President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Messe Frankfurt GmbH
ISH 2023 - Wolfgang Marzin und Udo Jung
Erhalten Sie exklusive Einblicke in das Interview mit Udo Jung, Geschäftsführer von TROX, und Wolfgang Marzin, Vorsitzender ...
About Wolfgang Marzin
Wolfgang Marzin, President and CEO of Messe Frankfurt, has described trade fairs as "echte Seismographen der Wirtschaft" (true seismographs of the economy), stating that they reveal which industries are booming and where challenges may arise. He noted that Messe Frankfurt operates 28 subsidiaries across all continents except Australia, with recent expansions into countries such as Saudi Arabia. Marzin also discussed the shift from global to continental leading trade fairs, attributing this to factors such as visa restrictions and trade barriers. Marzin highlighted the importance of in-person events, particularly during the pandemic, stating that Messe Frankfurt held a trade fair during that period to demonstrate the importance of air quality in halls and buildings. He emphasized that trade fairs serve as neutral platforms for competition and innovation, and that the company has grown its portfolio in India from one show in 2010 to 25 shows. Regarding energy efficiency, Marzin noted that 40% of energy is consumed in buildings and described the light+building trade fair as a platform for the industry to work toward reducing that consumption.
Transcript (10 segments)
H
Host0:06
I have Udo Jung, managing director of TRX GmbH. Udo, very briefly, we are on day two. Yesterday was already absolute madness in a positive sense. What's happening? How are you feeling when you see this?
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Udo Jung0:17
Well, after yesterday, what others have seen, I am floating above the stand. It can't get any better. The stand is full. I always dreamed of this. I used to think, 'When will it finally start again?' And then after the shock we had on Sunday, and now here, I can only float. I'm brought back down when it gets too much. It's safe to say it's working, and I'm happy that we have a very special guest here. Perhaps we can start by saying that we are at the ISH, which is a Messe Frankfurt fair, but you have a very special connection with the fair. What is that? Yes, for many, many years we have been allowed to deliver some products. We are very proud of that. We do the trade fair tours in Hall 5, which was a new project for us, and we fought hard for it. We made sure we could hold fairs during the pandemic; that's why we created the 'Indoor Air' event and, through the associations and through DRX, set another impulse.
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Host1:22
Wonderful. And you can be found in many places, not just down here, but elsewhere too. And now I would ask for a big round of applause because we are pleased that Wolfgang Marzin is with us. He is the Chairman of the Management Board of Messe Frankfurt. Applause, welcome!
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Wolfgang Marzin1:39
Well, you can applaud, it works wonderfully. It's not unusual for a trade fair company.
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Host1:47
Folks, Wolfgang, we've had an incredible start. First of all, your day: you were just with the Prime Minister and the political elite, and now you're here. That's how it should be. Protocol can come later. How does this ISH 2023 feel?
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Wolfgang Marzin2:00
Exactly. We can put protocol aside. The best thing is when our customers, exhibitors, visitors, and media people are satisfied. And for a day and a half now, everyone has been happy. Everyone at the TRX stand is rolling out the blue carpet for us. That's great. Udo, happy faces, good business obviously. We can trust each other again, orient ourselves to others, see competitors. I think we are very happy. And yes, Udo, we send you invoices, but thank God you also send us invoices for the ventilation systems installed here. We are very grateful. It's a special partnership. This is a very important point here at the stand. You can see it everywhere. We had a difficult time during the pandemic, and now it's a win-win situation for customers. How important is someone like TRX for being able to hold fairs in these difficult times, which are partially behind us, because they provide fresh air? Udo Jung could explain it just as well.
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Udo Jung3:16
You know, we dared to hold a fair in the middle of the pandemic a year and a half ago. Even the last politicians realized how important air is in halls, in nursing homes, in schools, everywhere in buildings fundamentally. So we thought, let's use the two months we had in the middle of the pandemic when we were allowed to meet. And we created an 'Indoor Air' event. I think you were even the godfather or something. And it worked. And now we are happy that we can meet again carefree. It's a partnership. Many can jump on a moving train. TRX was one of the first doers of this fair, the ISH, which is the world's leading trade fair that we are glad takes place in Germany, in Europe. It's a real partnership, win and take, just great. What else can we say? Okay, the 'Indoor Air' was very important for all of us because, as some didn't notice, through the DRX foundation, we also conducted experiments with Professor Müller from RWD Aen, who contributed a lot. And that ultimately led to our industry's demand for 25 cubic meters per hour per person in public buildings. That is our goal, to get that into the building code, which is already standard in Scandinavia. That is our topic. And I spoke with Dr. Fosser, a lung specialist from the Betitian Hospital in MST, who also advised the federal government during Corona. He said that if we can no longer communicate and meet in such public buildings like this fair with such a ceiling height, then what is life? Life is indoors, and we simply need fresh air. It is extremely important.
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Host5:04
Exactly, we have that here. That's why I would like to end with a brief outlook: How will it continue? What do you expect for the next three and a half days we have ahead of us, full of action?
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Udo Jung5:15
Yes, it would be nice if the stand stays so full, but I think we can manage it. And I have to say, I am so proud of the team that rocked it here in the last few days, along with the entire setup team in cooperation with the fair. That is not a given. And now I hope that the next days will just be a show. On Thursday evening we have the fair party, where it will really go around, and then we'll go back to everyday life. That will be hard enough.
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Host5:47
And do you have to put your tie back on, or was that it? I think now it's time to work. And by the way, many thanks for the good atmosphere that everyone is spreading here at the stand. Yes, I wish you great success at the end of the fair. Let me know if all wishes come true. The moderator is already laughing, so nothing can go wrong. Kilian, with his laugh, keep it up. Yes, lots of fun at the party tomorrow and plenty of business. Okay, you mentioned one thing: the band playing on Thursday evening is also at the Oktoberfest. You said you have lederhosen, but it's not mandatory. It would fit, I can say from experience. Thank you very much. Another round of applause for Wolfgang Marzin and Udo Jung. And a reminder: on trx.de you can find all topics, all clips, everything produced here to watch again in more detail than we can present here briefly on stage. Many thanks, your applause again. Thank you.