The history of Messe München is an impressive story in the sector for trade fairs and exhibitions. In just five decades, the company managed to evolve from a local marketplace and trade center to an internationally recognized, globally active trade-fair corporation. A microsite about the company`s history shows its most important milestones between 1964 and today in text and images.

Then

The beginnings of Messe München reach back to a period of rapid development in Munich—the Sixties. It was characterized by a general atmosphere of economic upswing that also consumed Munich. It was the age of the economic miracle. Trade shows were increasing in significance at an unprecedented rate. Demand for industrial and commercial products at the national and international level was growing in leaps and bounds. The next reasonable step—and one that was vital for Munich—was to establish a perfectly functioning trade-fair industry.

April 1, 1964: Münchner Messe- und Ausstellungsgesellschaft (MMG) is founded, establishing the basis for a professional trade-fair industry in Munich. Its shareholders are the City of Munich, the State of Bavaria, the Chamber of Industry and Trade of Munich and Upper Bavaria and the Chamber of Trade and Crafts.

Today

Today, five decades later, Messe München is an internationally recognized, globally active trade-fair corporation with some 40 trade fairs at its Munich venues alone, including 14 leading international trade fairs. It also organizes trade fairs in China, India, Turkey and South Africa. With a combination of affiliates abroad – in Europe, Asia and Africa – and over 60 representatives actively serving over 100 countries, Messe München has a worldwide business network.

For Munich, the trade-fair corporation is now a driving economic force. According to a study conducted by the ifo Institute for Economic Research (2014), Messe München`s activities at its Munich venues secure 24,394 jobs, 14,177 of which are in the Bavarian capital, and 5,774 of which are in the rest of Bavaria. Each year, exhibitors and visitors who participate in Messe München events generate total nationwide sales of EUR 2.63 billion and generate tax revenues totaling EUR 490 million.

Two new exhibition halls and a new conference center will soon take shape in Munich. All details are available here: new exhibition halls.

The whole story The company has experienced several exciting milestones between then and now: Munich`s first international trade show, the International Transport Exhibition (1965), the Olympic Games (1972), relocating the company to Riem (1998), the international breakthrough in the 1990s, building the trade-fair center in Shanghai (2001), the papal visit and the Soccer World Cup (2006) as well as a number of trade-fair premieres and anniversaries.

Our microsite on the history of the company will take you on an entertaining journey through the entire history of Messe München. It features text and images that show the important and memorable moments from the last five decades.

IFAT Munich 2026