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Egetenmeier:”EXPO REAL is Europe’s largest real estate fair.”

Interview with Eugen Egetenmeir, member of the Messe München Management Board, about EXPO REAL 2009, 5-7 October 2009, at the Neue Messe München (New Munich Trade Fair Centre)

What effect is the global economic crisis having on EXPO REAL?

Egetenmeir: “The current number of registrations indicates that with six halls and 64,000 square metres, EXPO REAL 2009 will have one less hall than last year. This is a more than satisfactory outcome, when you consider that real estate has been one of the sectors most seriously affected by the financial crisis. The fair will in fact once again have the same surface area as in the growth year of 2007, despite the fact that this year we are in the midst of a recession. Participation has declined from Russia, the Gulf states and the USA in particular - countries that have been especially severely affected by the crisis. Exhibitors are also becoming more cost-conscious and some of them are requesting smaller stands, but they are still taking part in the fair.”

From your position as an industry platform, how do you assess the development of the real estate market?

Egetenmeir: “At the start of the year, EXPO REAL asked industry journalists and experts about the prospects for the real estate industry in 2009. They are of the opinion that the international real estate industry will continue to be characterised by stagnation, liquidity problems, insolvency and redundancies. On the whole, however, the experts believe that the real estate industry in Europe, and especially in Germany, will recover from the crisis more quickly than other regions. According to their assessment, office and retail real estate will be the first areas to benefit from a new upturn. They also see opportunities for development in logistics and residential real estate. The benefit of EXPO REAL is that it takes place in Germany, where the real estate market is more stable compared to the international situation.”

What does EXPO REAL have to offer its customers in these difficult economic times?

Egetenmeir: “We have a transparent pricing policy, which means that all exhibitors are treated equally. With the price per square metre increasing only by about two percent this year, our rate of price increase is lower than many others. Although we will not be giving away any spaces, we offer participants in EXPO REAL 2009 a range of benefits: for example, a high-class conference programme which is included in the entry price, even more intensive advertising of the event amongst market players, a Meeting Center available at special rates for fair participants, a modern B2B environment with all the necessary equipment and maintenance and a free shuttle service to 120 hotels.

Together with our global sales partners, we also offer attractive community stand options, which show countries, regions and locations as a whole, enable people to work together and reduce participation costs.”

Why is taking part in EXPO REAL worthwhile?

Egetenmeir: “In terms of surface area and the number of participants, EXPO REAL is Europe’s largest real estate fair. No one who is active in the real estate business can afford to miss it. In these times when many companies are having to cut back on travel costs, one flight to Munich can save many other business trips, given that for three days there is an international collection of industry VIPs gathered here.”

What issues will be dealt with by the conference programme this year?

Egetenmeir: “Naturally, the financial crisis will be a big topic. However, EXPO REAL is not intended for the industry to wallow in self-pity, but rather to seek opportunities despite the crisis. In the conference programme, we will be suggesting ways out of the crisis and to this end we have invited experts who will demonstrate a range of best practice examples. Even if at first glance sustainability does not seem to go together with profitable trading, we intend to investigate the issue from this pragmatic point of view: What do users and developers stand to gain economically from a sustainable real estate business? What added value does sustainability have as a soft factor in improving the image of a company? We will also be taking a closer look at current, commonly known certifications. As in previous years, we will also be presenting international real estate markets and the opportunities they offer in the transactions and investment business.”

Are you expecting a fall in visitor numbers this year?

Egetenmeir: “Many companies in the industry are making redundancies, which could certainly have an effect on visitor numbers. Restrictions on travel costs will doubtless also play a role, although a visit to EXPO REAL is particularly cost-efficient due to the many business contacts that can be met in one place in a short period of time. Even if company representatives are travelling less frequently, experience shows that the calibre of visitors is increasing however, as it is predominantly heads of companies and senior management who are attending fairs. We will always do everything to ensure that participation in EXPO REAL is worthwhile for our customers and to this end we are advertising the fair this year more intensively than ever.”

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