History at a Glance: Chronicle of the Leipziger Messe

"urbs Libzi" or "place near the tilia trees" was mentioned for the first time in the chronicle of Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg. Located at the crossroads of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, important long-distance trade routes, merchants and traders met here to exchange goods.

Otto the Rich Margrave of Meißen grants Leipzig the status of a city (city charter). The Leipzig city charter became the first official record of Leipzig's trade fairs.

Two Leipzig merchants, Godefrid(us) and Ripert(us), are mentioned by name for the first time. They were involved in the Freiberg silver trade.

Heinrich the Furrier is mentioned as one of the first documented craftsmen in Leipzig.

Merchants travelling to Leipzig are assured free passage and protection with an escort privilege by Margrave Theodoric of Landsberg.

Leipzig is given the right to mint coins for a fee of 30 silver marks.

Records of a Leipzig town seal is found.

The cloth makers and weavers receive their own guild house from the city, the first "Gewandhaus" (garment house).

The Leipzig Kramerinnung (merchant guild) is mentioned in a document for the first time.

Leipzig is granted the right to collect customs duties for visiting its markets by Margrave Friedrich III of Meissen. The "Rats-Waage" (council scales) is mentioned for the first time in connection with the levying of customs duties for foreign merchants.

A guild is established for tailors. It is considered to be the oldest guild charter in Leipzig.

Courier connections between Leipzig and major trading partners in Augsburg, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Hamburg and Prague were established.

The University of Leipzig is founded by professors and students immigrating from Prague.

Leipzig is chosen by Nuremberg merchants as a transhipment point for trade with Poland.

A guild is founded by the Leipzig furriers and rules are established for the trade in smoked goods. Subsequently, trade in smoked goods in Leipzig gained worldwide prominence.

Sovereign permission is granted by Elector Frederick II to hold a New Year's market. It complements the Easter and Michaelmas markets as a third trade fair.

Merchants from western and southern Germany as well as from the Netherlands increasingly immigrate to the city.

Leipzig is developed into the most important long-distance trading centre for tin and copper, as well as other goods. Other goods traded in Leipzig include metals such as Saxon silver, smoked goods, silk, precious cloth and gemstones to name but a few. Trade with the Kingdom of Poland is led by Leipzig merchants.

The first known book indicating Leipzig as a city of production is printed by Marcus Brandis, a travelling printer from Delitzsch. Consequently, he is regarded as the founder of the letterpress printing trade, which later became very successful.

The first permanent printing house is established by Cunz Kachelofen in Leipzig.

The Leipzig fair is visited by the first booksellers from outside the city.

The first Saxon Zinsgroschen (Saxon Groschen coins) are minted in Leipzig.

All three annual market/fair dates are confirmed for the first time by Royal Decree of the Roman-German King Maximilian I, who is appointed Holy Roman Emperor in 1508.

The Royal Decree of 1497 is reconfirmed and extended by Maximilian I to include significant new provisions. These include the establishment of empire-wide protection for all merchants on their way to the Leipzig fairs and the extension of the "Bannmeile" (restricted zone) around Leipzig. No competing fairs or markets may be held within a radius of 15 miles (approx. 112 modern-day kilometres). Even the temporary storage of goods within this radius is prohibited outside of Leipzig.

Leipzig is at this time the largest German trading centre for the exchange of goods between Western and Eastern Europe.

Pope Leo X then reconfirms Maximilian I's Royal Decree with the Papal Bull "Romanus pontifex", thus extending the rights of Leipzig's fairs. Leipzig outpaces its competitors in long-distance trade – Erfurt, Freiberg, Halle and Magdeburg – by a wide margin.

There are 34 guilds in the skilled crafts sector. The furriers are among the largest.

The New Year's Market/Fair and Easter Market/Fair are cancelled due to the Schmalkaldic War.

The Alte Waage is constructed at the market square under the direction of the mayor Hieronymus Lotter. It becomes the hub of activity at the fair.

Direct trade relations between Leipzig merchants and Moscow are documented for the first time.

The first Leipzig Booksellers' Fair catalogue for the Easter Fair is published by Henning Große the Elder.

The Leipzig printers' guild is founded.

Silver and copper mines in the Mansfeld region are acquired by the Leipzig Council.

The city and its trade fair are plunged into a deep crisis by the Thirty Years' War and three Leipzig mayors' profiteering.

A successful book auction is held for the first time at the Michaelmas Fair.

The New Year's Fair is cancelled due to the Thirty Years' War.

The New Year's Fair is cancelled due to the Thirty Years' War.

The Easter and Michaelmas Fair are cancelled due to the Thirty Years' War.

• Construction of the Handelsbörse (Trade Exchange) on the Naschmarkt begins.
• The book trade increasingly shifts from Frankfurt am Main to Leipzig.

The Handelsbörse, still under construction, is used for the first time. Among other things, it is used for the financial processing of commercial transactions.

• In the city, manufactures, bourgeois buildings of the baroque period and parks are built.
• French and Italian merchants settle in Leipzig. French styles have a growing influence on clothing, jewellery and lifestyles.
• Leipzig is at the forefront of all commodity fairs.

Johann Friedrich Gleditsch, a Leipzig publisher, publishes the first German-language encyclopaedia and a map series with all postal connections to and from Leipzig.

Brown Böttger stoneware, the original form of Meissen porcelain, is exhibited and traded for the first time at the Leipziger Messe.

The first traditional Leipzig trading yard, Hohmanns Hof, is opened on the market square.

Messrelationen (fair report) is published for the first time documenting the previous year's trade fair activities.

Christian Gottlob Frege founds a trading house, the Fregehaus, in Katharinenstraße.

Sixteen Leipzig merchants founded the concert company "Großes Concert", a precursor to the Gewandhaus Concerts.

The first Leipzig address book for trade fair merchants is published.

75 per cent of all goods exported from England to Germany pass through the Leipzig trade fair site. English cloth manufacturers begin to appear at the fair with samples instead of bolts of fabric.

Under the leadership of Erasmus Reich, 56 publishers join together in Leipzig to form the first German book trade association.

60 per cent of all goods exported from Leipzig go to Poland.

A Russian consulate is established in Leipzig on the recommendation of Catherine the Great, a clear expression of Russia's interest in the Leipziger Messe.

Trade with America is documented for the first time at the Leipzig trade fairs. Hamburg merchants purchase goods for transport to the "New World".

• The rise of industrialisation causes a flood of goods at the Leipziger Messe. The "Churfürstlich Sächsischen privilegierten Leipziger Meßschema" (Electoral Saxon Licensed Trade Fair Directory) contains more than 3,000 exhibitors' addresses on 300 printed pages.
• Leipzig becomes the centre of the book trade.
• Goethe coined the saying "Such a trade fair is really the world in a nutshell ...".

Fairs and trade are hindered by the Continental Blockade. The Napoleonic Wars result in severe damage to Leipzig.

On 19 October, the Battle of Leipzig ends with a victory over Napoleonic France.

For the first time, merchants from South and North America, Brazil, Argentina and India converge on the world trade centre that is the Leipziger Messe.

The Börsenverein der Deutschen Buchhändler (association of the German book trade) is founded in Leipzig, proving the trade fair city's supremacy in the book and paper trade.

The first Saxon industrial exhibition takes place at Leipzig's Easter Fair.

The "Trade Fair Regulations of the German Customs Union Treaty of 1833" replace around 50 trade fair decrees, deeds and agreements that had been valid in Leipzig for over three centuries.

The "Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel" (German Publishers and Booksellers Journal) is first published.

Construction begins on the railway line between Leipzig and Dresden, the first long-distance railway in Germany.

• Leipzig's first train makes its maiden voyage. There are soon connections to Dresden, Cologne, Munich, Vienna and Berlin. This results in increased traffic at the trade fair. More industrial exhibitions are organised.
• So-called "Musterreiter" or "sample riders", sales representatives who travel directly to customers with their sample cases, are gaining in significance.

Leipzig installs the first gas-fuelled street lights and thus modernises its infrastructure.

Leipzig's first finishing shop for smoked goods goes into operation.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry is established in Leipzig.

The Union of German Book Printers is founded.

Leipzig has over 100,000 inhabitants and is therefore classified as a large city.

The Leipzig Horse Railway (LPE) goes into service as a means of public transport.

Construction begins on the Steckner Passage, Leipzig's first trade fair arcade.

The New Concert House – also called the New Gewandhaus – is opened.

Ernst Hasse's complete account "History of the Leipzig Fairs" is published.

The first collective exhibition for the paper goods industry is held.

• The Leipzig Chamber of Commerce decides to establish a trade fair committee.
• The Michaelmas Fair is cancelled due to a cholera outbreak.

In terms of history, the commodity fairs have outlived their usefulness The city council reforms fair regulations. The Mustermesse is announced as a "pre-fair". This is the birth of the world's first sample fair. Construction work begins on Leipzig's first trade fair complex, the "Städtisches Kaufhaus" (City Shopping Centre). New features in the international trade fair system are the compulsory circuit and the exhibition booths.

From 4 to 16 March, the world's first trade fair for samples is held in Leipzig. The fair regulations reformed by the city council in 1894 are thus implemented with regard to the new fair format.

• The first official "Meß Adressbuch" (Trade Fair Directory) is published by the Trade Fair Committee of the Chamber of Commerce.
• Leipzig's first electric tram goes into service on 20 May.

On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the granting of market privileges by Maximilian I, the largest show Leipzig has ever seen is opened - the "Sächsisch-Thüringische Industrie- und Gewerbeausstellung" (Saxon-Thuringian Industrial and Trade Exhibition).

Construction is completed on the "Städtisches Kaufhaus", the world's first trade fair centre.

Construction work begins at the main station.

At the Steiff trade fair stand, a plush bear makes its world debut: the teddy bear.

The Leipzig New Year's Fair is discontinued due to unprofitability.

• 17.2 per cent of Germany's major companies produce in Leipzig, in particular mechanical engineering, iron foundries, graphic industry and textile industry.
• The tradition of showmen like those from the commodity fairs lives on in the form of the Kleinmesse (Small Fair), which is held separately from the city centre fair for the first time in 1907 on its own grounds in front of the Frankfurter Tor (Frankfurt Gate).

• The Handelshof, Leipzig's second trade fair complex, is built by 1909. Other functional buildings of this type were built in the following years, including Sentzlers Hof (Stentzler's Courtyard) and Zentralmessepalast (Central Exhibition Palace).
• The first large-format trade fair poster based on a design by Walther Illner is published.

With about 590,000 inhabitants, Leipzig is the fourth largest city in the German Empire.

The International Construction Exhibition (IBA) takes place on the site of what was later to become the Technical Fair at the Monument to the Battle of the Nations.

• The First World War breaks out on 28 July.
• The International Exhibition of the Book Industry and Graphic Arts (Bugra) does not include all exhibiting countries due to the outbreak of the First World War. The exhibition halls representing war opponents France, Great Britain and Russia are closed ahead of schedule, along with exhibition areas from Belgium and Japan.

• The Zentralstelle für Interessenten der Leipziger Mustermessen e.V. (Central Office for Prospective Participants of the Leipzig Sample Fairs) is founded.
• Leipzig Central Station is inaugurated as Europe's largest railway terminus.

The "Meßamt für die Mustermessen in Leipzig" (Trade Fair Office for Sample Fairs in Leipzig) is founded by the Chamber of Commerce, the City Council and the Central Office for Prospective Participants of the Leipzig Sample Fairs.

• On 8 February 1917, "Meßamt für die Mustermessen in Leipzig" (Trade Fair Office for the Sample Trade Fairs in Leipzig), founded in 1916, begins its activities.
• The first issue of the newspaper "Leipziger Mustermesse" (Leipzig Sample Fair) is published.
• The MM symbol, created by Leipzig graphic artist Erich Gruner on behalf of the Leipziger Messe, appears for the first time at the Autumn Fair. The double-M stands for Mustermesse and is henceforth the trademark of the Leipziger Messe.

• The Technical Fair and Construction Fair are held for the first time. Their exhibition spaces are located in the city centre.
• The First World War comes to an end on 11 November.
• Volunteer representatives from the trade fair office are active in eleven overseas locations.

• The Technical Fair grounds at the Monument to the Battle of the Nations open for the Spring Fair 1920. The site was given to the Trade Fair Office in 1922 by the city council on a hereditary lease for 66 years.
• Austria is the first country to exhibit at the 1920 Spring Fair as a separate national exhibition in a fair building.

• The Trade Fair Office becomes a corporation under public law.
• The Soviet Union takes part in the Leipziger Messe for the first time.

The Leipzig Trade Fair Office operates 66 foreign branches worldwide.

The underground exhibition hall at the market square is built, making it the world's first underground exhibition building.

The Union des Foires Internationales (UFI) is founded. The Leipziger Messe is among the co-founders.

The Leipziger Messe's self-governing body undergoes a name change. The name is changed to "Leipziger Mess(e)amt".

A world economic crisis of unprecedented proportions begins on "Black Thursday", 24 October.

The International Fur Trade Exhibit (IPA) is held in Leipzig, Germany.

After the NSDAP seizes power in Germany, the Leipziger Messe is placed in the hands of the "Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda". The "Brown Grand Fair" - a "show of purely German goods" - takes place at the Autumn Fair. The Reich government declares that the Leipzig Fair is to be the only International Trade Fair on German soil.

The Kleinmesse (people's festival) moves into a site on Cottaweg.

On 20 December, Leipzig is designated a "Reichsmessestadt" (Imperial Trade Fair city).

The Second World War begins on 1 September with Germany's invasion of Poland.

The Technical Fair and Building Fair are shut down. Exhibition halls are taken over by arms factories.

All Leipzig trade fairs are cancelled from this year onwards due to the war.

Allied air raids destroy about 80 per cent of the exhibition buildings. Much of the city lies in ruins.

• The Second World War comes to an end on 8 May.
• A small regional "Sample Show of Leipzig Products" is held in October on the orders of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD).

• In March, the SMAD issues an order for the Leipzig trade fairs to be held again.
• In May, the "First Leipzig Peace Fair" is held featuring exhibitors from the four occupation zones and the Soviet Union.
• For the "First Leipzig Peace Fair" Erich Gruner designed the double-M incorporating a dove of peace, for the fairs in 1947, 1948 and 1949 with a wind rose, and from 1950 in its present form.

• Nationally-owned companies exhibit for the first time at the Leipziger Messe.
• Universal fairs are held in spring and autumn from 1947 to 1990.
• A stamp series designed by Erich Gruner on the history of the Leipziger Messe is issued. Between 1947 and 1950, the graphic artist designed seven issues with 14 special stamps.

• The FRG is founded on 23 May.
• The GDR is founded on 7 October.

• The Leipzig Trade Fair Office is restructured as a Publicly Owned Enterprise (VEB).
• The Soviet Union takes over Hall 12 on the grounds of the Technical Fair, conversion work begins.

The façade and portico conversion of exhibition Hall 12 is completed. The 36-metre-high gilded spire with a red star henceforth marks the "Soviet Pavilion".

The Leipziger Messe regains its international prominence. Exhibitors from 37 countries and visitors from 59 countries take part in the Autumn Fair.

The GDR's Lufthansa begins scheduled air services for the Spring Trade Fair.

The exhibition buildings are fitted with illuminated signs that from then on clearly identify the buildings' names.

• The first auction of smoked goods after the Second World War takes place. The "Deutsche Rauchwaren-Export- und Import-GmbH" (later "Interpelz") is founded.
• The Republic of Cuba exhibits at the Leipziger Messe for the first time.
• The Meissen State Porcelain Manufactory celebrates its 250th anniversary as an exhibitor at the Leipziger Messe.

The construction of the Wall and the closure of state borders restrict Leipzig's cosmopolitanism and trade. The annual Spring and Autumn Fair continue to take place.

• The Leipzig Trade Fair Office, together with the "Amt für Meßwesen und Warenprüfung" (Office for Measurement and Product Testing), awards trade fair gold medals and diplomas for the first time at the Spring Fair until 1990 in recognition of outstanding exhibits.
• For the Book Fair, the "Messehaus am Markt" (Exhibition Centre on the Market), newly built especially for the industry, is opened with the International Book Fair and the Buyer's Centre.
• There is an annual exhibition "Most Beautiful Books from Around the World".

The "Messemännchen" (little fair man) is introduced as an advertising and souvenir character for Leipziger Messe on 29 August 1964. Its creator is GDR art prize winner Gerhard Behrendt, commissioned by the Leipzig Trade Fair Office. The mascot is first presented to journalists in the autumn before becoming available for purchase at the 1965 Anniversary Fair.

The 800th anniversary of the Leipzig Trade Fairs is celebrated. The newly built administrative building for the Leipzig Trade Fair Office (address: Markt 11-15) is handed over in January of the anniversary year. It was demolished in 1996.

The highest residential building in the GDR is erected near the main railway station in Wintergartenstraße. The double-M on the roof, illuminated at night, is still visible from some distance and is still the emblem of the Leipziger Messe.

For the first time, trade fair guests from 100 countries attend the Spring Fair.

On approach to the Trade Fair Airport in Schkeuditz, the Soviet TU 134, trade fair flight IF 1107 is involved in an accident. 26 people are killed.

The new multi-purpose space "Messehalle 7" is handed over at the Technical Exhibition Centre Leipzig.

• The Japanese-built Interhotel "Merkur" in Gerberstraße opens for the Spring Fair. A trade fair helicopter shuttle to the Technical Exhibition Centre is available for visitors who are in a rush.
• The new Gewandhaus on Karl-Marx-Platz (Augustusplatz) is ceremoniously inaugurated. The opening concerts for the Leipzig trade fairs will from now on be held here.

• The Monday demonstrations in Leipzig in the autumn of 1989 were instrumental in the peaceful revolution, resulting in the collapse of the GDR.
• The Berlin Wall falls on the 9 November and the borders to West Germany are opened.

On 1 July the currency, economic and social union between the GDR and the FRG takes effect. On 3 October Germany is reunified and the Free State of Saxony is re-established. The repositioning of the Leipziger Messe begins, in which trade fairs such as Auto-Vision and the Tourism and Camping Trade Fair are integrated into the exhibition programme. DMA Messe-Marketing und Ausstellungsgesellschaft mbH (as of 2004 LMI – Leipziger Messe International GmbH) is founded.

• The last universal fair takes place in March. The Leipziger Messe meets requirements of the German and international trade fair industry with a new trade fair concept, competitive trade and public fairs are developed. The Haus-Garten-Freizeit and the Leipzig Book Fair are the first independent trade fairs to be held.
• Leipziger Messe GmbH is founded on 13 June, with the Free State of Saxony and the City of Leipzig as shareholders.
• The decision is made to build a new exhibition centre in response to the demands of modern event management.

• The foundation stone for a new state-of-the-art exhibition and congress centre in the north of the city is laid on 25 August.
• Leipziger Messe Liegenschaftsgesellschaft mbH (renamed Leipziger Messe Gastveranstaltungen GmbH in 2007) is founded. Their area of responsibility includes space rental and marketing of the city centre exhibition halls, the halls on the old and later the new exhibition grounds.

The denkmal trade fair celebrates its debut at the Technical Exhibition Centre.

• Federal President Roman Herzog ceremoniously opens the new Leipziger Messe site on 12 April; it is one of the world's most modern new trade fair buildings (investment: 683 million euros).
• Subsidiary Leipziger Messe Gastronomie GmbH is founded, renamed fairgourmet GmbH in 2007.
• The subsidiary FAIRNET is founded as Gesellschaft für Messe-, Ausstellungs- und Veranstaltungsservice mbH. FAIRNET was formed from the Objektgesellschaft Neue Messe Leipzig mbH (founded in 1992).
• The Leipziger Messe launches its website at www.leipziger-messe.de on 9 November.

• The Leipziger Messe now holds around 30 trade and public fairs every year. There are also numerous guest fairs, congresses and special events.
• Trade fairs focus predominantly on building and living, mobility, environment, energy, health, media and telecommunications, books and culture, fashion and lifestyle as well as leisure.

• The former trade fair building on Neumarkt, the "Zentral-Messepalast", is confirmed as an exhibition building for the Haus der Geschichte Bonn and opened as the "Zeitgeschichtliches Forum Leipzig".
• The Leipziger Messe introduces new elements to the established themes in the trade fair market. Among others, new events include PARTNER PFERD, mitteldeutsche handwerksmesse, SHKG Leipzig and euregia.
• This trajectory of expansion can also be seen in the congress business and among the subsidiaries.
• Companies and holdings associated with Leipziger Messe include MaxicoM GmbH Euro-Asia Business Center (EABC) in the MaxicoM building, right next to the exhibition grounds. A project by the Free State of Saxony, the City of Leipzig and Leipziger Messe GmbH, the EABC provides offices and services for international companies, institutions, associations and business representatives.

Leipzig is ranked eighth among German trade fair venues (by turnover). At the same time, Leipziger Messe business activities support more than 4,000 jobs in the surrounding area and generate production totalling around DM 650 million, DM 500 million of which in former East German states alone.

• The joint internet portal for Leipzig congress service providers is launched at www.do-it-at-leipzig.de.
• Leipziger Messe delegates the marketing and support for the Euro-Asia Business Center Leipzig (MaxicoM) to the newly founded subsidiary MaxicoM GmbH Euro-Asia Business Center Leipzig.
• Leipziger Messe Liegenschaftsgesellschaft mbH organises 127 events in the fields of sport, shows and events, as well as a series of guest fairs, in Hall 7 of the old Technical Exhibition Centre and in the city centre.
• Leipziger Messe GmbH becomes a member of the Interessengemeinschaft deutscher Fachmessen und Ausstellungsstädte (IDFA – Association of German Trade Fair and Exhibition Cities) on 1 February.
• ORTHOPÄDIE + REHA-TECHNIK, International Trade Fair and World Congress (from 2014 OTWorld) is held in Leipzig for the first time. The Leipziger Messe succeeds in permanently binding this event to the Leipzig location from 2002 onwards. The leading international trade fair will from here on take place every two years at the new exhibition centre.

• The Leipziger Messe is the winner in the trade fair service review by business magazine "impulse". It took first place ahead of Cologne and Düsseldorf. "impulse" had for the first time compared the quality of services at the 20 largest trade fair locations in Germany.
• The Leipzig Book Fair develops quickly as a writers' and marketing trade fair for the German-speaking world, tapping into new markets with audiobooks and comics.
• The enertec and therapie Leipzig trade fairs are launched.

• Europe's first experience and trade fair for interactive entertainment, hardware, info- and edutainment celebrates its premiere with the GC – Games Convention.
• The Leipzig Veterinary Congress is held for the first time at the new Exhibition Centre. PARTNER PFERD goes international when it hosts the FEI World Cup Show Jumping finals

• Leipziger Messe Liegenschaftsgesellschaft mbH's core business undergoes a change. With the cessation of events in Hall 7 of the old Technical Exhibition Centre in September, an increasing number of major events are to be held on the new grounds of the Leipziger Messe The TV show "Wetten, dass...?" had already been a success, having taken place three times before in exhibition hall 7.

• After a shareholders' resolution on 20 October 2004, the subsidiary DMA Messe-Marketing und Ausstellungsgesellschaft mbH, established in 1990, is renamed LMI – Leipziger Messe International GmbH. LMI arranges participations in trade fairs abroad, takes part in trade fairs overseas and holds its own events internationally.
• The Leipzig Messemännchen is back. Several thousand of the figurines are issued for fans of the well-known mascot, produced according to original designs by Gerhard Behrendt. The original little man with a globe for a head made his first appearance at the Leipzig Autumn Fair in 1964.

• The "Leipzig Book Fair Prize" is awarded for the first time at the Leipzig Book Fair.
• "agra – Die Landwirtschaftsausstellung in Mitteldeutschland" (agra – Agricultural Exhibition in Central Germany) makes a successful debut at the new Exhibition Centre, having previously been based at the exhibition grounds in Leipzig-Markkleeberg.
• The "FIFA World Cup 2006 Final Draw" is broadcast live worldwide from the new Leipzig Exhibition Centre on 9 December.

On 1 April, The Leipziger Messe reflects on the ten years since relocating to the new Leipzig Exhibition Centre, together with representatives from politics and business. Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel praises The Leipziger Messe as "a good example of the success of economic reconstruction in the eastern German states" at the celebratory event "10 years of successful trade fairs in Leipzig".

• Leipziger Messe Liegenschaftsgesellschaft mbH (founded in 1993) is renamed Leipziger Messe Gastveranstaltungen GmbH.
• Leipziger Messe Gastronomie GmbH (founded in 1996) is renamed fairgourmet GmbH.
• Industrial trade fair "intec" moves from Chemnitz to Leipzig and is now held in conjunction with the supplier trade fair, "Z".
• LE GOURMET celebrates its premiere as a meeting place for food connoisseurs.
• The Messehaus expands its congress capacity with eight new conference rooms.
• German companies settle in MaxicoM alongside customers from China and Central and Eastern Europe.

• The "International Transport Forum", a meeting of transport ministers, entrepreneurs and scientists from over 50 countries, is held for the first time at the Congress Center Leipzig. The forum, dubbed the "Davos of international transport", addresses the challenges of international transport. The ITF resolves to meet annually in Leipzig in future.
• The opening of two new glass bridges for pedestrians leading to exhibition halls 4 and 5 simplifies the direction of visitors. The new construction is completed in eight months while the fair continues to operate.
• The Congress Center Leipzig is honoured with the "Conga" award for the best congress centre in Germany. It prevailed ahead of around 420 congress centres throughout Germany.

• The Leipziger Messe becomes the first trade fair in Germany to obtain the Green Globe certification for its sustainable corporate actions.
• The Leipziger Messe began participating in a project to promote young athletes in 2010 in order to offer young competitive athletes from the region professional and sporting perspectives. A special training plan is drawn up for talented sportsmen and women to start vocational training at Leipziger Messe every two years, coordinated with training and competition times - thus making it possible to reconcile sport and career.
• The group aligns itself as an integrated trade fair organiser.

• WORLD OF TROPHIES, the International Trade Fair for the Honours and Souvenir Industry, is held for the first time at the Leipzig Exhibition Centre parallel to CADEAUX. (Renamed unique 4+1 in 2014)
• Premiere for equestrian sport: A horse show with three World Cup finals (show jumping, dressage, riding) is held for the first time at the Leipziger Messe.
• The new permanent exhibition at the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn entitled "Our History. Germany since 1945" opens in May. The history of the Leipziger Messe is also featured.
• The Leipziger Messe begins hosting a temporary exhibition platform for art in the Messehaus in this year. The first of these is an exhibition of historical photographs of the Leipziger Messe from the collection of the Deutsches Fotomuseum Markleeberg.
• The Leipziger Messe is awarded the Green Globe certification for the second time in August for its commitment to sustainability.
• On 30 November, FAIRNET is certified for the first time for its sustainability commitment with the certificate "Sustainable Company powered by FAMAB".

• New trade fairs join the programme: "new mobility' and Absolventenmesse Mitteldeutschland (Central Germany Graduate Fair). CosmeticBusiness is added in 2013, a trade fair organised by Leipziger Messe that had previously been held at the Munich trade fair venue.
• British trade magazine "Business Destinations" honours the Congress Center Leipzig as the best congress centre in Europe.

• In February, the Congress Center Leipzig (CCL) receives the Meeting Experts Green Award for the "ICCA Green Traffic Project" initiative from marketing cooperation "Feel the Spirit", in the category "Sustainable Event". The innovative transport concept developed during the ICCA Congress 2011 promotes low-carbon transport.
• The organisation of the ISPO World Congress (2013: Hyderabad/India) is for the first time in the hands of Leipziger Messe and LMI - Leipziger Messe International.
• HALLE:EINS becomes a multifunctional event hall for the Leipziger Messe. The hall can accommodate almost any set-up configuration thanks to new grandstand technology and increased flexibility. With a total capacity of 15,000 people, HALLE:EINS becomes the largest event hall in central Germany.
• The Leipziger Messe organises Designers' Open, HIVOLTEC and Cosmetic Business (Munich) for the first time.
• In December, the subsidiary FAIRNET is certified as a "Sustainable Company" by FAMAB, the association for direct business communication.
• The Leipziger Messe group of Companies receives Green Globe sustainability certification for the third time in a row in December.
• The Leipzig City Tunnel, inaugurated on 15 December, provides a direct link between Leipzig Trade Fair and the city centre. The former entrance to the underground exhibition hall under the market square now serves as the entrance to the underground railway station.

• Since the beginning of the year, the Leipziger Messe uses its own combined heat and power plant to optimise energy consumption. A total output of around 800 kilowatts (electrical) covers most of their basic heat and power requirements. This not only counters rising energy costs but also makes a further contribution to sustainability: more efficient use of fuels and lower emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.
• The Manga-Comic-Convention in Hall 1 celebrates a successful premiere at this year's Book Fair.
• Leipziger Messe organises the vivanti lifestyle trade fair for the first time at its Düsseldorf location.
• Leipzig is to remain a permanent venue for OTWorld, International Trade Fair and World Congress: Confairmed GmbH, Leipziger Messe GmbH and Bundesinnungsverband für Orthopädie.Technik (German Association of Orthopaedic Technology) focus on continuity by extending their successful cooperation until 2026.
• The Leipziger Messe becomes Service Champion. On behalf of the newspaper DIE WELT, ServiceValue GmbH together with Goethe University Frankfurt am Main surveyed around 1.5 million customers on criteria such as helpfulness, quality of advice and service-oriented atmosphere in order to determine customer satisfaction. The Group of Companies comes in first place among the twelve largest trade fair organisations.

• The Leipziger Messe celebrates its 850th anniversary.
• The Leipziger Messe takes over operation of the KONGRESSHALLE am Zoo Leipzig with the Congress Center Leipzig (CCL).
• The Leipzig Book Fair opens a blogger lounge for the first time. Hundreds of bloggers are now able to take advantage of exchanges with publishers and authors. A book fair choir can for the first time be heard on the Saturday of the Leipzig Book Fair. The forum "DIE UNABHÄNGIGEN" (THE INDEPENDENTS) opens for the first time, organised by the Leipzig Book Fair and the Kurt Wolff Foundation, focusing on independent literature.
• unique 4+1 is a newly designed trade event focusing on product customisation, replacing the previous WORLD OF TROPHIES.
• ISS GUT! celebrates its premiere as a new trade fair for the hospitality and food trades. It replaces the trade fair GÄSTE, which had been held in Leipzig since 1991.
• The medical portfolio of the Leipziger Messe expands to include MEDCARE, a congress and trade exhibition for clinical and non-clinical patient care, held every two years.
• The Leipzig Trade Fair supports the initial placement of asylum seekers by making Hall 4 available. A winter-proof initial reception facility is built on the Exhibition Outdoor Area 2 under the leadership of the subsidiary FAIRNET, which starts operation in December. The Leipziger Messe is awarded the title of Service Champion.

• The KONGRESSHALLE am Zoo Leipzig officially opens for business at the beginning of the year.
• After its use as an initial reception facility, Hall 4 is available for event operations again as scheduled from mid-January.
• DreamHack Leipzig celebrates an extremely successful premiere in January. It is the official German platform of the Swedish DreamHack, regarded as the world's largest digital festival. With professional eSports tournaments, an exciting exhibition area and Germany's largest LAN party, the event offers visitors a spectacular gaming experience over three days.
• The Leipziger Messe roup of Companies once again receives Green Globe certification for sustainability. Social, ecological and economic evaluation criteria are once again met with 97 per cent.
• The concurrent trade fairs HAUS-GARTEN-FREIZEIT and the mitteldeutsche handwerksmesse enjoyed a new record number of visitors in February: 188,300 people attended the nine-day event at the Leipzig Exhibition Centre. Beach & Boat was also thrilled with an unprecedented peak attendance of 22,700 water sports enthusiasts.
• protekt takes place for the first time from 22 to 23 June. The conference and trade exhibition is dedicated to the protection of critical infrastructures. The event analyses threat scenarios and presents potential solutions.
• RoboCup - the world championship for robots - takes place in Leipzig from 30 June to 4 July. The leading and most diverse competition for intelligent robots brings together interdisciplinary problems - from the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, computer science, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, as well as many more. More than 3,500 participants in 500 teams from 40 countries are expected.
• CosmeticBusiness, held every year in June at MOC Munich, expands into the Polish cosmetics market with CosmeticBusiness Poland. Here, in collaboration with the HPCI - Home and Personal Care Ingredients Exhibition and Conference, established in 2008, the entire value chain for the cosmetics, detergents and cleaning products industry are presented in Poland for the first time in 2016.
• MUTEC, the international trade fair for museum and exhibition technology, is organised by Leipziger Messe for the first time. The trade fair had been held under the same roof as denkmal, Europe's leading trade fair for the conservation, restoration and renovation of historical buildings, since 2010.

• The Leipziger Messe celebrates the 100th birthday of its trademark: the double-M. To mark the anniversary, a temporary LED installation on the famous double-M on top of the Wintergarten skyscraper is installed to attract attention - the "100", visible from afar, is the focus of a social media campaign.
• FAIRNET's trade fair appearance at EuroShop 2017 wins the EuroShop Award. An exhibition stand designed to immerse visitors in a dazzling underwater world, perfectly thought out down to the last detail, is awarded the prize for the best stand in the "Medium Stand" category by the EXHIBITOR Magazine's 2017 jury.
• fairgourmet wins the Meeting Experts Green Award. The jury praised the trade fair subsidiary's exemplary commitment to the topic of sustainability and the organic ingredients certification. The measures for sustainability tested by fairgourmet are also adapted as an example of best practice.
• Premiere of the Gefahrgut & Gefahrstoff trade fair: A new industry platform for services related to transport, intralogistics and safety of dangerous goods and substances launches at the Congress Centre Leipzig in November.
• FAIRNET recorded its largest event commission in the company's history in this year. For the "500 Years of Reformation" anniversary in Wittenberg, the trade fair subsidiary is responsible for around 70 individual projects. From Weltausstellung Reformation (World Reformation Exhibition) to the festive service on the Elbe meadows, FAIRNET proves itself to be a powerful partner.

• For the fifth time in a row, the Leipziger Messe Group of Companies is certified with the Green Globe for its sustainable operations. This year for the first time in gold.
• fairgourmet and Ratskeller Leipzig launch their trainee academy at the start of the year: Experienced restaurateurs, as well as experts from regional businesses, meet once a month with newcomers to the industry to pass on theoretical and, above all, practical knowledge. The aim is to teach skills that go far beyond vocational schools' curriculum.
• FAIRNET organises the LEIPZIGER MARKT MUSIK for the first time, transforming Leipzig's market square into a venue for music and encounters for one week.
• The MIDEA thinking and creative space is opened for the employees of the Group of Companies. The idea came about in 2015 when participants in the company's internal Fair Talents support programme devised a detailed concept for a creative space for ideas. The result is a space that meets the most up-to-date working standards while at the same time promoting creative working processes.
• The Leipziger Messe modernises its image with the relaunch of its umbrella brand. The logo comprised of word and image is freed from its rigid box to become a two-line construction. Cyan blue reinforces a more contemporary image. The famous double-M, at over 100 years old the longest standing trademark in the German trade fair industry, remains virtually unchanged. The only difference is an increase in the spacing between the two M's in favour of readability in digital media. For the first time, a brand hierarchy is used to consistently define the relationships between the umbrella brand and the individual trade fairs, subsidiaries, venues, locations, service providers, partners and organisers, visualising relationships by means of newly created sub-brands.
• The Leipziger Messe is named Service Champion for the 5th time in a row.
• As part of the Leipziger Messe's multi-site concept, therapie on tour is held in Bochum for the first time in September, following on from the leading national trade fair therapie Leipzig.
• In November, BGMpro – Trade Fair for Occupational Health Management marks its first outing in Leipzig. The event concept is to be carried out at other locations in the future.

• The Leipziger Messe Group of Companies is crowned service champion of the national trade fair industry for the seventh time in a row.
• In recognition of its commitment to sustainability, the Leipziger Messe Group of Companies receives the Green Globe certification for the tenth time.
• At the beginning of the year, the acquisition of PaintExpo, the international trade fair for industrial coating technology, adds another world-leading trade fair to the portfolio.
• CADEAUX Leipzig takes place from 29 February to 2 March and is the last in-house trade fair to be held in person before the restrictions in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic come into force.
• The Leipziger Messe Group of Companies' business activities are severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions that accompany it from March. A large number of scheduled events have to be cancelled, some are postponed.
• On 3 March, the Leipzig Book Fair and the parallel Leipzig liest (Leipzig reads) reading festival and Manga Comic-Con are all cancelled following urgent recommendations from the health authorities. The Leipzig Book Fair is one of the first major events to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Corporate measures are initiated in March in response to the pandemic situation. The goal is to secure the liquidity and financing of the company, to maintain its ability to operate and its competitiveness, as well as to preserve jobs.
• Digital offers and services are expanded significantly. Alternative digital formats offer the business community the opportunity to keep in touch with customers and inform them about new products during the pandemic. Trade fair 4.0 comes into focus.
• The Leipziger Messe Group of Companies develops the hygiene concept "Safe Expo – Safe for people, good for business" to ensure the safety of all participants, exhibitors and employees through comprehensive health and hygiene protection during the pandemic.
• The Saxony State Government's Corona Protection Ordinance of 3 June permits trade fairs and congresses with suitable hygiene concepts. Responsible resumption of events takes place in the middle of the year.
• LEIPZIGER MARKT MUSIK, organised by FAIRNET, takes place in August.
• CADEAUX Leipzig and MIDORA, the first on-site fairs in Leipzig and the first industry meetings for consumer goods in Germany after the restrictions due to the pandemic situation came into force, are held from 5 to 7 September. The approved hygiene concept ensures that events are held safely.
• The conference and congress business picks up as the Congress Center Leipzig hosts the annual conference of the German Society for Phlebology with an approved hygiene concept from 2 to 5 September.
• In close coordination with the industry, the ISS GUT! SPEZIAL is launched at short notice. therapie DÜSSELDORF with an online congress and OTWorld.connect take place exclusively online.
• fairgourmet receives the standardised nationwide certification for businesses in the hotel and catering industry "TOP Training Company".
• In December, Leipziger Messe Guest Events partners with the operator DRK to run a COVID-19 vaccination centre on the exhibition grounds in Hall 5.
• The Leipziger Messe Group of Companies asserts itself in a UEFA tender process with the support of the DFB and is selected as the location of the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) for UEFA EURO 2024.
• During the year of the pandemic, with all its restrictions and negative impact on the event and service business, 119 events were held, including 12 of the company's own trade fairs and 107 guest fairs, congresses and events on the exhibition grounds, in the Congress Center Leipzig and in the KONGRESSHALLE am Zoo Leipzig.

• The Leipziger Messe Group of Companies is crowned service champion of the national trade fair industry for the eighth time in a row.
• The Leipziger Messe Group of Companies receives the Green Globe certification for the eleventh time for its commitment to sustainability.
• FAIRNET receives certification as a "Sustainable Company".
• FAIRNET sets up COVID-19 vaccination centres in Leipzig, Borna and Belgern on behalf of the DRK, followed by the establishment of the vaccination centre in Merseburg.
• The regional, national and international event and service business of the Leipziger Messe Group of Companies is affected considerably by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing regulations and travel restrictions issued by the authorities.
• In-house, on-site fairs planned for the first half of the year are cancelled or postponed. DreamHack Leipzig – Home Edition in January, Intec/Z connect and protekt plus in March all take place in purely digital formats.
• The Leipzig Book Fair, postponed to May, is cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic. Instead, the reading festival "Leipzig liest extra" is held digitally and with around 1000 in-person events around the city.
• The majority of the guest events planned to take place on the grounds of the Leipzig Messe as well as numerous congresses do not take place due to the pandemic situation, are postponed to later dates or are held as digital events.
• OTWorld's contract with Leipzig as its established location is extended ahead of schedule until 2036.
• With daily deliveries of freshly produced snacks to Konsum Leipzig, fairgourmet opens up a new line of business that is independent of events.
• The Free State of Saxony's Corona Protection Ordinance of 14 June 2021 enables the resumption of the event business if accompanied by an appropriate protection and hygiene concept. This is covered by "Safe Expo".
• The Leipziger Messe Group of Companies prepares for the resumption of on-site events.
• In view of possible event cancellations due to the pandemic, the Leipziger Messe Group of Companies and over 20 partner hotels reach a supplementary agreement on improved hotel rates and shortened cancellation deadlines for 2021. Leipziger Messe's new hotel portal is launched.
• In August, LEIPZIGER MARKT MUSIK, organised by FAIRNET, is the first public event after the pandemic lockdown. The Bach Festival Leipzig participates as a programme partner for the first time.
• At the beginning of September, CADEAUX Leipzig, MIDORA and FLORIGA autumnal are the first trade fairs of the year to be held on-site featuring a combined total of 450 exhibitors and brands. The "Safe Expo" hygiene concept ensures optimal safety for the health of all trade fair participants.
• In September, the Visceral Medicine Congress at the Congress Center Leipzig marks a return to on-site congresses.
• The first public fair of the year, modell-hobby-spiel takes place at the beginning of October under the "Safe Expo" hygiene concept.
• During the year of the pandemic, 113 events were held including 13 LMI trade fairs, 82 congresses and other events at the Congress Center Leipzig and in the KONGRESSHALLE am Zoo Leipzig as well as 17 guest fairs and one trade fair abroad. Altogether, 60 per cent of all planned events were cancelled due to onsite events being prohibited. The short period when events were permitted to take place lasted from July to November.

• The Leipziger Messe Group of Companies is crowned service champion of the national trade fair industry for the ninth time in a row.
• The Leipziger Messe Group of Companies receives the Green Globe certification for the twelfth time for its commitment to sustainability. Even during the pandemic, sustainability remains an integral part of the company's strategy with a focus on conserving resources and saving energy as well as regional synergies and social concerns.
• In February, the Leipzig Book Fair together with Manga-Comic-Con, Leipzig liest (Leipzig reads festival) and the Antiquarian Book Fair, which had all been planned for March, are cancelled due to numerous last-minute exhibitor withdrawals related to pandemic uncertainties and resultant planning challenges.
• From early March, onsite trade fairs and congresses are once again permitted to take place without restrictions. Events such as the trade fair duo CADEAUX/Floriga (7,200 visitors) and therapie LEIPZIG (307 exhibitors, 13,400 visitors) in March and audience events such as PARTNER PFERD with the FEI World Cup™ Finals (80,800 visitors) in April are very well received.
• In March, Zahntechnik plus celebrates its successful premiere with over 50 exhibitors and 1,100 visitors.
• In April, the delayed 2020 edition of the PaintExpo international leading trade fair for industrial coating technology is successfully carried out with 430 exhibitors and 9,180 professional visitors from 57 countries.
• Leipziger Messe participates in the German trade fair industry's #messeMonatMai campaign which offers events and content to emphasise the tremendous importance of the German trade fair industry for the entire economy.
• The Leipziger Messe Group of Companies and its more than 30 partner hotels extend their initiative to strengthen Leipzig's position as a location for trade fairs and congresses. The initiative includes preferential terms and shortened cancellation deadlines for hotel bookings for exhibitors, visitors and organisers until the end of 2023.
• Leipziger Messe becomes the new organiser of GrindTec, the international trade fair for tool grinding and tool machining which takes place for the first time in Leipzig with an optimised event design.
• FAIRNET serves as the agency responsible for designing and organising the central festivities for German Unity Day in Erfurt.
• In October, 67,100 visitors attend the "modell-hobby-spiel" consumer trade fair and higher per-capita sales are achieved.
• In October 2022, online stand reservations open for the 2023 premiere edition of the CAGGTUS gaming event.
• The annual Summit of the International Transport Forum (ITF) extends its presence in Leipzig until 2027.
• In November, therapie MUNICH takes place for the first time with 3,200 professional visitors, thus successfully complementing the therapie trade fairs in Leipzig, Hamburg and Düsseldorf.
• As a result of the pandemic, business in the congress and guest event sector benefits from rescheduled and postponed events. The KONGRESSHALLE am Zoo Leipzig achieves record profits since its opening. The congress business in the CCL reaches 2019 capacity utilisation levels.
• Leipziger Messe International (LMI) organises 25 collective stands. In Vietnam, a cooperative agreement is signed with APDEX, the organiser of the Pharmed & Healthcare Vietnam trade fair. The German state of Baden-Württemberg is acquired as a new client for international collective stands.
• Priority is given to the digitalisation of organisational processes and services that directly impact the customer experience. The ticketing system we designed is implemented at venues including the premier league football club Eintracht Frankfurt and the "House of Magic" in Oberhausen. The online hotel portal is redesigned. This is followed by a user-friendly redesign of everything concerning the website including newly-programmed apps offering exhibitors and visitors interactive event experiences.
• FAIRNET manages 243 individual customer projects, 16 of them at international exhibition centres.
• Fairgourmet records outstanding revenue for 2022.
• The MAXiCOM office location achieves full occupancy of the building.
• 191 events with over 7,800 exhibitors and 443,000 visitors as well as the implementation of numerous national and international customer projects confirm we have entered the post-pandemic era with a successful restart.