Ina Kolenda
Project Manager, Guest Events
At Messe Friedrichshafen for 16 years
Exhibition venue: Conference Center/Foyer East
“Let me tell you right away: I have very little time! Fakuma is just around the corner...” warns Ina at the start of our conversation, laughing as she places her work phone in front of her on the table. As a project manager, she’s part of the Guest Events team, responsible for coordinating and executing fairs and events hosted by external organizers at the Friedrichshafen fairgrounds. That amounts to 30 to 35 events per year. Fakuma, the international trade fair for plastics processing, is one of the largest guest events held at the venue. Despite her busy schedule, Ina takes the time to speak with us, even as her phone rings at regular intervals, with Ina patiently answering questions and coordinating details of the fair setup.
What most people don’t know about the fair? “That we’re busy all year round,” Ina chuckles. “Many people think we just open the doors here.” Whether it’s lead times for planning large events or the coordination efforts required, many can’t imagine what goes into bringing such projects to life.
The most exciting aspect of her job, Ina finds, is tackling new design challenges and working with the unknown. And there’s always something new in the trade fair business. “We deal with so many different events, formats, and people – there are worlds between them,” she explains, recalling events as diverse as they come: the after-show party of “Wetten, dass…”, a shareholders’ meeting, Faszination Modellbau Friedrichshafen, a concert by Die Ärzte, the SPD state party convention, and many more. “Being able to work on so many different topics enriches you,” Ina is convinced. And even when, despite double and triple preparations, things don’t go perfectly – like a false alarm during a banquet – Ina remains calm.
The dynamic and versatility of her work are reflected in her favorite spot at the fair: the Conference Center East, with its adjacent foyer. Ina gushes: “The East Foyer is, in my opinion, an extraordinarily successful building. I’m fascinated by the many different design possibilities it offers.” The square, pillar-lined building impresses not only with its surrounding gallery, from which you can observe the fair activities in the foyer below. The geometric roof of glass, steel, and wood conveys the unique ambiance of the fairgrounds. “So many different events have already taken place in this foyer, and you can see what’s possible with creativity and ingenuity,” Ina enthuses. Her passion for the building’s architecture is contagious, and you can’t help but see the light-flooded foyer with entirely new eyes.