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EXHIBITION NEWS
Messe Essen to lose out to Koelnmesse in the battle for Reifen
Reifen to Roll in 2018
tyre-related business in the region. Deutz AG still stands for the tradition and future of engine construction and the Lanxess Group for innovative materials.
The planned relocation appears to have received a warm welcome from the industry. Representatives of the leading companies foresee a positive outlook for Cologne and Koelnmesse and are said to be looking forward to the new location. Support comes from many in the industry but the comment from Rolf Kurz, General Manager Sales & Marketing, Yokohama Reifen GmbH, is most telling. "The Tire is of great importance to our company and has always been a very important information and communication platform for our industry. We very much regret, especially considering the high level of commitment shown by the employees of the Essen Exhibition Centre GmbH, that the exhibition location Essen no longer offers the necessary planning security due to the external framework conditions and will thus evidently no longer be able to sufficiently meet the demands of our industry. With a view to the new trade fair location, we ascertain that Cologne offers the best prerequisites for the successful expansion of the show:
Modern exhibition halls, the desired venue date, congress capacity for a comprehensive supporting programme, the best infrastructure and finally it is all in all a fantastic city. We are therefore convinced that The Tire will continue to be of central importance to our industry in the future too.”
There has been some debate and some confusion recently over the long term future of Reifen Essen. The long time number one tyre show faces an uncertain future, in that the main sponsors of the event, the BRV are pulling out of the Essen Show and have announced the launch of a new event in Cologne in 2018, with dates, From 29 May to 1 June 2018, that look timed to coincide with regular Reifen Essen dates.
Reasons quoted in the press vary, from the failure of Messe Essen to secure planning permission to invest in upgrade the building and facilities to issues around location and accessibility.
Messe Essen are currently stating that Reifen at Essen will continue, so the hall management has every intention of competing with the new show in Cologne. However, with support for the move to Cologne appearing to come from many leading figures in the tyre sector the end result of the forthcoming battle for supremacy looks to be by no means certain. However, as British politician Harold Wilson said, “A day is a long time in politics.”
The quoted aim of the “new” show is to reach out to new target groups and to focus on the international nature of the tyre business. On both the manufacturer and distributor side, the tyre business is characterised by a high innovative strength and offers the potential to position itself with an even stronger international alignment. "Here in Cologne we have proven that we are
the right location for growth-oriented, ambitious industries," comments Gerald Böse, CEO Koelnmesse. The fifth largest exhibition complex in the world, modern exhibition halls with a flexible infrastructure and a hotel and gastronomy environment that has been tried and tested by many major fairs, excellent accessibility and an attractive metropolis are all factors that contribute towards this.
Against this background, Koelnmesse and the German Tire Retailers and Vulcansing Trade Association (BRV), which represents retailers and craftsmen, have entered a cooperation for the future. "The modernity and flexibility of the grounds in Cologne and Koelnmesse's first-class, worldwide network make me certain we can achieve our international goals here," stated the Managing Chairman of the BRV, Peter Hülzer.
The Tire Cologne targets tyre manufacturers, tyre retailers, car service providers, workshop outfitters and all companies involved with the tyre business. Furthermore, the industry sees its future on the trade fair front in addressing additional target groups such as car services and online trading, and additionally in involving the worldwide competition, which will in turn also increase the international demand. An increased globalisation of the business is expected. In the coming decade the number of vehicles in China, India and South America will increase significantly.
Essen is the current location of the
industry's trade fair. And, according to Hülzer, this will remain so until 2016: "We have been writing a success story in Essen for many years and we will put our full commitment into organising Reifen 2014 and 2016, before starting over again in Cologne in 2018.”
The environment in Cologne is perfect: The new location produces first-class cars and engines. Ford is the biggest employer in the city with a headcount of over 17,000 people. Toyota Germany has its headquarters in Cologne as well as its central spare parts warehouse and the headquarters of Volvo are also located here. Mazda Germany and Europe, Citroen, DAF, the German Renault AG as the largest importer on the German market and Renault Trucks Germany GmbH round off the comprehensive presence of the
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