New trade fair, new hall: Olma trade fairs show confidence
New trade fair and more events: Olma Messen St. Gallen presented the status of the implementation of Strategy31 at the beginning of February. The new Hall 1 will be available for use for the first time at the 80th Olma in the fall.
In the next ten years, Olma Messen St. Gallen wants to increase its sales by a third from 30 to 40 million Swiss francs - and that in an industry that is undergoing transformation. "The need for live communication is definitely back," Thomas Scheitlin, Chairman of the Board of Olma Messen St. Gallen, told the media. For 2023, 112 events are already fixed - including five own and three guest fairs.
The strategy adopted in the fall of 2021 focuses on the further development of the trade show business. Another central element is the expansion of the event business. In addition, new sources of revenue are to be tapped.
The company sees opportunities above all in trade shows that are either developed in-house or purchased. A first example is Gastia, a trade fair for the hotel, gastronomy and catering industries, which has been announced for the first time for April 2023. "We will stick to our core business," said Scheitlin.
Name sponsor wanted
There has been a consolidation of trade fairs for the general public, and a regionalization of trade fairs. Immo Messe Schweiz will no longer exist in its current form. The topics of construction, renovation and energy are to be given more weight at Offa and Olma in the future.
The event business is to be further expanded. The new Hall 1 will open up new possibilities for this from March 2024, said Christine Bolt, Director of Olma Messen. The exhibition area will thus increase from today's 30,000 to 43,000 square meters. For the years 2024 and 2025, Hall 1 is already at 50 percent capacity, she said. During the upcoming Olma, part of the almost completed hall could be used for the first time.
A name sponsor is still being sought for the new hall. "We are looking for a partner who shares our values and the values of Eastern Switzerland," says Christine Bolt. Depending on the package, the sponsorship should bring Olma Messen several hundred thousand francs.
Olma AG controversial
Olma Messen had run into financial difficulties as a result of the Corona pandemic. Last March, the company had announced a loss of 3.3 million Swiss francs for the 2021 financial year. At the same time, measures were announced at the time to get the company back on track.
The plan is for the Olma Messen Cooperative to be converted into a joint-stock company in April 2023. The share capital is then to be increased by 20 million francs by spring 2024. So far, 6 million francs have been collected. Share subscription will start at the end of February.
Last November, the cantonal council and also the St. Gallen city parliament decided to waive a loan of CHF 8.4 million each. In the February session, the Cantonal Council will once again consider the matter in a second reading. The SP does not want Olma AG. The opening of the Olma trade fairs to the general public could be solved in another way than with the conversion into a public limited company, they criticize. (SDA)
