100 years of trade fair history – Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center
The foundation was actually laid already with the World Exposition taking place in 1873 for the first time in the German-speaking region, comprising a 250-hectare large area. To compensate the resulting deficit, the formerly newly founded trade show committee decided to continue using the area for regular exhibition events in Vienna.
The first post-war exhibition was already held in 1946, showing even in that time the importance of trade fairs as economic driver and for society. A period of prosperity for trade fairs followed until the 90ies. In 1998, the Vienna city government decided to revitalize the Leopoldstadt (2nd district) and the plans for building the Messe Wien New were a catalyst for the development of the district.
In 2001, Reed Exhibitions as one of the leading trade show organizers was appointed to operate the exhibition site and after a record construction period of only 3 years, the Messe Wien New was unofficially inaugurated with the Congress of Cardiology end of August 2003 with about 28.000 cardiologists. The official opening of the venue took place in January 2004.
Since that time, the Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center with its flexible room design to use the venue in different ways is a hub for national and international tradeshows, congresses and events as well as for local public and political institutions. In addition, the trade fairs and consumer shows of Reed Exhibitions as regularly established events fill the calendar of Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center.
Further information:
www.messecongress.at
