A resounding 'Vive la France!' at NürnbergMesse

Growing importance of NürnbergMesse's leading fairs for French economy
OTSA the new international representative for NürnbergMesse in France

Fifty-five years after the signing of the Elysee Treaty, France and Germany remain the two strong partners in the European Union. The two countries continue to actively cooperate in the economic, cultural and political spheres and enjoy a flourishing dialogue across the Rhine. For Peter Ottmann, CEO of NürnbergMesse Group, this collaboration represents an important basis for reinforcing the importance of France at NürnbergMesse's leading fairs: “At present, the French economy has a stronger focus on exports. At NürnbergMesse we see this as presenting outstanding opportunities, because we can offer the kind of leading trade fairs that exactly match the needs of French exhibitors and trade visitors. In this context OTSA, our new partner here in Paris, is providing valuable support for strengthening our business with France.

At today's press conference in Paris, the micro-economic parameters were an important prerequisite for underscoring the potential of the German-French economic engine. According to the German Federal Office of Statistics, trade between Germany and France totalled EUR 167 billion in 2016. This means that Germany remains France's most important trading partner worldwide. In turn, France is Germany's most important trading partner in Europe and its second biggest worldwide after China and ahead of the USA, the Netherlands and the UK. According to German-French Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Germany exported goods to the value of EUR 103 billion to France during the same reporting period. In turn, imports from France amounted to EUR 66 billion. These volumes of bilateral trading relations alone already underscore the close economic ties on both sides of the Rhine. “However, the focus of the new Macron government towards exports also sends a positive signal for the further development of trade between France and Germany. To this end, NürnbergMesse offers a suitable range of leading trade fairs,” says Peter Ottmann.

NürnbergMesse’s exhibition portfolio particularly attractive to France
In this context, the range of events offered by NürnbergMesse is ideally placed to accommodate the key areas of focus of the French economy. Events staged by NürnbergMesse or with partner events, particularly BIOFACH (organic food) and VIVANESS (natural cosmetics), IWA OutdoorClassics (hunting and sports shooting weapons) and Interzoo (pet supplies), are attracting a lot of interest from French exhibitors. The European Coatings Show (surface treatments) or embedded world (embedded computer systems) also feature a high number of French companies. French trade visitors are just as enthusiastic as French exhibitors – and their numbers are swelled by disproportionately large contingents attending HOLZ-HANDWERK/FENSTERBAU FRONTALE (woodworking machinery and window and facade technology), Chillventa (refrigeration and air conditioning technology) and BrauBeviale (beverage technology). In 2016, Exhibition Centre Nuremberg welcomed a cumulative total of 12,877 French trade visitors and 682 exhibitors from its western neighbour. This means that France comes in 5th place in the NürnbergMesse visitor rankings and in 7th place for exhibitors. Peter Ottmann says that while these figures are good, they need to be increased even more in future given the size and importance of France: “We want to hear 'Vive la France' even more often at our events in future. In this context we are delighted to have a strong partner like OTSA on board,” says the NürnbergMesse CEO.

OTSA: new representative for NürnbergMesse in France
OTSA, which has already successfully cooperated with NürnbergMesse in the UK, will in future be the main point of contact for French exhibitors and visitors from its office in Paris. For OTSA General Manager Sibylle Courtois, the services and advice that the agency provides are very important for local companies, associations and partners. “We know the needs of French companies in relation to their trade fair appearances and help with all kinds of questions, from the right kind of trade fair appearance for a company to issues like logistics and stand construction.”

NürnbergMesse as springboard to the international market.
Alongside the successful trade fairs and congresses in Nuremberg, OTSA also offers French exhibitors the advantage of being able to draw on NürnbergMesse's worldwide network of exhibitions. As one of the 15 largest exhibition organisers in the world, NürnbergMesse hosts more than 30 trade fairs worldwide, primarily in Brazil, China and India. These trade fairs and congresses are consistent with the events held in Germany and therefore help French companies to tap into global growth markets.

About the NürnbergMesse Group
NürnbergMesse is one of the 15 largest exhibition companies in the world. Its portfolio covers some 120 national and international exhibitions and congresses and approximately 40 sponsored pavilions at the Nuremberg location and worldwide. Every year, around 30,000 exhibitors (international share 41 percent) and up to 1.4 million visitors (international share of trade visitors 24 percent) participate in the own, partner and guest events staged by the NürnbergMesse Group, which is present with subsidiaries in China, North America, Brazil, Italy and India. The group also has a network of around 50 representatives operating in more than 100 countries.

Contacts for Press & Media
Dr. Thomas Koch, Maximilian Hensel
Franziska Weißbrodt, Beate Blum, Christine Hartung
T +49 911. 86 06-83 53, -82 48
F +49 911. 86 06-12 82 48
press@nuernbergmesse.de

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