The West German city’s history is steeped in coal mining and steel production. As the largest city on the River Ruhr, it’s also the headquarters of some large industrial organisations. But there's much more to Essen than simply its factories: the city is also an important cultural and religious center
Why exhibit there?
In a bid to shake off the coal dust of its industrial past, Essen is endeavouring to go green. The once polluted Ruhr is now clean enough to swim in and Essen, once the face of industrialisation in Germany, has welcomed Germany's largest electric utility E.ON’s headquarters to the city in 2016, becoming a sole provider of renewable energy.
Getting there
Düsseldorf Airport is the largest airport to Essen and only 20 minutes' drive from the Essen exhibition grounds and is also well-connected by rail. Alternatively you could fly into the Essen/Mülheim Airport, and the MESSE ESSEN can be reached in 10 minutes by car or taxi.
Restrictions on what you can bring into the country
There are the usual restrictions plus a few extras: no instruments of torture, no dangerous dogs, you’re not allowed to move stolen works of art nor are you allowed conflict or blood diamonds.
Top hotels
Main exhibition venues
Exhibitions we have supported
Services we provide
- Booth Host/Hostess
- Lead Generator
- Crowd Gatherer
- Product Demonstrator
- EMCEE
- Hospitality Staff
- Brand Ambassador
- Engager
- Interpreter/Translator
- Team Leaders
- Event Managers
Key tourist hotspots
- If you’re in Essen, you have to understand how the city became the hub it is today. Take a trip around the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex to truly appreciate how important Essen was to Germany’s industrial revolution.
- Explore Essen Minster. Situated in the Burgplatz in Essen, stands the old Roman Catholic Minster. The church was originally built as an abbey in the 9th century and thought to be one of Germany's oldest cathedrals.
Restaurants
- Casino Zollverein offers haute cuisine with a touch of regional and seasonal ingredients that celebrates the excellence of the Ruhr Region. Try the roasted pastured lamb & sous vide, a lamb speciality with Mediterranean couscous.
- Mongo’s. A Mongolian kitchen making fresh, low-fat, healthy and most of all delicious meals. Try the Malay satay, a flavor-packed combination of fresh peanut paste doused with honey and lemon.
Bonus round
- Local currency is the Euro.
- Language is German, although most people also speak English.
- Visa - if you’re from within the EU you don’t need one, outwith the EU you’ll have to check the list.
- Plug sockets are the two prong European type.
- There are no real cultural sensitivities so to speak, but advice for conducting business meetings:
- When meeting Germans for the first time in a business context, short and firm handshakes are the norm.
- Make sure you maintain eye contact throughout.
- Titles and qualifications are held in high regard, so if someone does have a doctorate or a degree, make sure you refer to them as doctor or whatever their title may be.
- The more letters you can put after your name on your business card, the more impressed your German colleagues will be.