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Current press releases of Messe Karlsruhe

2024-12-16
Sold Out! Messe Karlsruhe ehrt Knock Out Festival

A real success story: Since 2005, the Knock Out Festival has been providing a special kind of musical pre-Christmas program. Every year in December, metalheads make the pilgrimage to the largest indoor festival in southern Germany in Karlsruhe to get into the mood for the festive season with loud music, headbanging and air guitar solos. Once again this year, the historic Schwarzwaldhalle was transformed into a festival for heavy metal fans. Six bands, including legends such as Blind Guardian, Kissin' Dynamite and GammaRay, really fired up the 4,500 fans. At the end of November, the organizers announced that the festival was once again completely sold out – and now Messe Karlsruhe is paying tribute to this success story with a symbolic “Sold Out Award”.

“The Knock Out Festival is one of our very special highlights every year – not only for metal fans, but also for our colleagues, who bring the Schwarzwaldhalle to life with a lot of passion and professionalism for an unforgettable festival evening. Together with the organizer Bottom Row, we have already experienced legendary concerts with real greats of the metal scene. We congratulate the Knock Out Festival on its 15th edition in Karlsruhe and wish it many more successful years with sold-out tickets, numerous music legends and happy fans,” says Holger Klanfer, Director Congress & Cultural Event at Messe Karlsruhe.

“We are proud to have established the Knockout Festival in the metal scene. The event is well known to metal fans far beyond the borders of Germany, and we now sell many tickets even before we have announced the first band. This confirms that we are on the right track, but for us it is both a compliment and an incentive. Last but not least, it is the constructive cooperation with the Karlsruhe Trade Fair team that allows us to tackle innovations every year in order to continuously improve the festival experience for our guests,” says organizer Kosta Zafiriou.

After five events in the Europahalle, the day festival returned to the Schwarzwaldhalle in 2014, where it also premiered in 2005. The Schwarzwaldhalle, with its self-supporting suspended roof made of prestressed concrete in the inner-city congress center, which has also hosted the Bambi awards, pompous ball nights or career fairs, is the ideal stage for festivals like Knock Out. With its column-free oval, it exudes the special charm of a cultural monument and at the same time ensures excellent sound quality thanks to its special acoustic ceiling.

2024-11-28
From classical music to metal: these are the Advent cultural highlights at the Congress Center!

The Advent weekends are just around the corner - and with them a wealth of cultural highlights that will make the pre-Christmas period unforgettable. Over the four Advent weekends, the Karlsruhe Congress Center will be transformed into a stage for an impressive variety of events: from humorous comedy programs and atmospheric classical concerts to an energetic metal festival, there is something for every taste.

Due to the high occupancy rate in the event halls, Messe Karlsruhe recommends that visitors travel by public transport to relieve the parking situation at the Congress Center.

2024-11-26
Press Kit Annual POLIS Conference
2024-11-05
Messe Karlsruhe is expanding its portfolio of medical and therapeutic events
Trade fair center Bremen

The upcoming edition of the rehabilitation and mobility fair IRMA in Bremen from June 26 to 28, 2025 will be the first to be organized by Messe Karlsruhe in collaboration with Escales GmbH.

“By organizing three related trade fairs at two additional locations in the future – REHAB, IRMA Bremen and IRMA Hamburg – we will be able to expand our geographical reach and our field of expertise nationally, tap into new target groups and intensify the dialog with the industry. The Karlsruhe trade fair and congress location will also benefit from this, increasing its national profile,” says Britta Wirtz, managing director of Messe Karlsruhe.

Medical and therapeutic events have a long tradition at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center. With the European Trade Fair for Rehabilitation, Therapy, Care and Inclusion REHAB, founded in Karlsruhe in 1980, and the therapists' congress CON.THERA, which has been taking place in parallel since 2022, the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center provides a unique platform for both private and trade visitors from the fields of therapy, medicine, care, and rehabilitation and orthopedic technology. Numerous organizers also choose the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center as a partner for hosting their medical conferences due to its high level of service and in-depth expertise, most recently at the 40th annual conference of the Society for Vascular Medicine. They benefit from a large network of numerous renowned institutions at the Karlsruhe research location, which the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center has maintained as an organizer for many years.

Annika Gehrmeyer, Team Lead Medicine & Health at Messe Karlsruhe, adds: “Our aim is to further expand IRMA's existing strengths and to continue to increase its relevance for the target group in the north as a trade fair close to home. In addition, the interaction with our REHAB offers numerous benefits for our exhibitors and partners, such as an increased reach through our presence in northern and southern Germany, in order to reach the right visitor target groups in each case”.

IRMA will continue to take place annually, with Messe Karlsruhe as the organizer, and will alternate between Messe Hamburg and Messe Bremen. The Escales GmbH team will continue to work closely with customers and partners for IRMA 2025 and will take over the organization of the trade fair as usual. Pascal Escales, managing director of Escales GmbH, adds: “ The team at Messe Karlsruhe has an excellent understanding of the industry's needs and shares our customer-centric philosophy. We are grateful to have found such a competent partner.“

Trade fair offer: car conversions
2024-10-07
40. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Gefäßchirurgie und Gefäßmedizin
2024-09-30
Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center's upgraded multifunctional area offers unique infrastructure for top-class outdoor events

After about a year of construction, the Peter-Groß-Bau area of the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center was officially opened on Tuesday, October 1st. Whether outdoor events with exhibition and show areas, open-air events or pure parking areas: the outdoor area, directly connected to the exhibition halls, can be used all year round, regardless of the weather, and is multifunctional for a wide range of events. The infrastructure provided on 82,000 square meters, with installed water, electricity and technical connections, is currently unique in Germany. Messe Karlsruhe now has an outdoor area totaling 105,000 square meters, which is one of the third largest outdoor areas of a German trade fair company, and the largest in Baden-Württemberg.

“The upgrade is an investment in the modern development of the trade fair center. Thanks to its excellent technical infrastructure, the upgraded Peter-Gross-Bau area can be used for a wide variety of events and offers open-air cultural events or outdoor trade fairs an ideal setting for emotional live experiences. Messe Karlsruhe is already a recognized organizer of professional live demonstration trade fairs. With the new outdoor area, we will be able to demonstrate our market-leading expertise in this segment even more strongly and in a customer-oriented way in the future. Our thanks go to everyone who has made this investment possible and implemented it,“ says Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe.

”Messe Karlsruhe has been successfully hosting a wide range of event formats for decades. With its events, it brings new ideas and innovations to Karlsruhe and Karlsruhe to the world,” says Lord Mayor Dr. Frank Mentrup. “The Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center team has already impressively demonstrated its expertise in outdoor events at trade fairs such as RATL, and I am therefore very pleased that the upgrade of the Peter-Gross-Bau area will enable it to further expand this expertise and thus its portfolio of outdoor events – be they trade fairs or cultural events. It will also greatly enhance Karlsruhe's reputation as a trade fair and conference location.”

Ideal conditions for outdoor trade fairs

The upgraded area will be used, for example, for outdoor trade fairs such as RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE (RATL), which feature demonstrations of machines and vehicles. The permeable soil conditions, a stable electrical and water supply, a new traffic management concept, fencing around the entire site including video surveillance and illumination of the entire area, as well as a broad WLAN infrastructure, create the conditions for an ideal trade fair appearance. It is also possible to combine the outdoor area with the exhibition halls. For example, the commercial vehicle trade fair NUFAM is planning to expand its outdoor presentation for its 2025 edition. The truck parking spaces that are also available will significantly improve the construction and dismantling logistics for events.

Optimal setting for open-air cultural events

The use of the area for cultural events is also possible again in the summer months, away from the trade fair business. In recent years, the area has already been used for cultural events, attracting numerous music fans to Rheinstetten, for example to the Hook Up Festival or the Kulturbühne. Now it also offers space for events with up to 36,000 visitors.

Car, bus, e-mobile or camper van: plenty of parking spaces available

Particularly in the autumn and winter months, when there are a lot of events, the area is used as a parking area that is not dependent on the weather, which have a great need for parking spaces, or use the upgraded East Entrance as their entrance. These include art KARLSRUHE, Einstieg Beruf, offerta and TIERisch gut. Up to 2,500 cars, 80 e-charging points, sufficient parking spaces for trucks and buses, as well as parking spaces for recreational vehicles, including supply and disposal stations, and taxi and bus stops have been created. During event-free time slots, the site is also used for other purposes. For example, Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center rents the area to the Bosch company for Bosch Secure Truck Parking (BSTP), in response to the increased demand for secure overnight parking for trucks near the A5 motorway.

Sustainability in focus

In order to be able to provide the area all year round, regardless of the weather, and at the same time to develop it in an ecologically sustainable way, the surface is permeable, except for the roads that will be created. About 70% of the surface is green and looks like a gravel lawn. In addition, there are generous planting areas with 120 trees and 800 shrubs to separate it from the adjacent industrial area.

2024-09-30
Focus on sustainable mobility: Annual European conference looks to the future of mobility

This autumn, Karlsruhe will once again become a Mecca for transport experts: together with the state of Baden-Württemberg, the city of Karlsruhe will host the annual conference of the POLIS network - one of the leading sustainable mobility events in Europe. From November 27-28, mobility and urban planners, experts from local authorities, universities and businesses, together with politicians, will meet in the halls of the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre. In addition to capital cities such as Paris and London, smaller regions and cities are also represented by POLIS, which was established in 1989 and allows for the sharing of innovative transport solutions. The Annual POLIS Conference is hosted by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport and is expected to attract more than 1,000 attendees.

“As a long-standing member of POLIS, we are delighted that the state of Baden-Württemberg is hosting the Annual POLIS Conference 2024,” says Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport for the State of Baden-Württemberg. “We want to present our ambitious climate targets and measures for implementing the transport transition to an international audience, and make them tangible on site. Karlsruhe is an excellent venue because the implementation of climate-friendly mobility is well advanced. We are delighted to be working with the city of Karlsruhe for the hosting of Europe's leading event on sustainable mobility.”

Three speakers sit together on the stage.

Karlsruhe is a new member of POLIS and, together with the Regionalverband Mittlerer Oberrhein and the Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund, joined the network at the beginning of the year as ‘Karlsruhe Region’. Lord Mayor Dr Frank Mentrup refers to a long line of development of innovative mobility solutions from the inventor of the two-wheeler Karl Drais to modern local transport. “European cooperation is of great importance for Karlsruhe,” he says. “The ‘Karlsruhe model’, which has notably improved the relationship between the city and the surrounding area in public transport, is still exemplary for many regions in the world even after more than 30 years. In the meantime, numerous other innovations in the field of mobility have been advanced in Karlsruhe, such as the ‘Baden-Württemberg Autonomous Driving Test Field’. I would like to welcome all guests to Karlsruhe.”

For Prof. Dr Anke Karmann-Woessner, head of the co-organising urban planning office, the conference is a welcome opportunity to share her own experiences and learn from those of others. “We have gained multiple experiences in European cooperation, especially in the thematic partnership Urban Mobility within the Urban Agenda, with 23 project partners in a multi-level governance approach. We are therefore delighted to contribute our expertise to the POLIS network and look forward to exchanging ideas with our European partners. We have also organised excursions that allow us to present good examples of sustainable mobility in our city to an expert audience.”

Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe, adds: “Over the past two decades, we have been able to continuously strengthen our expertise in mobility with IT-TRANS, the exhibition and congress for digitalisation in public transport. We are delighted to now also share our network and experience as co-organiser of POLIS, a renowned and forward-looking event for sustainable urban transport.”

Many visitors at the annual conference of the POLIS network.

The entire spectrum of future-orientated mobility will be covered by various specialist forums and presentations in the halls of Messe Karlsruhe. The agenda includes essential topics as well as practical implementations, such as the creation of sustainable urban mobility plans, lively and traffic-calmed city centres, safety and IT solutions, air pollution control, electromobility and parking space management. There will also be speakers from various European countries who will report on a variety of subjects, from their experiences with bike hire systems, to the introduction of speed limits and the development of delivery services.

Following the Annual POLIS Conference, there will be excursions for delegates who want to experience and better understand sustainable mobility in Karlsruhe. These will include a cycle tour, visits to the so-called ‘combined solution’, a tram-train system and the autonomous driving test field.

The registration deadline for the conference, which will be held entirely in English, is November 12, with an early bird discount for those who book by September 30.

More information about the conference and POLIS network can be found here: www.polisnetwork.eu/2024-annual-polis-conference.

2024-08-23
Streetfood Festival
2024-08-15
New Peter-Gross-Bau Areal
2024-06-05
New trade fair dedicated to modern working environments

Press release only available in german language.

2024-06-05
10th German Road Outfitter Day brings the industry together in Karlsruhe

Press Release only available in german language

2024-06-03
Karlsruhe Congress Center is once again all about faith

Press release only available in german language.

2024-06-03
Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center achieves record sales

Press release only available in german language.

2024-06-03
Virtual events in the digital 3D twin of the garden hall

Press release only available in german language.

2024-04-02
Shaping sustainable logistics together

Messe Karlsruhe will be working with Kuehne+Nagel as its logistics service partner from July 1, 2024. The company's comprehensive range of services, an integrated management system for permanent quality optimization, the digitalization of logistics processes and activities in the area of sustainability were particularly convincing in the tendering process.

"Several logistics-intensive trade fairs take place at our trade fair location, for example the NUFAM commercial vehicle trade fair or LEARNTEC, as well as guest trade fairs such as Paint Expo or the Winzer Service Messe. As an EMAS-validated company, we also took sustainability aspects into account when selecting our logistics partner. In Kuehne+Nagel, we have gained a high-performance partner with a wide-ranging portfolio," says Oliver Brück, authorized signatory and Director Guest Events, Services, Facility Management & Infrastructure.

Denis Gerlach, Vice President Germany at Kuehne+Nagel adds: "Our partnership with Messe Karlsruhe reflects our firm commitment to making a positive environmental impact while providing sustainable logistics solutions to our joint customers. Together, we are committed to environmentally friendly practices, including optimizing transport routes, using low-emission vehicles and efficient packaging solutions to minimize the carbon footprint. We look forward to further expanding this collaboration and shaping the future of sustainable logistics together."

The range of services includes transportation and storage on the exhibition grounds, services such as customs clearance and supplementary transport and logistics services. In addition to a trade fair office, which will be staffed all year round, Kuehne+Nagel will have a warehouse at its disposal on the exhibition grounds. Optimal logistical conditions, especially during set-up and dismantling, are also ensured by a designated truck parking area directly integrated into the exhibition grounds on the currently upgraded 80,000 square meter outdoor multifunctional area Peter-Gross-Bau Areal / P3 of Messe Karlsruhe.

2024-03-05
Modernization of Karlsruhe Stadthalle - The geothermal construction site is running according to plan

Karlsruhe, 4.03.2024 - Anyone who has crossed the inner-city fairground in recent weeks will have noticed the extensive barriers around the Stadthalle, which is currently being modernized. Behind the fences, the company Krämer Brunnenbau & Energie GmbH from Dettenheim is creating the conditions for near-surface geothermal energy.

To date, the four 21-metre-deep boreholes to the west of the Stadthalle have been drilled into the sandy, gravelly ground as planned. The trees standing here have all been preserved thanks to careful planning and the involvement of the gardening department.

The three eastern boreholes between the Stadthalle and Novotel will follow in the next few weeks. The geothermal project will then be completed by the drilling shaft structures as the "head" of the boreholes with their pumping and extraction equipment, as well as the trenches and channels connecting the drilling points with the building and the central building services units. Two planning offices and two other specialist contractors from Karlsruhe and the region are involved. The project will be completed by August 2024.

"It is important that sustainability is also the focus of the modernization of the Stadthalle, which will once again be an important meeting place for citizens in the future," says First Mayor Gabriele Luczak-Schwarz. "The Stadthalle's geothermal project can therefore also point the way for other future-oriented, sustainable projects in the city of Karlsruhe."

Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Karlsruher Messegesellschaft, which will operate the modernized Stadthalle, emphasizes: "Our customers attach great importance to sustainability and individual concepts in terms of space, lighting control and comfort. This will open doors for us. We are already noticing this as we start marketing the hall."

Groundwater use is environmentally friendly and regenerative

The concept for near-surface geothermal energy follows a simple circulation principle. The groundwater is extracted at a depth of 21 meters to the east of the Stadthalle. The water is then channeled through the building into a heat exchanger, which uses the water for cooling in summer and heating in winter. On the west side, the water is fed back into the groundwater via four seepage wells. The extraction and reintroduction are calculated in such a way that, on the one hand, only minimal and barely measurable groundwater fluctuations are generated and, on the other hand, the temperature of the groundwater remains constant throughout the year. The use of groundwater is environmentally friendly and regenerative, replacing the previous CO2 intensive heating and cooling system of the Stadthalle, which was largely operated with fossil fuels.

Significantly higher energy efficiency amortizes the investment costs

Significantly increased energy efficiency is another major benefit of the modernization. Additional active and passive systems in the building services, such as sophisticated control technology, as well as solar control films for the sloped glazing will significantly reduce the overall energy level. In short, this means: less energy consumption than before, which is also environmentally friendly and regenerative. The investment costs have already been reduced, depending on the approach of energy cost forecasts, will have paid for themselves within seven to ten years amortized. With a new life cycle for the Stadthalle of 30 - 50 years, this is a very good value and a good and solid investment for the future.

"We are delighted that the ambitious geothermal project has worked so well so far. On time and on budget. Not only in the planning and design, but also in the approval process and in the construction work carried out so far," says project manager and architect Matthias Kraemer from general planner SSP AG reports.

2024-02-29
Willow Creek Leadership Congress 2024 for the third time in the dm-arena: impetus for a forward-looking church

From 7 to 9 March, over 5,500 full-time and voluntary workers from Protestant regional and free churches as well as from the Catholic Church will meet at the Willow Creek Leadership Congress 2024 in the dm-arena at Messe Karlsruhe. Practical presentations by national and international speakers will give participants inspiration and food for thought for their tasks in the community and the direction of the church. The congress is being held in Karlsruhe for the third time. The leadership congress will be broadcast live from the dm-arena Karlsruhe to ten cities in Germany.

Thomas Fremdt, Managing Director of Willow Creek Germany, says: "For us Christians, hope is the driving force that enables us to overcome obstacles and shape the future with confidence. The Willow Creek Leadership Congress 2024 with the theme Hope embodies this in a special way. After we had to cancel the event in Karlsruhe four years ago due to the pandemic, we are once again creating a platform in the dm-arena for leaders of all Christian denominations to share the vision of a church of hope and take it out into the world together."

The Willow Creek Leadership Congress is aimed at all those who want to revitalise their faith, develop their skills and help shape the future of the church. To this end, the topics that most concern leaders, employees and congregations today will be addressed: through innovative ideas, tried-and-tested models, enriching dialogue, spiritual reorientation and speakers from business, science, culture and churches beyond denominational boundaries.

Karlsruhe has been a popular event location for various religious communities for years

It is not only the Willow Creek Leadership Congress that has once again found its way to Karlsruhe; other religious communities such as the Ecumenical Council of Churches, the New Apostolic Church and the Islamic religious community Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat have also chosen the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre as their venue. Messe Karlsruhe supports the organisers with the organisation and implementation and benefits from its extensive experience in hosting numerous church events. Holger Klanfer, Director Congress & Cultural Events at Messe Karlsruhe, says: "We at Messe Karlsruhe are very customer-centric - and want to be very close to the needs of our customers and understand their challenges. We have built up extensive expertise and solutions in this area through past events organised by church organisations. In combination with the diverse possibilities of our versatile event site, we always find the right solution for every event."

2024-02-14
Lots going on in the Schwarzwaldhalle: Four comedians as guests in Karlsruhe in March

On two evenings in a row, dog professional Martin Rütter, stand-up comedian Paul Panzer and comedians Bülent Ceylan and Luke Mockridge will make the audience in the Schwarzwaldhalle smile.

On 1 March, things get animalistic in Karlsruhe with dog professional Martin Rütter. In his show "He just wants to play!", he charmingly takes the mickey out of dog owners. He enlightens, reveals and tells stories from his more than 25 years of experience with four-legged friends and their masters and mistresses with a great deal of humour. Hilarious to bark at!

On 2 March, Paul Panzer presents his new live programme "APAULKALYPSE" and invites you to the latest dish in the Schwarzwaldhalle. He has always been passionate about human abysses, weaknesses and shortcomings. With APAULKALYPSE, Paul Panzer takes the audience into the radiation zone of human stupidity and teaches the great joy of the end of the world.

"Yallah Hopp!" Everyone understands that, regardless of whether they have a migrant or Kurpfalz background. Bülent Ceylan has a spirit of optimism! On 15 March, he gives the daily bad news the middle finger and looks to the future with a smile on his face.

Luke Mockridge is going on a live tour again in 2024 and it's going to be "TRIPPY". He will also be stopping off in Karlsruhe with his new programme on 16 March. An evening full of nostalgia awaits the audience, a "comeback despite cancel culture" - approachable and artistic.

Further information about the events at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre venues and how to buy tickets is available online at www.messe-karlsruhe.de/veranstaltungen.

2024-01-23
Digital Female Leader X-Change (DFLX) - The new chapter of the Digital Female Leader Award
2023-12-05
INTERGLIDE - Expo and event for paragliding and gliding takes off

Karlsruhe, 05.12.2023 - Messe Karlsruhe and Markus Immig's company XCNAV will offer a platform for the fascination of thermal flying for the first time in 2024. INTERGLIDE - Expo & Event is aimed at glider pilots, hang gliders, paragliders and enthusiasts of large glider models and will take place from 9 to 10 November at Messe Karlsruhe. The première will be enriched by the 81st German Gliding Day taking place at the same time.

"INTERGLIDE is an excellent addition to our event portfolio. With its location, the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre offers the perfect setting. In addition to the hall capacity, which offers plenty of scope for expansion, the Rheinstetten glider airfield is only a few minutes' walk from the exhibition centre. In addition, with our trade fair expertise and our experience as an organiser, we provide the building blocks that ensure the ideal starting conditions for such a project. In Markus Immig, we have a partner and advisory board chairman at our side who is an outstandingly well-connected expert in the industry," says Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe.

Markus Immig, professional pilot, product developer and himself a glider pilot since the age of 14, knows the needs of the community and appreciates the strength of the location: "There is great demand in the industry for a dedicated thermal flying expo where you can touch, see and understand products. I decided to pursue the idea further and, after weighing up all the criteria, looked for the right cooperation partner with the right location." The choice fell on Messe Karlsruhe, which has excellent transport links, a gliding site within walking distance and a great deal of experience with co-operations.

Versatile product range extends from gliders and accessories to equipment for paragliders and hang gliders

National and international exhibitors, including manufacturers of gliders, paragliders, hang gliders, large model aircraft, tugs, trailers and accessories, await visitors on 12,500 square metres. Models in the large and scale categories as well as specific high-end accessories will be presented. Around 100 companies have already confirmed their strong interest in INTERGLIDE. This shows that the community has been waiting for a trade fair like this, says Markus Immig.

In addition to gliding, INTERGLIDE is also a focal point for paragliders and hang gliders, as there is a large overlap and overlap of interest between gliding and paragliding and hang gliding. Markus Immig took this as an opportunity to involve the German Hang Gliding Association (DHV e.V.) as well as the German Gliding Association (DSV e.V.) in the planning right from the start.

Visitors can expect not only a large number of international exhibitors, but also a large plenum with presentations by renowned speakers on the latest developments. For example, there will be presentations on the PERLAN Project. PERLAN Project Inc. is a non-profit organisation under American law for aeronautical exploration and atmospheric science research that uses gliders designed for flight at extreme altitudes.

Patron Klaus Ohlmann, who has set 52 world records in gliding, and other industry leaders will offer the community a meet & greet.

Gliding day at the INTERGLIDE

INTERGLIDE was presented to the public for the first time at the 80th Gliding Day in Freudenstadt at the beginning of November. The 81st edition of the largest community meeting will take place next year at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre as part of INTERGLIDE. The day is being organised by the Federal Gliding Commission, which represents around 25,000 members.

Further information:

www.interglide.de

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2023-11-23
Federal Delegates' Conference of Alliance 90/The Greens at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre

Looking back on the birth of the party over 40 years ago in the fan-shaped city, 2,750 delegates from Alliance 90/The Greens are gathering at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre until Sunday. They will belatedly celebrate their 40th party anniversary with the election of the Federal Executive Committee and the adoption of the election programme for the European elections. The party conference can be followed online via livestream at www.gruene.de. With an impressive event area of 30,000 square metres, around seven days to set up and numerous technical experts and service partners, the BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN Federal Delegates' Conference will be one of the highlights of the 2023 event portfolio for the employees of Messe Karlsruhe, as the Messe Karlsruhe team actively assisted the organisers with the organisation and implementation before, during and after the conference.

The 2020 event was originally planned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Green Party in Karlsruhe. However, it was postponed due to the pandemic. Plans were now made behind the scenes for over six months. Not only the organisers and the team from Messe Karlsruhe were involved in the preparations, but the BKA, LKA and Karlsruhe police were also involved due to the high-calibre political celebrities.

"The fact that Karlsruhe is once again hosting current political events once again emphasises the national importance of the fan-shaped city as a city of democracy and law. Events like these are only possible thanks to the combination of different know-how and specialist expertise; we all work hand in hand here. We would therefore like to thank everyone involved for their constructive and cooperative partnership," says Holger Klanfer, Director Congress & Cultural Events at Messe Karlsruhe.

Behind the scenes: Set-up and preparations for the Federal Delegates' Conference in the dm-arena

While expoSE - Europe's leading trade fair for asparagus and berry production - and expoDirekt - Germany's largest trade fair for direct agricultural marketing - were taking place at the same time in exhibition halls 1 and 2, the team from Messe Karlsruhe began setting up the exhibition halls a week before the event to prepare them for the party conference. Over the next four days of the event, half of the dm-arena will be used as exhibition space and the other half as a plenum. Hall 3 will also be occupied, with two additional conference rooms and the crew area. The light-flooded action hall will be transformed into an event location on two evenings and the conference level will offer sufficient space for meetings. Around 20 service partners of Messe Karlsruhe are on site, including cleaning staff and technical service providers. During the event itself, 140 people in the security area and almost 100 catering staff will ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Further information on Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre as host can be found at https://www.messe-karlsruhe.de/de/locations-services/

2023-11-17
20 years of the exhibition center

The press release is only in german available. For more information see:

the english page of the campaign 20 years exhibition centre

2023-11-09
 Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre: first German trade fair to be validated according to EMAS

Karlsruhe, 8.11.2023

During a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre, Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre, was presented with the registration certificate by Jenny Geis, Deputy Managing Director of Karlsruhe Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and Bernd Bechtold, Honorary President of Karlsruhe Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

EMAS is a "gold" standard environmental management system developed by the EU on the basis of the European EMAS Regulation and creates transparency and measurability in environmental performance. EMAS-certified companies make an effective contribution to environmental protection, save costs and demonstrate social responsibility.

Britta Wirtz is delighted: "We managed to be validated and entered in the EMAS register in less than a year. I would like to thank all the employees at Messe Karlsruhe who got involved and drove the project forward. EMAS stands for employee participation; they have impressively demonstrated that our colleagues care about the environment and sustainable management."

Birgit Fiehn, Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs, emphasises: "The success factors for the company's environmental management are clear structures and the corresponding mindset among employees. Sustainability is firmly anchored in our corporate strategy, and the specialist departments and project teams develop their own ideas and environmental goals, which they are responsible for implementing."

EMAS is the world's most demanding environmental management system and does not pursue any commercial interests of its own. The improvement of environmental performance is monitored as part of a continuous improvement process. At the same time, the management system ensures compliance with legal regulations. With the validation according to EMAS, Messe Karlsruhe has also achieved the international certification according to ISO 14001. The "Environmental Statement" required by EMAS, in which, among other things, the environmental guidelines and the environmental goals of the trade fair centre up to 2025 are transparently listed, can be found on the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre website.

The goals for the future that Messe Karlsruhe has set itself include, for example, increasing the separate collection rates for waste, expanding the number of e-charging stations for environmentally friendly mobility, improving energy and plant efficiency through energy-efficient refurbishment and the use of green electricity to be generated at the trade fair centre in future by means of photovoltaics.

Picture: Britta Wirtz with the Honorary President of the IHK, Bernd Bechtold, and the Deputy Managing Director, Jenny Geis, at the presentation of the certificate.

Credit: Jürgen Rösner / Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre

Three people holding a certificate in the picture
2023-10-27
Festive cultural highlights in Karlsruhe

In the days before and after Christmas, not one but two events on the premises of Messe Karlsruhe will ensure a festive mood. The Badisches Staatstheater takes its audience on a journey into the world of fairy tales with a performance of "Pinocchio", while the dm-arena serves as the setting for the multimedia Christmas show "Weihnachten neu erleben".

"Pinocchio" by the Badisches Staatstheater in the Konzerthaus: A magical family play for the Christmas season.

From 12 November to 11 January 2024, the Badisches Staatstheater will present a winter fairy tale in the Konzerthaus with the play Pinocchio. The famous tale by the 19th century Italian author Carlo Collodi is one of the classics of literature. The team led by director and section head of the JUNGEN STAATSTHEATER Nele Tippelmann is bringing the adventures of the famous wooden puppet to the stage of the Konzerthaus as this year's family play at Christmas time for both young and old. On selected dates, Pinocchio will be offered with live audio description, in German sign language as well as surtitles in various languages.

"Weihnachten neu erleben" in the dm-arena: Spectacular charity event for the festive season

From 7 to 10 December, the multimedia Christmas show "Weihnachten neu erleben" will transform the dm-arena into a colourful theme park. The touching life story of the lonely wonder park owner, on his search for the true meaning of Christmas, is played out. The spectacular show is accompanied by well-known mega hits from Whitney Houston to The Weeknd. A Christmas market in Hall 1 will provide for the guests' physical well-being and a festive atmosphere.

"Weihnachten neu erleben" is one of Germany's biggest charity events in aid of local children's aid projects. During the show, the audience has the opportunity to support the projects financially. Around 2,000 volunteers, including helpers, technicians, musicians, singers and performers have been hard at work preparing since September. "It is impossible to count all the hours invested in providing the Karlsruhe region with a spectacular Christmas experience," says Markus Heusser, Managing Director of Weihnachten neu erleben e.V. "Since 2017, we have enjoyed working very successfully with the team at Messe Karlsruhe. This success story will continue in 2023. The dm-arena offers the necessary setting for this, so that the 75,000 visitors can feel at home."

2023-10-19
Enchanting moments for the whole family

A magical journey awaits visitors young and old to the Konzerthaus in autumn and winter 2023/24. From fairytale adventures such as Jim Knopf or Aladdin to popular children's songs to sing along to by Simone Sommerland and timeless Disney melodies from The Lion King: the events promise entertainment and magical moments for the whole family.

Jim Knopf and the Engine Driver, the fairy-tale family musical based on the novel by Michael Ende, invites young and old to listen and join in on 25 October 2023 at the Konzerthaus. The musical tells the loving story of Jim Knopf and Lukas the Locomotive Driver, the likeable inhabitants of the island of Lummerland, which is ruled by King Alfons the Quarter-By Twelfth. The special effects do not come from the technical wonder box, but are made by the audience: the audience is invited to join in and be, for example, the rain, the sea, the mirage, the background choir and much more.

With her voice, it is hard to imagine a children's room without her. Simone Sommerland has been delighting fans young and old for over ten years with her songs like "Aramsamsam" and "Die Räder vom Bus". Now, live on stage at the Konzerthaus on 4 November 2023, she will thrill the audience with her most popular songs and invites everyone to sing and dance along.

In the musical Aladdin, the audience will be immersed in a world of adventure and magic on 30 December 2023. The Liberi Theatre, known for its imaginative family musicals, presents the famous story from 1001 Nights in a fast-paced and modern version. Fantastic lighting effects, elegant costumes and impressive music and choreography create the perfect backdrop for the mysterious world of Aladdin, Yasmin and Genie.

Hakuna Matata! Characters like Timon and Pumba, Simba and Nala are more than just fond childhood memories for many, and the music penned by Hans Zimmer and Elton John in particular still makes big hearts beat faster today. With The Lion King in concert, the Disney classic will now also come to Karlsruhe on 15 January 2024 and immerse the audience in an evening full of nostalgia and impressive live orchestral music.

Concert Hall Great Hall
2023-10-02
Karlsruhe, the focal point for digital mobility solutions: success story goes on

However, 2024 marks the last edition of the event co-organised by Messe Karlsruhe and the International Association of Public Transport (UITP). Starting from 2025, UITP will focus on a yearly conference and exhibition, therefore making the Global Public Transport Summit an annual event, with one year in Europe and the other in another part of the world. Messe Karlsruhe will continue to hold a focal event on digital solutions in public and private transport in Karlsruhe: Thus, the city will remain the central hub for addressing and developing digital solutions in the mobility sector and turning them into reality.

Both Messe Karlsruhe and UITP are immensely proud of the eight successful editions of IT-TRANS organised since 2008, becoming the leading international conference and exhibition focusing on digitalisation and IT solutions for public transport. With the 2024 edition just eight months away, building on the past successes and making next year’s IT-TRANS even better is the priority for both organisations. In parallel, the partners are also discussing how cooperation could look like after the 2024 edition.

For the 9th edition in 2024, which will take place from May 14 to 16, UITP and Messe Karlsruhe predict the best edition ever and are thrilled with the significant progress already made. Stands are in high demand in hall 1 and the dm-arena, also attracting many new exhibitors.

More information on IT-TRANS 2024 will be shared by both UITP and Messe Karlsruhe in due course.

2023-09-22
Digital Femal Leader Award: at the Karlsruhe Congress Center for the second time
2023-09-21
Comedy autumn holds entrance in the Black Forest Hall
2023-09-07
Karlsruhe trade fair becomes an expert meeting place for alternative drives in September
2023-08-24
Changeable locations of the Karlsruhe fair create space for meeting and faith exchange
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.
2023-06-01
Rousing Irish: Folk and tap dance at the Konzerthaus Karlsruhe
2023-06-01
Revive Europe 2022: Christian youth as guests in Karlsruhe
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
2023-05-23
LOUNGES remains loyal to 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!

2023-01-23
2019: Best year in the history of Messe Karlsruhe
2022-01-01
Comedy star as guest in the Schwarzwaldhalle
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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2022-08-23
Karlsruhe trade fair presents itself in a new design
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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2022-06-01
Messe Karlsruhe offers conference packages for corona-compliant events with 30 to 200 people
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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2020-07-15
The festival summer continues: More artists confirm appearances on the Kulturbühne at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center

New press releases can be found under the following link

https://www.messe-karlsruhe.de/en/news/press/

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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2020-03-17
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

The content of this press release is only available in German.

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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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Messe Karlsruhe once again hosts forward-looking IPG Automotive event formats
Culturell highlights at the concert hall: spectators can look forward to many emotions in september

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Colorful autuum at Schwarzwaldhalle Karlsruhe: visitors can expect a variety of concerts, shows and comedy

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Trade fair premieres all about sustainable living and building

The content of this news is only available in German.

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New spaces for sustainable mobility

The content of this press release is only available in German.

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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