Expo Real: Real estate fair attracts 40,000 visitors
This year's edition of Expo Real, which took place in Munich in the first half of this week, also attracted a large number of visitors. Switzerland was represented in its proven form and once again proved to be a haven of stability.
The Expo Real real estate trade fair came to an end on Wednesday. The organizer, Messe München, counted over 40,000 participants from 75 countries and 1,778 exhibitors from 34 countries. While the number of stands decreased slightly compared to the previous year (1,856), the number of visitors remained almost the same. In view of the turbulence on the European markets, particularly the German market, this trade fair result was remarkable. Unlike Mipim, which takes place in Cannes in spring, Expo Real is an event with a strong national focus.
As usual, Switzerland's presence at the trade fair was mainly concentrated at the Swiss Circle joint stand. Roman Bolliger, CEO of Swiss Circle, drew a positive conclusion about the mood there: "I had feared that the general pessimism on the European markets would spill over into Switzerland. But that didn't happen." Once again, Switzerland was able to live up to its reputation as a "safe haven", he said. In boom phases, Switzerland is often seen as boring, but in difficult times the country shines through stability.
But Switzerland doesn't just score points for stability - it also has a reputation for innovation to defend. A panel discussion at the Expo Form "Transform & Beyond" focused on the country's innovative strength in the real estate and construction sector. Moderator Lars Sommerer from Swiss Proptech was provided with a steep template by the latest edition of the Global Innovation Index. This revealed that Switzerland can also hold the title of the world's most innovative economy in 2024. Sommerer joined Dominik Bucher (CEO Scandens AG), Martin Greiner (Deputy CEO Colliers Switzerland), Rebekka Ruppel (CEO pom+ Germany) and Flavio Petraglio (CEO of the Artisa Group) to examine the impact of this on the real estate industry. Swiss Circle cooperated with Galledia, the publishing house of "Immobilien Business", in organizing the panel.
A highlight at the Swiss Circle stand at Expo Real is the drink at the end of the second day of the fair, which is traditionally introduced with the sound of the alphorn. This time, the return of the international brokerage firm Colliers to Switzerland was also celebrated. The new Colliers Switzerland - the renamed SPGI Zurich - was presented by CEO Robert Hauri and Davoud Amel-Azizpour, CEO of Colliers EMEA. (aw)
