Wolfram Diener

President & CEO (Chairman of the Management Board), Messe Düsseldorf

Search every verified Wolfram Diener interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Wolfram Diener, President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, has discussed the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the company, stating that business declined by over 70% in 2020 and that a loss was unavoidable for that year and 2021, with hopes of reaching a break-even point in 2022. He noted that planned investments of over one billion euros for renovating the exhibition grounds over the next 10 to 12 years have been postponed indefinitely due to a lack of funds. Diener described the Caravan Salon in 2021 as a successful restart, with over 40% new customers and high satisfaction among exhibitors and visitors. Diener has emphasized the importance of physical trade shows, stating that exhibitors view the return on investment from virtual platforms as far inferior to that of in-person events. He identified Asia as having the highest upside potential for the trade show business globally. Diener also discussed Messe Düsseldorf's expansion into the B2C market in North America, including a partnership in Detroit, while noting that the rules for consumer shows differ significantly from B2B events.