Messe & Marketing

What Messe & Marketing does

Messe & Marketing GmbH is a privately held German event management company founded in 1979 by Arnold Thomsen-Koch and headquartered in Friedrichstadt, Schleswig-Holstein. The company specializes in equestrian trade fairs, operating three recurring event properties: NORDPFERD (the largest horse event in Schleswig-Holstein, held annually in April at Holstenhallen Neumünster), HORSICA (a horse sports fair held in Kassel, Hesse), and PFERDEWINTER (a Christmas-themed exhibition within the Trakehner Hengstmarkt in November). The company is family-run with a core team of four employees handling sales, exhibitor support, public relations, and event programming.

The core technology is a web-based online stand booking system supplied via a partnership with Fleno GmbH (built on the Saiphe PHP Framework), which allows exhibitors to select booths, book accessories such as electricity, partition walls, and carpeting, and manage invoices and re-exhibitor accounts through password-protected self-service portals. The company monetizes through three streams: exhibition booth rental priced at 84-96 EUR/m² for NORDPFERD indoor stands and 45-55 EUR/m² for PFERDEWINTER stands (with volume discounts of 10-30% from 50-200 m²), mandatory media package contributions for exhibitor listings in event media, and ancillary fees for stand equipment and services. Payment terms follow a 30/70 split (30% on booking from October, 70% approximately 8 weeks before the event), with all prices excluding VAT. Go-to-market is regional and direct-to-consumer via phone, email, online portal, print catalogs, and earned media.

Revenue data is not disclosed, and the company does not publish audited financials. A prior product line, the Motorrad-Weihnachtsmarkt (Motorcycle Christmas Market), was discontinued in 2011 for safety reasons, with resources since concentrated on the equestrian portfolio. Geographic operations remain confined to Schleswig-Holstein (NORDPFERD, PFERDEWINTER) and Hesse (HORSICA), with no international footprint or digital event offerings.

Name

Messe & Marketing

Legal name

Messe & Marketing GmbH

Website

https://messe-und-marketing.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Messe & Marketing GmbH is a family-run German event organizer founded in 1979, operating recurring equestrian trade fairs (NORDPFERD, HORSICA, PFERDEWINTER) at Holstenhallen Neumünster and Kassel, serving equestrian exhibitors and horse enthusiasts in northern Germany with online stand booking and on-site event services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Fair and Event Management Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Equine Sales, Auctions & Bloodstock Agencies (AFAEAGAH)

Keywords

• Equestrian trade fairs
• Horse fair organization
• Exhibition booth rental
• Trade show management
• Event organization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Friedrichstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Booth Rental: Core revenue from renting exhibition stands at NORDPFERD and HORSICA events. Pricing varies by stand type (row, corner, head, block) and size. Indoor stands range from 84-96 EUR/m² for NORDPFERD, 45-55 EUR/m² for PFERDEWINTER.
2. Media Package / Marketing Services: Mandatory media contribution included with booth rental covering exhibitor entries in event media and marketing materials. Additional fees for insertional opportunities in event magazines.
3. Stand Equipment and Services: Additional revenue from optional services: electricity connections, partition walls (31 EUR/running meter), carpeting (15.50 EUR), parking permits, exhibitor badges, TV connections, and furniture rental.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Messe & Marketing GmbH organizes equestrian trade fairs and exhibitions in Germany, primarily the annual NORDPFERD horse fair at Holstenhallen Neumünster and the HORSICA horse sports fair in Kassel. The company rents exhibition stands to equestrian trade exhibitors, provides stand equipment and accessories, and curates program content including seminars, horse demonstrations, and evening theater shows. It also operates an online stand booking platform for exhibitors to reserve and manage booths.

Product overview

Messe & Marketing GmbH operates as a trade show and event management company specializing in equestrian exhibitions. The core offering consists of two major recurring horse fairs: NORDPFERD (Schleswig-Holstein's largest horse event held annually in Neumünster) and HORSICA (a second horse sports fair in Kassel). These are complemented by PFERDEWINTER, a Christmas-themed horse exhibition within the Trakehner Hengstmarkt. The company also provides an online stand booking system enabling exhibitors to reserve booths, select accessories, and manage their participation. Historical operations included the Motorrad-Weihnachtsmarkt (motorcycle Christmas market), which was discontinued in 2011.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NORDPFERD - Die Welt der Pferde: The largest horse sports fair in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, organized annually in April at Holstenhallen Neumünster. Features a diverse program including horse demonstrations, seminars, and evening theater shows.
• HORSICA

Products and services

• NORDPFERD - Die Welt der Pferde Annual equestrian trade fair and exhibition held at Holstenhallen Neumünster, the largest horse event in Schleswig-Holstein. Features a comprehensive sales exhibition, diverse daily programs with horse demonstrations, seminars, and evening theater shows with dramatic performances, acrobatics, and live singing. Targeted at equestrian trade exhibitors, horse enthusiasts, riders, and equestrian families.
• HORSICA

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest horse event in Schleswig-Holstein between Hannover and Danish border

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Holstenhallen NeumünstercoreOthersVenue partner hosting NORDPFERD and PFERDEWINTER events at their facility. Provides exhibition halls (3, 4, 5, Forum/Hall 6) with full infrastructure including parking, security services, and catering rights. Located at Justus-von-Liebig-Str. 2-4, 24537 Neumünster.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Koelnmesse: Koelnmesse is a major German trade fair company operating events including spoga horse (equestrian) and other consumer/family events. It competes for equestrian exhibitor wallet share and demonstrates the trade fair organizer business model at scale.
• Messe Frankfurt: Messe Frankfurt is Germany's largest trade fair organizer operating across dozens of industries. While not focused on equestrian events, it represents the broader trade fair organizer business model and could expand into niche equestrian events.
• Deutsche Messe AG: Deutsche Messe AG operates the Hannover exhibition grounds and runs major trade fairs including equestrian-related events. It is a broad incumbent in the German trade fair organizer space where Messe & Marketing competes.
• NürnbergMesse: NürnbergMesse is a major German regional trade fair organizer running consumer and B2B events including equestrian-adjacent shows such as Horse & Hunt. It represents the multi-vertical trade fair organizer model.
• Messe München: Messe München operates one of the world's largest exhibition centers and runs dozens of trade fairs across industries. As a broad German incumbent in the trade fair organizer market, it sets the competitive backdrop for niche players like Messe & Marketing.

Direct peers

• Equitana: Equitana is the largest equestrian trade fair in Germany, held biennially in Essen. It directly competes with NORDPFERD and HORSICA for the same exhibitor base (horse equipment dealers, breeders, riding sports brands) and visitor demographic of equestrian enthusiasts.
• Pferd & Jagd: Pferd & Jagd is a major equestrian and hunting trade fair held in Hannover, also drawing German horse enthusiasts and equestrian trade exhibitors. It competes head-to-head with NORDPFERD for regional exhibitor budgets and visitor attendance in northern Germany.

Regional players

• Hamburg Messe und Congress: Hamburg Messe und Congress operates exhibition venues in Hamburg, northern Germany, and runs regional consumer and trade fairs. It is a geographic peer for events serving the northern German leisure and equestrian market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Messe & Marketing