Messe Frankfurt - Let's go to the (trade) fair
Billed as the world's largest trade fair, Messe Frankfurt keeps expanding, even with the supposedly limited office space in the downtown area. Not that hard whenever supply meets demand.
My first appearance at Messe Frankfurt coincided with the Frankfurt Marathon, held in October of last year. An event of that magnitude requires space, and plenty of it, space that Messe Frankfurt was more than capable of providing. Invariably, marathons are not space friendly events, since you are not only herding runners within a few hundred square meters, but you are also shutting down large parts of the city and bringing the traffic to a standstill. But when all was said and done, there was plenty of room for the thousands of runners, the merchants and sponsors, plus the crowds that appeared to cheer on the runners.
This time, the family would get to see Messe Frankfurt up close and personal, thanks to an event titled Land und Genuss, an exhibition showcasing the many marvels that country living has to offer. Wineries are represented from a dozen different countries, cheese makers are in attendance, gardening clubs, chocolatiers, butchers...there is no end to what the fair can offer from the country. Liebi finds what she labels the best chocolate ever, we learn it's more a fair for international than local merchants. For the latter, I suppose a simple farmer's market will suffice.
Frankfurt and trade traditionally go hand in hand. The Börse, or the stock exchange, is a different post altogether, but the trade fairs have been a part of Frankfurt's makeup since the 13th century, at the very least. Again, this is where location comes in handy. It took Frankfurt until the 20th century to settle on something more elaborate than tents and dirt like you would see at old Arabic souks, and the results are as amazing as the trade shows themselves. Many years ago, merchants would meet at the Römer, the market area in front of the town hall, although the demand would in time outgrow the limited space the Römer still has to offer. Fortunately, Frankfurt thought well ahead.
Messe Frankfurt can be accessed from several different train lines, or on foot, if you're in the downtown area. With Frankfurt's air pollution still posing a challenge, that is music to the city's ears.
When the four of us get off the subway, I would say we are no more than three or four hundred meters from our destination, as the crow flies. With the Messe's huge complex, we receive a healthy workout by the time we arrive, since the building is at the opposite end of the campus. We climb down three flights of stairs, take an escalator, walk a half a mile through one building, and still haven't made it halfway there yet. Messe Frankfurt reminds me a lot of the airport, since it never seems to end. There are these endless halls that eventually split into more halls, even movable walkways are available for the exhibitors and their heavy loads, if that applies.
In the year 2017, Messe Frankfurt hosted 230 guest events and 1.7 million exhibitors. The Messe is the international venue for giants like the pharmaceutical industry, the International Auto Show, and the Book Fair, among many others. Currently, there are eleven buildings capable of hosting any event of any magnitude, with a twelfth under construction. There is also the Festhalle, quite possibly the premier concert venue in Germany. The architecture of these buildings is nothing to sniff at, either.
And, wouldn't you believe it, Messe Frankfurt is owned by the city of Frankfurt (60%) and the state of Hessen (40%), so that the association had better handle in the public's best interest. Even so, it's a just one landmark of many in Germany's alpha city.
My first appearance at Messe Frankfurt coincided with the Frankfurt Marathon, held in October of last year. An event of that magnitude requires space, and plenty of it, space that Messe Frankfurt was more than capable of providing. Invariably, marathons are not space friendly events, since you are not only herding runners within a few hundred square meters, but you are also shutting down large parts of the city and bringing the traffic to a standstill. But when all was said and done, there was plenty of room for the thousands of runners, the merchants and sponsors, plus the crowds that appeared to cheer on the runners.
This time, the family would get to see Messe Frankfurt up close and personal, thanks to an event titled Land und Genuss, an exhibition showcasing the many marvels that country living has to offer. Wineries are represented from a dozen different countries, cheese makers are in attendance, gardening clubs, chocolatiers, butchers...there is no end to what the fair can offer from the country. Liebi finds what she labels the best chocolate ever, we learn it's more a fair for international than local merchants. For the latter, I suppose a simple farmer's market will suffice.
Frankfurt and trade traditionally go hand in hand. The Börse, or the stock exchange, is a different post altogether, but the trade fairs have been a part of Frankfurt's makeup since the 13th century, at the very least. Again, this is where location comes in handy. It took Frankfurt until the 20th century to settle on something more elaborate than tents and dirt like you would see at old Arabic souks, and the results are as amazing as the trade shows themselves. Many years ago, merchants would meet at the Römer, the market area in front of the town hall, although the demand would in time outgrow the limited space the Römer still has to offer. Fortunately, Frankfurt thought well ahead.
Messe Frankfurt can be accessed from several different train lines, or on foot, if you're in the downtown area. With Frankfurt's air pollution still posing a challenge, that is music to the city's ears.
When the four of us get off the subway, I would say we are no more than three or four hundred meters from our destination, as the crow flies. With the Messe's huge complex, we receive a healthy workout by the time we arrive, since the building is at the opposite end of the campus. We climb down three flights of stairs, take an escalator, walk a half a mile through one building, and still haven't made it halfway there yet. Messe Frankfurt reminds me a lot of the airport, since it never seems to end. There are these endless halls that eventually split into more halls, even movable walkways are available for the exhibitors and their heavy loads, if that applies.
In the year 2017, Messe Frankfurt hosted 230 guest events and 1.7 million exhibitors. The Messe is the international venue for giants like the pharmaceutical industry, the International Auto Show, and the Book Fair, among many others. Currently, there are eleven buildings capable of hosting any event of any magnitude, with a twelfth under construction. There is also the Festhalle, quite possibly the premier concert venue in Germany. The architecture of these buildings is nothing to sniff at, either.
And, wouldn't you believe it, Messe Frankfurt is owned by the city of Frankfurt (60%) and the state of Hessen (40%), so that the association had better handle in the public's best interest. Even so, it's a just one landmark of many in Germany's alpha city.
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