EXPO REAL is the largest trade fair for real estate and investments in Europe and, along with MIPIM in Cannes, is one of the most important leading trade fairs in the real estate industry. Due to the corona crisis, EXPO REAL was planned in a slimmed-down format for October 2020, with a presence section on the grounds of the Munich exhibition center and digital offerings. This hybrid format was named EXPO REAL Hybrid Summit and was to take place on October 14-15, 2020.

Due to the currently worsening COVID-19 situation in Munich the event has been canceled on short notice. Numerous participants had previously declared their intention to not participate. Justifying their decision, they pointed out that Munich has been declared a risk area today and that the situation in Germany and other European countries has worsened dramatically in recent days and hours.

The cancellation concerns both the physical and the digital part of the event. Since both formats of the Hybrid Summit are interlinked and mutually dependent, even a purely digital event would not have made sense under these circumstances.

In agreement with the Advisory Board, in June Messe München decided to organize EXPO REAL under the banner “EXPO REAL Hybrid Summit—The Hybrid Conference for Property and Investment” as a physical and virtual meeting place for the real estate industry. By developing a comprehensive protection and hygiene concept, Messe München had done everything in its power to ensure that this hybrid conference and accompanying exhibition could take place with official approval. However, due to the current developments both in Munich and throughout Germany it is imperative to cancel the EXPO REAL Hybrid Summit only two days before its scheduled start.

Today at noon, the German Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) classified Munich and other cities and administrative districts in Germany as risk areas. The incidence of infections has also increased dramatically in other European countries. Many speakers and participants declared that they would not be traveling to Munich. It can also be assumed that further participants and speakers would have decided against the summit at short notice.

Klaus Dittrich, Chairman and CEO of Messe München regrets the cancellation at short notice, but sees no other option: “The decision is, of course, a tough one, but it is to protect our customers. According to current developments, the EXPO REAL Hybrid Summit would not have become a meeting place for the real estate industry and would therefore not have met its own claims. Moreover, under these circumstances, the event would have disappointed the customers’ expectations.”

• City of Frankfurt and Frankfurt Economic Development Corporation
• City of Darmstadt
• City of Wiesbaden
• City of Offenbach
• City of Bad Homburg
• Gross-Gerau County
  
• Hessen Trade & Invest
• Region Mittelhessen
• Region Nordhessen
• DIC AG
• GEG AG
• Frankfurter Volksbank
• Kucera Rechtsanwälte
• Regionalverband FrankfurtRheinMain
• SwissLife Asset Managers
• Hochtaunuskreis
• Frankfurter Sparkasse 1822
• Taunus Sparkasse
• VR Bank Main-Kinzig-Büdingen

Some well-known partners had canceled their participation in the run-up to EXPO REAL 2020 due to COVID 19.

After the cancellation of EXPO REAL, various exhibitors initiated replacement formats. The Düsseldorf Economic Development Corporation and its Lord Mayor Thomas Geisel are presenting future real estate projects in a video format (video only available in German) entitled “Düsseldorf – in constant change. Düsseldorf 2020. A very special real estate year”. Numerous new high-rise projects are also announced in the video. The Frankfurt Economic Development Corporation so far did not offer a similar contribution.