Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre

What Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre does

Svenska Mässan Gothia Towers is an integrated exhibition, congress, hotel and hospitality venue operator headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, and owned by the private foundation Svenska Mässan Stiftelse. Founded in 1918 as Sweden's first trade fair, the company has evolved into Northern Europe's largest integrated meeting place, operating a 180,000 sqm venue with 41,000 sqm of dedicated exhibition and congress space, 60 meeting rooms, a 1,500-seat congress hall, banquet capacity for up to 7,000 guests, and Scandinavia's largest hotel (Gothia Towers plus the Upper House boutique hotel totaling 1,200 rooms), supported by multiple restaurants, bars and an Upper House Spa. The venue hosts over 30 owned exhibitions, 8,000+ exhibitors and 1,500+ events per year, welcoming roughly 2 million visitors annually and generating approximately 3.3–3.4 billion SEK in regional tourism economic impact.

The underlying platform is a physical-event infrastructure stack rather than a software product: three hotel towers, a Congress House (1992), Expohallen (1997), and conference facilities are operated under certified management systems including ISO 20121 (sustainable events, recertified 2025), ISO/IEC 27001 (information security), BREEAM (building environmental performance) and Safehotels Premium (hotel security — the first in the world to achieve this). Recent technology additions include inductive wireless EV charging stations (third in Gothenburg, installed 2025) and digital meeting services. No proprietary software or AI-driven product platform was disclosed.

The business model is diversified across six revenue streams: exhibition organizer and exhibitor services (transaction fees from booth rental across 30+ annual shows), congress and conference venue rental (professional services, quote-based, with 12–18 month advance bookings), hotel accommodation (1,200 rooms including luxury Upper House), food and beverage (multiple concepts including the iconic "King Size" shrimp sandwich), spa and wellness, and ancillary office rental. Distribution is primarily direct enterprise sales, with dedicated Nordic Account Managers for large international congresses and Senior Event Managers coordinating corporate events. In 2025, net sales reached 1,328 Mkr (vs. 1,275 Mkr in 2024), EBITDA was 187 Mkr (14.1% margin, up from 145 Mkr), and the company returned to profitability with a 12 Mkr annual result (vs. -33 Mkr in 2024), driven by a 40% increase in the congress and corporate events segment.

Name

Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre

Legal name

Svenska Mässan Gothia Towers AB

Website

https://svenskamassan.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Svenska Mässan Gothia Towers is a Gothenburg-based operator of Northern Europe's largest integrated exhibition, congress, hotel, restaurant and spa venue, founded 1918 and owned by a private foundation, serving exhibition organizers, corporate event planners, association congresses and hotel guests across 30+ annual trade shows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convention and Exhibition Services

NAICS

Accommodation (721), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Convention & Expo Complex Hotels (THAGALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB), Corporate Conference Center Hotels (THAGALAF)

Keywords

• Exhibition venue services
• Convention center facilities
• Conference meeting spaces
• Hotel accommodation services
• Corporate event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Gothenburg

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Exhibition and Trade Show Services: Organizes over 30 exhibitions annually with 8,000+ exhibitors. Revenue from exhibitor fees, booth rental, and related services.
2. Congress and Conference Venue Rental: Hosts congresses, conferences and corporate events. 60 meeting rooms, congress hall for 1,500 persons, banquet facilities for up to 7,000 persons. Achieved highest turnover ever in 2025 with 40% increase.
3. Hotel Accommodation: Gothia Towers with 1,200 rooms including Upper House luxury hotel. Scandinavia's largest hotel. Room revenue from overnight stays, events, and corporate bookings.
4. Food and Beverage Services: Multiple restaurants and bars including Corner, Heaven 23, West Coast, Twentyfourseven, and event catering. Famous shrimp sandwich (King Size) has sold 3 million units.
5. Spa and Wellness Services: Upper House Spa located on floors 19-25 of the third tower with outdoor pool, treatments, and bar services.
6. Rental Income: Office space rental in properties owned by the organization. Located in Gothenburg's event district near Liseberg and other attractions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Svenska Mässan Gothia Towers operates Northern Europe's largest integrated meeting place combining trade fair organization, congress venue rental, hotel accommodation, restaurants, spa and exhibition services under one roof. The company organizes over 30 exhibitions annually, hosts congresses and corporate events, and provides 1,200 hotel rooms plus multiple dining and wellness venues across 180,000 sqm of facilities in central Gothenburg.

Product overview

Svenska Mässan Gothia Towers operates as a unified meeting destination combining multiple integrated services under one roof. The core offering includes Svenska Mässan (exhibition/trade fair brand with 30+ annual events), Gothia Towers and Upper House hotels (1,200 rooms total), multiple restaurants and bars, Upper House Spa, The Gallery art venue, and extensive conference/congress facilities (60 meeting rooms, 41,000 sqm space, 1,500-person congress hall). The venue hosts both owned exhibitions and third-party events, providing comprehensive event services including booth construction, catering, and corporate event management. Founded in 1918, it is owned by a private foundation with a mission to promote business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Upper House: An exclusive hotel within Gothia Towers, located in the top floors with Scandinavian rooms and suites featuring outstanding views over Gothenburg. Includes spa with outdoor pool on the 19th floor and bar on the 25th floor.
• Heaven 23
• Corner
• West Coast
• Twentyfourseven

Products and services

• Svenska Mässan Exhibitions Core exhibition and trade fair brand organizing over 30 annual trade shows and exhibitions across various industries for exhibition organizers, exhibitors and visitors.
• Gothia Towers Hotel First-class hotel with 1,200 rooms across three towers, Scandinavia's largest hotel, offering accommodation for business travelers, event attendees and leisure tourists.
• Upper House Exclusive boutique hotel within Gothia Towers featuring Scandinavian rooms and suites with panoramic views of Gothenburg, including an outdoor pool on the 19th floor.
• Conference and Congress Venues 60 meeting rooms accommodating 2 to 9,000 guests, congress hall for 1,500 persons, and banquet facilities for up to 7,000 persons, plus 41,000 sqm of exhibition and congress space for congress organizers and corporate event planners.
• Corporate Events Full-service corporate event management offering meetings, conferences and events with dedicated Senior Event Manager coordination for corporate clients.
• Restaurants and Bars Multiple restaurants and bars including Corner (comfort food), Heaven 23 (international cuisine with cocktails), West Coast (wine and food bar), Twentyfourseven (famous King Size shrimp sandwich), Baren på Upper House and Imagine (29th floor restaurant).
• Upper House Spa Three-floor spa facility with outdoor pool on the 19th floor, located at the top of Gothia Towers, offering treatments and bar services.
• The Gallery Art exhibition space in the hotel lobby featuring regular vernissages and art exhibitions showcasing both established and emerging artists.
• Exhibition Booth Services (Monterservice) Complete exhibitor booth services including design, construction, rental, plants, catering, transport and cleaning for trade show exhibitors.
• Digital Meeting Services Digital and hybrid meeting solutions complementing physical event offerings for organizations hosting remote or hybrid events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 million visitors annually and 3.4 billion SEK tourism economic impact for Gothenburg region
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Business Region Göteborg, InductEVcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2025Partnership to establish wireless charging infrastructure for commercial electric vehicle fleets and autonomous taxi systems. Svenska Mässan Gothia Towers received Gothenburg's third station for wireless inductive charging for EVs. This represents an innovative mobility project advancing sustainable transportation solutions.
• Too Good to GominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to reduce food waste through the Too Good to Go app, allowing customers to purchase surplus food at discounted prices. Active collaboration to minimize food waste and support sustainable practices in restaurant operations.
• MonterservicecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExhibitor service partner providing booth construction, rental equipment, technical solutions, design services, catering for booths, and plants/greenery. Essential services for exhibitor success at trade shows. Partner website: monterservice.com.
• Göteborg & Co Möten (Convention Bureau)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal and impartial partner for meeting and congress planning in Gothenburg. Acts as a door-opener to the local meeting industry free of charge. Supports marketing Gothenburg as a meeting destination and coordinates with venue partners.
• Sweden Meetx ABcoreOthersOwned subsidiary company. Part of Svenska Mässan Stiftelse corporate structure along with Svenska Mässan Gothia Towers AB, Hotellfastigheter AB, and Mässans Gata AB.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stockholmsmässan: Stockholm International Fairs operates as Sweden's other major integrated exhibition and congress venue, with on-site hotel (Quality Hotel Globe) and comparable trade show portfolio, competing for Nordic and international congresses.
• Bella Center Copenhagen: Bella Center is Scandinavia's largest integrated convention and exhibition venue in Copenhagen, offering halls, meeting space, and on-site hotel (AC Hotel) directly comparable to Svenska Mässan's integrated MICE model under one operator.
• Messukeskus Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre: Finnish integrated exhibition and convention venue combining trade fair organization with conference facilities, directly comparable to Svenska Mässan on MICE services, owned-show portfolio, and Nordic customer base.
• Palexpo Geneva: Swiss integrated exhibition and congress venue hosting international trade fairs and corporate events; comparable in scale, MICE service mix, and reliance on international associations for large-scale congresses.
• RAI Amsterdam: Amsterdam's combined exhibition and convention center with owned trade shows, congress hosting, and on-site hospitality; similar to Svenska Mässan in combining exhibitions, congresses, and event venue operations.

Broad incumbents

• Koelnmesse: Cologne-based global exhibition organizer and venue operator running conventions, trade fairs, and events across multiple sectors; comparable business mix to Svenska Mässan's exhibition/corporate event model at larger European scale.
• Deutsche Messe (Hannover): Hannover-based exhibition group operating major trade fairs (e.g. CeBIT successor shows, HANNOVER MESSE) and integrated convention facilities, competing for international industrial congresses with similar attendee profiles.
• Messe Frankfurt: One of the world's largest exhibition organizers and venue operators, with own trade fair portfolio and convention halls in Frankfurt; relevant as a broad incumbent that both organizes shows (competing with Svenska Mässan's owned shows) and operates venue space.
• Fira de Barcelona: Large Spanish integrated convention and exhibition center operating multiple venues (Montjuïc, Gran Via) with extensive trade fair calendar; comparable in scope of exhibitions, congress hosting, and integrated venue model.

Others

• Reed Exhibitions: World's largest exhibition organizer (RX Global), running trade shows that often rotate through integrated venues like Svenska Mässan; comparable in the exhibition organizing business that complements Svenska Mässan's owned-show portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SvenskaMassan
• Facebooksv-se.facebook.com/svenskamassan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/svenska-massan
• Instagraminstagram.com/svenskamassan

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre