One event, many years ago, has stayed with me in particular. It was in the run-up to the Anuga FoodTec (AFT), which we organised for the first time in 1996. A good two years before that, when I was a project manager, the board of Tetra Pak from Sweden announced they were coming to visit. The gentlemen wanted to take a look at the trade fair grounds and decide whether they wanted to exhibit at the AFT. The managing director, the head of department responsible and myself were to attend the meeting to represent Koelnmesse. The evening before the meeting, the managing director had to cancel as he had another urgent appointment. The next morning, the head of department also called in sick. I was the only one there from Koelnmesse. I was very nervous because it was such a great responsibility, but I didn’t let it show. I was supported by the managing director of the German Agricultural Society (DLG) – our professional partner for this field – who also took part in the meeting. In my best English, I looked after the guests all day long.

First of all we took a tour of the trade fair grounds. Then I took the group to lunch at the Hyatt Hotel for further discussions. It was a relaxed atmosphere of mutual understanding. The men were impressed by the trade fair grounds, the excellent connection to the motorway and the perfect infrastructure of the halls. During lunch, the Swedes kept looking across the Rhine towards the cathedral. They were captivated by the exquisite view along the “Hohenzollern“-bridge. During the conversation, I was able to tell them all about the city. I know a bit about the history of Cologne, and I can talk a lot about Carnival. The guests listened with interest and seemed impressed. At the end of the day, I was able to win them over for the Anuga FoodTec at Koelnmesse. The board agreed to take part in the event with a huge stand. They also wanted to invite several thousand trade visitors to the AFT at their own expense. And they did indeed put these plans into action. I still remember that day. It was the perfect start to a positive business relationship with Tetra Pak, which became a key account.

One exciting encounter I had was at the Anuga. I was press officer at the time and one of my responsibilities was organising press conferences. During one such company press conference, I had the great fortune to meet Michael Schumacher. The Formula 1 racing driver had been invited to a press conference by a major drinks manufacturer as part of the Anuga, and my job was to accompany him. I met him at his car in front of the hall and took him to the exhibitor’s stand, where the press conference was taking place. I only knew him from the media before then. He was friendly, reserved and a rather slight young man. I could have a laid-back conversation with him. He was grateful for the advice and tips I was able to give him as a press officer.

One funny experience was during the stamp fair Philatelia with T’Card, a large public event. Many years ago, people had to buy phone cards to make calls from public phone boxes. Over time, the cards, which featured a wide array of designs, became sought-after collector’s items. The trade fair had a huge variety of these on display. As part of the event, there was an evening riverboat cruise on the Rhine, together with the association that organised the event. Exhibitors and the media were invited. The boat set sail alongside Cologne’s old town. Before dinner, the managing director gave a speech and said that the Philatelia with T’Card was bursting with a “firework” of ideas. At that very moment, fireworks were set off on the riverbank in Deutz, commissioned by the organisers of the Deutz fun fair. The attendees, the association’s managing director above all, were delighted, and thought that we had ordered the fireworks for the boat cruise. The atmosphere on board was incredible, especially as it was a balmy summer evening. We only “came clean” to the company later on.

The Anuga FoodTec (AFT) is still my favourite event because I was able to play a pivotal role in developing it from the very beginning. That was between 1993 and 1996; the premiere was in 1996. I can still remember the managing director at the time asking me into his office and showing me a business card bearing the name of the managing director of the German Agricultural Society (DLG). He recommended that I get in touch with the DLG to discuss the potential extent of a collaboration between the two organisations. The aim was to organise a cross-industry trade fair on the topic of food technology. This was the starting shot for a very close partnership. The AFT is still one of a kind today, as it covers the whole process and all technical fields of food and drink production: from processing and packaging to cooling and transport. This topic still fascinates me. The experience taught me a great deal about working on an event from start to finish, from the initial idea, through every detail, to the opening of the event.

The team spirit at Koelnmesse was always incredible! I got to know and appreciate many great colleagues over the years, across a wide range of fields. Through my role on the works council I also made close connections within the workforce. I still meet up with some employees today. Thanks to my many years of experience, I have also been able to make a number of positive connections outside of Koelnmesse. In the context of the AFT, I remember the DLG project manager at the time. We sat together for hundreds of hours, discussing what could be important for the event topic. We visited many companies together and gave presentations. We also travelled to competitors’ events in Germany and abroad. A friendly relationship developed over the years.

When I first started as a project manager, we still drew up the exhibitors’ placements in the trade fair halls by hand on giant plans. We worked with pencils and rulers. It was laborious and time-consuming. When placements changed or the event grew, we had to redraw many things. Switching to the computer-assisted CAD system wasn’t easy, but it made things much simpler from then on.

The Messeturm – or trade fair tower – is a special place for me. Located directly on the Rhine, it offers spectacular panoramic views of the trade fair grounds and the city. There used to be a restaurant at the top with this wonderful view, stretching as far as Bergisches Land. My work as a press officer and later as a project manager occasionally gave me the chance to have a meal up there with organisations and the media. It was impressive to meet up there and enjoy the view of the Rheinpark when the weather was good. I hope that the Messeturm will reopen one day, perhaps with a new restaurant open to the general public.

My ten years on the Supervisory Board have given me the opportunity to keep up to date with many issues. I will keep my fingers crossed for the management and my colleagues that the company’s upward trajectory continues and that it soon recovers from the dip caused by COVID and the war in Ukraine. The foundations are solid, and the trend is pointing upwards. Above all: congratulations on “100 years of Koelnmesse”!