"We are definitely planning a Gamescom at the end of August".

Expodata: Mr. Böse, what concerns you most today?

Gerald Böse: I am pleased that my family is healthy. I am relieved that this also applies to our employees, after we switched to mobile working very early on - wherever possible. And I am concerned about the future of our industry: because the trade show business and all our partner trades have been hit hardest by the crisis, and because at the same time I see the trade show industry as a key industry in returning to economic normality - worldwide. This means a great obligation, not only for Koelnmesse.

In the World on Sunday of April 5, you say that Koelnmesse already emerged stronger from the financial crisis in 2008 and you expect the same for the Corona crisis. What are you hoping for now?

During the financial and economic crisis, we took a step sideways to look at our structures and processes from the outside, from the customer's point of view. A need for change was identified: We centralized many functions, defined overarching thematic competencies and positioned ourselves as "One Company" on a global basis. This was the beginning of a great growth phase, culminating for Koelnmesse in the record year of 2019, with sales exceeding 400 million euros for the first time.

Now it is time to put the current model to the test once again: Today, we see how important mobility is for the trade show business and thus for economic activity. We have to find formats that also work for people with limited mobility and, for example, expand the classic trade fair, which continues to be indispensable, into digital spaces. It was right for us at Koelnmesse to face up to the digital transformation at an early stage. Likewise, that with our Koelnmesse 3.0 investment program we are focusing on flexible site structures and can also implement scenarios beyond "more and more, bigger and bigger". In the future, the trade fair business will no longer be the same as it was before the crisis. We have to prepare for this today, even before we open the gates to the first post-Corona events.

You say you want to host the important Gamescom in Cologne at the end of August 2020. What are the prospects here?

We are definitely planning an analog Gamescom at the end of August in Cologne, perhaps with an even bigger digital platform than we already have. Of course, we are doing this with a sense of proportion and will take further developments and regulatory requirements into account at an early stage if necessary. Just as we will remain in close contact with the games industry. After all, many exhibitors come from the USA, where the situation is even less predictable than here.

In the World on Sunday you talk about partially expanding trade shows into digital spaces and cite "digital reach" as a pillar of success. What, if any experience here, is the benchmark for digital reach, say at a Gamescom?

With its online offering "Gamescom now", Gamescom already proved last year that, in addition to a large physical public event, the addition of digital livestreams and videos has its place and its success. At the same time, with high six-digit visitor numbers, it has shown for years how important meeting and direct exchange is, even for such a digitally influenced community. That is and remains the unique selling point of a trade show.

We have to combine both, not only at Gamescom: making personal encounters and live experiences possible, while at the same time offering digital accompaniment, supplementation, even additional benefits. Should mobility in economic exchange really remain restricted in the longer term, there is no alternative to this parallelism.

If you achieve a large reach or a digital reach with key buyers: is there a potential business area opening up here?

Of course. What we offer exclusively on a digital platform may also cost the user the money it is worth - just like the trade show ticket.

You also say in the Kölnische Rundschau that you want to take advantage of the current forced pause and are developing "new ideas. Are there fields where you see positive transformations being accelerated by Corona, including in the economy in general?

In my opinion, the trade show world has needed to change, and not just since Corona. After all, digital transformation is not an end in itself, but follows the ambition to offer our customers even more possibilities and more efficiency - in short, even more business - from their visit to the trade show. Our trade show venues need more flexibility, for example, to implement exhibition and congress formats.

As I said, we have to examine our processes and our content and be prepared to make changes. This is not only due to the Corona crisis: The big topic of sustainability as a success factor also in the trade show business, which kept us very busy until the first weeks of the year, is just now moving somewhat into the background, but remains a central obligation and challenge.

The trade fair event could become a blueprint for how the global economic network will function in the future - possibly also with Corona: on an ecologically responsible basis that does not endanger the health of market participants, takes limited mobility into account, and yet offers physical platforms to every industry and its community. Of course, this sounds like squaring the circle. It still requires a lot of thought, but above all a fundamental willingness. Here, too, digitization can be part of the solution.

What are the biggest challenges in the current lockdown, and what will happen next?

I am sure that we will all be very busy when the wheel gets going again and we also close the last gaps in our schedules due to the trade show postponements. The interest and expectations of our exhibitors for the second half of the trade show in Cologne are great. And not only the customers, but also our employees are looking forward to a return to more or less normal conditions, so that they can then go full throttle again.

We are currently on short-time working. As a company, we are doing everything we can to close the financial gaps to a large extent by topping up the short-time allowance and safeguarding our jobs. After all, our dedicated teams will soon be needed more than ever so that things can continue and hopefully pick up again.

To what extent do you fear that Corona will cause lasting damage to Koelnmesse, to the trade fair industry in general, and to its exhibitor and visitor customers? 

It will be very tight, not only in terms of the financial impact, but above all in the concentration of dates and the resulting overlapping of topics that will inevitably occur. This will lead to consolidations and fuel competition among the leading trade shows. It will also very likely lead to changes in trade show cycles, especially in Asia, where some trade shows will probably not be able to maintain their annual rhythm.

How big do you expect the economic damage to be in fiscal 2020?

Of course, the crisis will also have massive economic consequences. Due to the cancellation of our events by the end of June alone, we will be short a high double-digit million euro amount in 2020 - at the end of the day, it will be decisive when we can continue at what level. We have managed well in the past and would have liked to continue on this course; after all, the magic limit of half a billion euros in sales was even in sight in the outlook for 2021. Equity is currently sufficient, and of course we will consider all financing and subsidy options. Everything depends on liquidity and cash flow, also in view of our running costs of seven million euros per week.

Can World Expo Dubai, which was scheduled to begin in October 2020, take place?

The United Arab Emirates have submitted a request to the responsible Bureau International des Expositions in Paris for a postponement of about one year to October to March 2021/2022. If this is granted, then Koelnmesse, as the organizer of the German pavilion on behalf of our Federal Ministry of Economics, will of course follow the new schedule. A global showcase of this kind simply has to take place under optimum conditions and with sufficient preparation. We continue to look forward to Dubai.

From today's perspective, what is the next step for Koelnmesse and what are the milestones in terms of deadlines on which a future decision will depend?

Unfortunately, the exit strategies are only given to a limited extent by the trade fair industry; everything depends on a successful containment of the virus and the specifications of the authorities. Today, we cannot name a day X for our trade fairs when the thumbs will generally be raised or lowered; rather, we will take a close look at each individual event, its participant structure, its internationality, its stand sizes and much more, and then decide.

Please finish the following sentence: "In the period after Corona, Koelnmesse will ...

... continue on the path we have chosen with a little more humility, but undeterred. Our strengths are our industry expertise, our location, our global portfolio and our willingness to change. As a leading player in the trade show business, we will play our part in bringing the economy back to normal."