Anticorruption guideline

Corruption is not a trivial offence. It not only is punishable by law, but also harms the economy, tarnishes a company’s image and leads to a loss of trust. Koelnmesse does not tolerate corruption of any kind. Its anticorruption guideline clearly specifies which actions are permissible and which are not. This applies to the granting and acceptance of all types of favours, gifts and other business-related advantages.

The guideline aims to eliminate corruption by ensuring complete transparency. After all, bribery can only take place behind closed doors. All managers and employees at Koelnmesse have to document and declare any gifts or other favours they receive from existing or potential customers if these favours are more extensive than small tokens of appreciation such as promotional merchandise.

Managers and employees who are unsure about a particular case can get in touch with Koelnmesse’s internal notification committee or an external ombudsman's office. Both of these bodies investigate and evaluate inquiries and decide on any measures that may need to be taken.

As part of its measures to prevent corruption, Koelnmesse has commissioned an ombudsman’s office that employees, customers, suppliers, or third parties may contact if they receive information about activities that violate these principles.