European Venues Race to Add Space
By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 10/18/2004
Tradeshow facilities throughout Europe are aggressively transforming themselves through expansions and aesthetic adjustments to attract more international shows than neighboring countries.
In Cologne, Germany, the 135,000 square meter (1.5 million square foot) Koelnmesse exhibition center is more than doubling its space through its Master Plan 2006 expansion outline. The €260 million plan includes the construction of four new halls, which will open with 80,000 sq. m. (861,113 sq. ft.) and 75,000 sq. m. (807,293 sq. ft.) of outdoor space, new entrance areas and a boulevard to connect several halls.
Although Koelnmesse's expansion plans had stalled — they were drawn up in 2000 and originally intended to be called Master Plan 2010 — they were recently put on a fast track when RTL Group, a radio and TV broadcasting firm, decided to relocate to the facility's Rhineside Halls by 2008.
Flexible logistics, including adjustable lighting and higher ceilings, are among changes called for by the master plan for the 80-year-old facility. The expansion of the facility's express train station and a new convention center hotel are expected after 2006.
"The master plan will have an impact on both the company and the city as a whole," Cologne Mayor Fritz Schramma said during a press conference. "The fierce competition among various cities and regions has been making headlines, and Cologne does not intend to be left behind."
Meanwhile, Paris Le Bourget Exhibition Centre in Roissy, France, is under the gun to complete €35 million in renovations in time for the June 13–19, 2005, Intl. Paris Air Show. The 80,000 sq. m. facility, a wholly-owned subsidiary of neighboring Paris-Nord Villepinte Convention & Exhibition Centre, will reconstruct three halls and redevelop surrounding outside space within the next year.
In Madrid, the IFEMA Convention Centre will add two halls by 2007, bringing the center's total space to 200,000 sq. m. (2.2 million sq. ft.). The city's bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics is said to be in mind with this €115-million expansion.
In Italy, the Verona Fiere will add 27,000 sq. m. (290,626 sq. ft.) to its 125,000 sq. m. (1.4 million sq. ft.) space by March 2007.
A few steps ahead is the Rimini Fiera in Italy with its recent September opening of two new matching halls at the west end of the now-97,000 sq. m. (1 million sq. ft.) facility, an addition to the existing 12 halls. The €25-million expansion will be duplicated on the venue's east side by 2006. An on-site train station was also be added to the facility.
