1949
On December 16, 1949, 12 citizens of Friedrichshafen founded the International Lake Constance Fair Friedrichshafen GmbH. The founders were:
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Max Sedlmeier, also vice president of the Ravensburg Chamber of Commerce, became the chairman of the shareholders. Dr. Paul Müller was appointed as the fair’s managing director.
From the 1950s to Today
Milestones in the development of a trade fair.
1950s
1950
On April 22, 1950, the first IBO fair opened its doors on the grounds of Pestalozzi School and the former secondary school with 450 exhibitors.
1951
Karl Hürttle replaced Dr. Paul Müller as managing director.
The IBO was shortened from 16 to 10 days.
1953
Due to space constraints, the IBO was held for the last time on the old grounds.
1954
The IBO moved to the western Riedlewald grounds, which had been filled with rubble from the city. At this time, the company hired two permanent employees.
1959
At the 10th IBO, due to further space constraints, the Riedlewiese within Riedlewald was also used. The IBO then had 12,300 m² of hall space and 7,600 m² of outdoor space.
1961
Hans-Joachim Quast became the new trade fair director after Karl Hürttle's death, and Otto P.W. Hüni was appointed to the board of the fair.
1962
The first permanent hall was inaugurated.
For the first time, INTERBOOT opened as a separate fair, originating from the IBO's boat section.
1964
Hubertus Bürgl succeeded Hans-Joachim Quast as managing director.
1968
The trade fair moved to its third location on Meistershofenerstraße. INTERBOOT was the first fair held at the new grounds.
Otto P.W. Hüni was named president of the fair.
1974
The company's nonprofit status was established by amending the articles of association.
1976/78
Hall 6 was expanded in 1976, and a new Hall 5 was built in 1978, ending the era of inflatable halls, which had caused recurring issues over the years.
1979
Hall 8 and the exhibition bridge over Meistershofenerstraße were put into operation.
1987
With the appointment of a supervisory board chaired by Mayor Dr. Bernd Wiedmann, a restructuring of the trade fair company was initiated.
1988
Jürgen Tillack and Ernst Haller succeeded Hubertus Bürgl as managing directors, with Bürgl retiring due to age.
1992
Messe Friedrichshafen was created through a shareholders' agreement, establishing two companies – the property company "International Lake Constance Fair Friedrichshafen GmbH" and the operating company "Messe Friedrichshafen GmbH." The city became the main shareholder.
1994
Hall 10 was completed, later becoming one of the two main buildings of the "Bodensee Center Friedrichshafen" shopping center, home to Media Markt, Cineplex, and La Scala restaurant.
1995
Concrete relocation plans for Messe Friedrichshafen were first seriously discussed in Friedrichshafen. Increasing traffic issues, the lack of space for additional parking, and the deteriorating condition of most halls made relocation seem like a practical solution. Additionally, the city-center location of the grounds could easily be marketed.
1997
The first Zeppelin New Technology (NT) launched its maiden flight from Hall 10. The first Zeppelin NT had been assembled in the hall over an extended period. The focus was initially on ensuring feasibility before building a dedicated hangar, which followed shortly thereafter. Interestingly, during ongoing trade fairs, essential parts of the Zeppelin were suspended from the ceiling while exhibition stands were set up underneath.
1998
On June 16, the city council approved the trade fair relocation to Allmannsweiler near the airport.
On December 7, twelve general contractors were invited to submit bids.
1999
On November 15, the construction contract was awarded to the consortium of Hochtief/Tessag Rheinelektra Technik. The architectural design came from the renowned Hamburg-based firm Gerkan, Mark, and Partners.
2000
On May 23, construction of the new fairgrounds officially began.
2001
Rolf Mohne became managing director, succeeding Ernst Haller.
The foundation stone for the exhibition center is laid on March 7.
2002
Jürgen Schmid was appointed as the managing director of Messe Friedrichshafen, re-establishing a dual leadership at the company. Schmid succeeded Udo Haupt, who had to step down due to illness.
2002
On July 27 and 28, the "Opening Days" marked the launch of the new Messe Friedrichshafen. This event was designed not only to introduce the new trade fair grounds to the public but also to serve as a full-scale function test under maximum capacity.
2006
Klaus Wellmann became the sole managing director of Messe Friedrichshafen.
In June, the fair began assessing the groundwork for another expansion of the hall spaces, as the company's growth at the new fairgrounds was faster than expected. The expansion could take place in the eastern part of the grounds.
In August, Messe Friedrichshafen participated in a trade fair in China for the first time, with the Asia Outdoor event.
In November, the city council strongly supported the expansion plans. With a total cost of 50 million euros, financed entirely by the fair itself, the project included two additional column-free halls, a new East Entrance foyer with numerous presentation facilities, and more parking spaces.
2008
On June 24, the topping-out ceremony for the eastern section of the Messe grounds took place.
In December, road construction began to connect the fairgrounds from the north.
2009
On July 16, 2009, Baden-Württemberg's Minister-President Günther Oettinger officially opened the East expansion of Messe Friedrichshafen.
The area now reached its current size, consisting of 12 exhibition halls, 2 foyers, 3 outdoor areas, a trade fair lake, and an atrium, along with numerous conference and meeting rooms with varying capacities. The total exhibition space expanded to 87,500 m².
On September 4, the groundbreaking ceremony for the four-lane southern access road to the fairgrounds took place.
2010
On June 17, the four-lane Messe road in the south was officially opened to traffic.
2013
German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the EUROBIKE trade fair.
2014
Messe Friedrichshafen was awarded the German Energy Prize by DENA (German Energy Agency).
2019
In July, the AERO SOUTH AFRICA successfully launched in Pretoria.
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the trade fair industry for three years. From March 2020, legal regulations either made it impossible to hold trade fairs or allowed them only under difficult conditions.
2021
On November 17, the trade fair companies of Frankfurt and Friedrichshafen formalized their partnership with a focus on innovative mobility. Messe Frankfurt acquired a stake in fairnamic GmbH, a joint venture that combines the expertise of both partners in the areas of urban mobility and general aviation. The aim is to drive the global mobility transition, with the key brands EUROBIKE and AERO at the forefront. The goal is to expand and further develop these leading trade fairs at both locations. The headquarters of fairnamic is in Friedrichshafen.