About the company

The signatories were Detlef Braun, a member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, Eugen Alles, the General Director of Messe Frankfurt RUS, and Sergey Voronkov, General Director of ExpoForum International. As set out in the document, the first phase of developing cooperation will feature the return to St Petersburg of the firmly established international brand Automechanika, with the new-look forum set to take place in March 2015 at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“Russia is a very important partner for us and has one of the strongest convention and exhibition markets in the world. The signing of this agreement will help us to expand our presence in Russia and create opportunities for companies to operate in St Petersburg,” said Detlef Braun, member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, after the agreement was signed.

According to Sergey Voronkov, General Director of ExpoForum International, the agreement opens up new opportunities for the development of the company’s own projects, such as the Ecology of the Big City International Forum, the Russian Industrialist International Forum, the Zoosphere exhibition and the ‘Advertising. Publicity. Information. Design’ exhibition. Major exhibition brands operating under the banner of Messe Frankfurt GmbH can now participate in these events – brands such as Hardware+Tools Middle East, EuroMold, Interlight, Eco Expo Asia, Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo, Cleantech India, Pollutech India, Watertech India, Water Expo China, Cleanzone, Christmasworld, Email-Expo and others.

Furthermore, in light of this agreement, Messe Frankfurt RUS, which has years of experience of management and development within the international exhibition industry, views ExpoForum as a top-priority venue for its own ventures, and intends to provide consulting services on how best to promote the new ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The new brand image representing ExpoForum in the global events industry will take the form of a supersize ‘E’, symbolising the architectural layout of the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre, with the three exhibition pavilions and the congress centre forming the four constituent parts of the supersize ‘E’. The simplicity and balance of this symbol, together with a range of colour combinations, offers a form which can display a variety of content, i.e. each individual event will give the venue a unique look.

‘EXPERIENCE MOMENTUM’ is the new ExpoForum slogan. Our brand image is built around the concept of fulfilling potential for every stakeholder in the events market: developing organisers’ businesses and their exhibitions, giving city residents the opportunity to attend new business and entertainment events, and also growing events tourism and increasing its contribution to the St. Petersburg economy, securing a significant share of the global events market for Russia’s northern capital.

Thomas Stenzel, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf Moscow, was speaking at an end-of-year business lunch traditionally organised by ExpoForum International. “The new venue is absolutely vital for the development of the International Health Forum, which was successfully held in October last year. We look forward to the opening of ExpoForum, and will do our best to make this a top-level event”, Mr Stenzel noted.

The dinner, an annual event for partners, offering an opportunity to take stock of the year’s business and discuss future plans, was attended by over 50 representatives of leading exhibition organisers, including RESTEC, Primexpo, Farexpo, Yarmarka Nedvizhimosti, Kino Expo, Messe Düsseldorf, Reed Exhibitions, and many others.

In 2013, ExpoForum International confirmed its status as a professional operator of international-standard exhibitions and conventions, and accommodated more than 60 guest events, twice as many as in the previous two years. Last year, Lenexpo Exhibition Complex reached maximum capacity in terms of usage, and moving to the new ExpoForum venue is now a necessity for all exhibition industry stakeholders in Northwest Russia.