EXPO REAL 2021 – Successful restart
It was the first EXPO REAL under Corona conditions: From October 11th to 13th, 2021, the real estate industry came together at the most important European industry get-together in Munich - and the joy of seeing each other was noticeably great. The participants particularly appreciated the numerous, high-quality contacts. The main topics were the challenges posed by Corona, climate change and digitization.
“There was an atmosphere of confidence that could be felt everywhere in the exhibition halls. 1,198 exhibitors and over 19,200 participants made intensive use of the three days at EXPO REAL to advance future projects, obtain information and maintain their network, ”explains Klaus Dittrich, CEO of Messe München. “Compared to the record years before Corona, the trade fair is of course smaller. But the new start was successful and EXPO REAL has once again proven itself to be Europe’s most important real estate fair. ”The precondition for success was the detailed protection and hygiene concept of Messe München.
Valuable network to cope with future tasks
“EXPO REAL 2021 will perhaps be remembered as the most important trade fair of the last decade, because it made it clear to all stakeholders that the major tasks of the future – climate change, transformation, digitization – can only be mastered through joint efforts across all areas can be. It’s good that the industry was able to gain confidence for three days in Munich. The timing was spot on, ”explains Fabian Hellbusch, Head of Marketing and Communication at Union Investment Real Estate. This is confirmed by Chiara Aengevelt, managing partner of Aengevelt Immobilien: “EXPO REAL is Europe’s most important meeting place for the real estate industry and the starting signal for year-end business. We used that – personally and in presence. At the same time, the density of decision-makers and executives is particularly high this year, the quality of the discussions is very good. “And Constanze Römer, project manager of the Berlin-Brandenburg stand, says:” After the months of corona-related planning uncertainty, we are happy to welcome our co-exhibitors and partners to be able to offer this platform for your business again. It is nice to see that we can enjoy a conversation again together that we have all missed for so long. “
Interest rate development, climate protection, social component
As usual, the conference program offered a wide range of information on markets and segments, on digital innovations – and of course also on fundamental developments. “Expo Real 2021 made it clear that the German real estate market is still highly attractive and has even largely defied the Corona crisis,” explains Dr. Gertrud Traud, chief economist at Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen. That will tend to continue as long as interest rates remain low. “I expect the first interest rate hike from Christine Lagarde, ECB, at the end of 2023,” the expert predicted in her keynote. Dr. Holger Schmieding, chief economist at the private bank Berenberg, very clearly: “Not yet in sight.”
In many forums it became clear that the industry plays a key role in climate protection: “A comprehensive turn towards climate protection will not be possible without the real estate sector,” said Prof. Matthias Garschagen, Chair of Anthropogeography at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich and continued. “At the same time, the sector plays a central role in successful adaptation to climate change, for example with regard to dealing with increasing heat or heavy rainfall in cities.” Urban development has a strong social component – especially when it comes to housing. It is important “to organize this central function of our life in such a way that appropriate offers can be made available for the different ways of life and life plans, also for the different milieus of society”, says Prof. Dr. Armin Nassehi, Chair for General Sociology and Social Theory, also at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich.
EXPO REAL 2021 in numbers
Over 19,200 participants from 52 countries (2019: 46,747 / 76) came to EXPO REAL in Munich. The total number of participants was divided into 9,916 trade visitors (2019: 22,065) and 9,296 company representatives (2019: 24,682). The top ten visitor countries after Germany were: Austria, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Poland, France, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Spain and Italy.
The 1,198 exhibitors came from 29 countries (2019: 2,189 / 44). In addition to Germany, the top ten exhibitor countries were: Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, France, Serbia and Italy. International joint stands came from Austria (“Austria”, “Europa Mitte”), Switzerland (“Swiss Circle”), the Netherlands (“Holland Property Plaza”, “Holland Metropole”) as well as from Barcelona, Lodz, Moscow and Prague.
Numerous lectures and discussions from the conference program as well as exhibitor and start-up presentations were recorded and will be available on the online platform EXPO REAL ONLINE until mid-November 2021.