholders, have supported the construction of Confex, even in difficult times,” said Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne and Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Koelnmesse.

Designed by architecture firm JSWD, the three-storey building complements the existing Koelnmesse structures and connects the trade fair grounds with the Rheinpark.

“Completion of the new Confex, a location for trade fairs, congresses and events, creates a facility that provides decisive support to Koelnmesse as it positions its events in the future trade fair world,” said Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH. The new venue will help Koelnmesse attract new events and audiences, enhancing Cologne's appeal as a business hub.

Koelncongress, the Koelnmesse subsidiary managing Confex, already has bookings through the end of 2029. “Confex will already host its first events in summer 2024. Many of the organisers are coming to Cologne for the first time,” said Koelncongress General Manager Ralf Nüsser. Major multi-day events, including the UFI Global Congress of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, are scheduled for autumn 2024.

The Confex building aligns with Koelnmesse’s sustainability goals, earning Platinum pre-certification from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). “Architecture is not only the stage for encounters and communication, but is itself an expression of social and technological developments,” said Jürgen Steffens from JSWD.

Under the motto “Yesterday | Today | Tomorrow — Koelnmesse connects,” the anniversary celebrations will feature a multimedia show highlighting the organization's history and future, followed by culinary presentations from TV celebrity chef Johann Lafer and the Koelncongress catering team.

About Koelnmesse
 Koelnmesse employs around 1000 people. As a city trade fair in the heart of Europe, it occupies the third largest trade fair grounds in Germany and, with almost 400,000 m² of hall and outdoor space, is among the top ten largest trade fair grounds in the world. Each year, Koelnmesse organises and manages around 80 trade fairs, guest events and corporate events in Cologne and in the most important markets all over the world. Its portfolio reaches over 54,000 exhibiting companies from 122 countries and around three million visitors from more than 200 nations. Until 2040, Koelnmesse is investing more than one billion euro in the development of the trade fair grounds into the most extensive investment programme in its history, to allow it to cover all event formats in the future. Koelnmesse is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024. 100 years in which Koelnmesse has brought people and markets together worldwide. 100 years in which it has reinvented itself time and again with a visionary passion for the future: Koelnmesse History | Koelnmesse