Statistics. “The international congress and conference industry has been enjoying a business upsurge in recent times. This trend is mirrored by the figures being achieved in Frankfurt am Main,” stated Markus Frank, head of Frankfurt’s municipal department of business development, at the international IMEX fair. Mr. Frank and Thomas Feda, managing director of the Frankfurt Tourist+Congress Board (TCF), came together at Europe’s largest meeting, conference and congress fair to present the industry’s 2010 statistics. “The downswing of 2009 apparently did not affect the 2010 results,” continued the city councillor. “In fact, 2010 saw Frankfurt host more events and attract more participants than ever before!
A total of 61,961 events and conferences translated into an overall increase of 2,228 events (+3.7 %) in 2010. “A record high was also reached in the number of conference participants, totalling 4,159,480(+133,191 participants, i.e., +3.3 %),” added Mr. Feda. Meanwhile, a minor decrease was recorded in the category of events with more than 1,000 participants, with last year’s figure dropping slightly to 286. “With large-scale events generally requiring a longer planning period, it’s not surprising that the 2009 figures remained steady, despite the economic downturn. However, by 2010, the hesitation in planning and carrying out costly large-scale events had left its mark,” suggested Mr. Feda. However, with the Frankfurt Convention Bureau once again recording an increasing number of inquiries regarding large-scale events, he is quietly confident that this category will once again be on the rise in the coming years.
The decrease in the number of large-scale events in 2010 was compensated by an increase in the number of multiple-day events. A total of 12,192 events meant a 6 % improvement in this category. “This also lead to an increase in the number of overnight stays, which in 2010 reached 1,353,009,” added Mr. Feda. Overnight stays are, unsurprisingly, a key factor in overall turnover. Hotel prices rose in 2010 in comparison to the year prior, while overnight visitors spent more money in Frankfurt am Main in 2010. A total of € 522.6 million in sales revenue added up to 3.8 % more turnover than in the previous year. “This shows how important this industry is to Frankfurt am Main,” continued Mr. Frank.
Figures regarding the countries of origin of event organisers confirm the TCF’s overseas marketing efforts within the MICE industry. The British market’s share of 23.1 % was the largest amongst international events, followed by the USA with 13.8 %. France followed close behind with 13.3 %, dropping Switzerland into fourth place (12.0 %) for the first time.
In light of the economic upturn, it is no surprise that the prognosis for 2011is positive. “Some 42 % of the persons surveyed believe that business will increase this year, while 53 % expect stagnation. Only 5 % fear a downturn,” concluded Mr. Feda. “These promising prognoses are in line with our expectations for the future of Frankfurt’s congress and conference industry,” added Mr. Frank optimistically. Current developments also show how important it was for the TCF to convert its former congress marketing department into a new and more specialised business branch, the Frankfurt Convention Bureau (FCB). Mr. Frank and Mr. Feda concluded by stating that they expect the number of events and event participants to continue to increase in 2011, and beyond.
