Koelnmesse Once Again Recognised as a “Pioneer in Sustainability”

• Sector analysis and certificate issued by the F.A.Z. Institute confirm Cologne’s outstanding sustainability reputation as a trade fair location
• Koelnmesse secures the top ranking among German trade fair companies for the second consecutive time
• Study analyses around 6.4 million online references relating to some 16,000 companies

Koelnmesse has once again been recognised as Germany’s leading and most innovative trade fair location in the field of sustainability. This is confirmed by the latest study “Pioneers in Sustainability 2025” conducted by the consulting firm ServiceValue in cooperation with the F.A.Z. Institute. The subsidiary of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung assessed the sustainability reputation of approximately 16,000 companies based on an AI-assisted monitoring across online and social media sources.

“Every initiative that highlights the public resonance of sustainable business practices is welcome,” says Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse. “Bringing together ecological, social, and economic responsibility is central to our work – and this balance is embedded firmly in our corporate strategy.”

Gerald Böse also underlines the importance of tangible progress: “By offering resource-efficient services and investing consistently in innovative solutions, we enable our customers to make their trade fair participation more sustainable. This creates added value both for our partners and for the future-oriented development of the events industry. The positive public perception of this progress sends an important signal and provides motivation for the company’s continued transformation.”

The “Pioneers in Sustainability 2025” study is based on the AI-assisted assessment of roughly 6.4 million online references relating to around 16,000 companies between 2023 and 2025. Alongside indicators of innovative strength, the study incorporated environmental, economic and social sustainability on an equal basis. Koelnmesse had already achieved first place among German trade fair locations in 2024. With the renewed recognition in 2025, the company reinforces its leading role in the sustainable transformation of the events industry.

Koelnmesse is pursuing ambitious sustainability targets, including a climate-neutral energy supply by 2030. Recent steps include the installation of Cologne’s largest inner-city photovoltaic system and the conversion of Germany’s third-largest trade fair venue to fossil-free geothermal energy. Additional progress is being made through modern lighting systems, highly efficient ventilation technology, expanded charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, intelligent logistics and traffic management, and innovative solutions for resource-efficient stand construction, circular flooring materials and overall waste reduction at trade fairs.