Saxony: Business at the Leipzig Trade Fair is starting up again "with power".

The corona restrictions have hit the event industry hard. The Leipzig Trade Fair was closed 16 out of 24 months. Management is now optimistic about the future.

Leipzig (dpa/sn) – The Leipzig Trade Fair sees itself on the upswing again after difficult Corona years. The good news is that people want to meet again, said trade fair director Martin Buhl-Wagner. “This means that our business model will not be called into question despite a two-year pandemic.” With a view to autumn and winter, the trade fair management is demanding that there should no longer be any corona restrictions for trade fairs and congresses.

For this year, the company expects sales of more than 60 million euros. That is more than 2021, but is well below the pre-corona year 2019, when a record value of almost 100 million euros was reached.

In 2021, the company had sales of 28.4 million euros. “That was the most difficult year for the Leipzig Trade Fair since 1991,” said co-managing director Markus Geisenberger. Nevertheless, a positive result of 5.7 million euros was posted. This was only possible with compensation payments from the shareholders, the city of Leipzig and the state of Saxony, amounting to 34.3 million euros and 7.3 million euros from federal aid.

After the closures in the first few months, business started up again “with force” this year. A total of 168 events – trade fairs, congresses and events – are planned by the end of the year. Buhl-Wagner said it was noticeable that the exhibitors registered at shorter notice than before.

The extremely rising energy costs are also an issue for the Leipzig Trade Fair. To what extent cannot yet be said exactly, explained Geisenberger. You have long-term contracts. Nevertheless, a working group was formed to prepare measures. So far, the temperature in the exhibition halls has been between 20 and 21 degrees. “I would say you could live there at 19,” said Buhl-Wagner.

The Leipzig Trade Fair has around 370 employees. In July, an in-house wage agreement was concluded with the Verdi trade union for the first time.