Koelnmesse distinguished by FOCUS MONEY and DEUTSCHLAND TEST as the most renowned German trade fair location with the highest rating
Analysts from IMWF (Institute for Management and Economic Research) collected and evaluated several million mentions in news and social media concerning around 18,000 companies for the ranking Koelnmesse achieved full points and first place among all German trade fair locations: DEUTSCHLAND TEST and FOCUS MONEY have named Koelnmesse “Company of the Year” 2024 in a study conducted by IMWF (Institute for Management and Economic Research).
“We are delighted to take first place among trade fair locations in Germany. This achievement further confirms our continued efforts to offer our trade fair visitors and exhibitors first-class experiences. It recognises our success and serves as an incentive in our ongoing pursuit of innovative and sustainable paths for our customers in the future,” says Koelnmesse CEO, Gerald Böse.
For the research, IMWF analysed thousands of publicly accessible news media, websites and social media platforms, and then checked all the statements made about companies to determine whether they had a positive or negative sentiment. The recently published reputation analysis divides the ratings into four categories: “Award Winner”, “Utmost Trust”, “Customer Favourites” and “Sustainability”.
“We are constantly developing Koelnmesse and our events, because we know only too well that even the world’s leading trade fairs can fade if technology or usage habits change. This means we can never rest on our laurels, but must constantly redevelop trade fairs that are still in full bloom today in order to maintain their innovative strength,” says Koelnmesse COO Oliver Frese in summary of the company’s recipe for success.
About the research
The research is based on a comprehensive big data analysis of consumer opinions on around 18,000 companies from over 200 sectors. It relies on innovative social listening supported by artificial intelligence. The process involves collecting and analysing all the freely accessible reporting on companies on the German-language Internet, and then rating it with regards to tonality and reach.
“For this reputation analysis, we listened to 80 million people – customers, media professionals, employees, suppliers and many more,” explains Jörg Forthmann, Managing Director of IMWF. “The result reflects published views and broad public opinion on the country’s most important companies. In the trade fair locations sector, Cologne is the nationwide winner because it has been commented on most positively in all the relevant areas.”
Each of the four categories accounts for 25 percent in the overall rating. It is therefore not enough to be convincing in just one category. To emerge as the winner in its sector, the company had to achieve outstanding performance and top ratings in all four categories.
The 900 distinguished companies are recognised on a scale from 0 to 100 based on an industry-specific rating system. Industry leaders like Koelnmesse set the benchmark at 100 points. Companies receive the coveted distinction if they achieve at least 60 points in the overall ranking and are among the top five in their sector.
