75 years of Messe Offenbach: From theater exhibition to international industry get-together
24.10.2025
Who would have thought in 1949 that an impromptu sales show in Offenbach's theater would one day become an international trade fair event? Today, 75 years later, the Offenbach trade fair - best known for the International Leather Goods Fair (ILM) - is a global meeting place in the heart of the Rhine-Main region.
"The ILM has made Offenbach known far beyond the city limits, just as the leather goods produced here once did. The Offenbach trade fair has always been not only a key economic driver, but also part of Offenbach's identity," says Lord Mayor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Messe Offenbach, Dr. Felix Schwenke. "The trade fair shows how Offenbach has developed - from a leather town to a versatile and now also growing business location, which today more than ever looks to the future, but does not forget its past."
From the theater foyer to the exhibition center
In October 1949, when Germany was still in the midst of the post-war years, 55 exhibitors presented their leather goods in the narrow booths of Offenbach's municipal theater on Goethestrasse. A banner with the words "Leather goods industry and Marshall Plan" hung above the entrance. Back in January 1950, the "First Offenbach Leather Goods Trade Fair" took place in a movie theater in Offenbach's city center, the "Capitol-Lichtspiele". Even then, international customers exhibited their goods. The fair grew so quickly that in the years that followed, theaters, the nearby meeting room of the city parliament, gymnasiums and the Werkkunstschule served as exhibition spaces.
The following decades reflected the economic rise and changes in the industry. The 1950s and 1960s brought a significant upturn not only to the country, but also to the leather goods industry. As prosperity increased, so did the demand for bags and suitcases. The trade fair responded with new buildings and extensions: Hall 2 (1951), Hall 3 (1953) and an extension to Hall 1 (1956). By 1963, 414 exhibitors, including 79 international exhibitors, were presenting their products on 9,000 square meters.
However, the industry did not remain free of challenges. In the 1970s, the trade fair introduced another annual event, "Intertrend", in response to the faster pace of fashion change and shorter order deadlines for retailers.
The 1980s brought a new record with the opening of Hall 4 and 555 exhibitors, although they were characterized by economic ups and downs. After an upswing at the beginning of the decade, the global recession reached Germany and the leather goods industry with a delay. The trade fair began to adopt a more international focus in order to take account of the changes in the global economy. This was followed by a further opening towards global markets in the 1990s. American companies presented themselves on a joint stand for the first time in 1990, later joined by exhibitors from the reunified East. In 1995, the International Leather Goods Fair (ILM) celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Today: Unique platform with international appeal
Today, ILM is the only trade fair in the world that has consistently specialized in accessories: Exhibitors present handbags, luggage, small leather goods and satchels here. With around 20,000 square meters of exhibition space over four floors, it offers the leading industry meeting place for retailers.
"Our exhibitors come to Offenbach year after year because they do business here. We are an order fair, in other words a marketplace where contracts are actively concluded," says Managing Director of Messe Offenbach Arnd Hinrich Kappe. "The fact that we attract the international industry to Offenbach is not a matter of course, but the result of smart strategic decisions and hard work. We are more fashionable than Milan, have an excellent international network and have an appeal that extends far beyond the region."
The importance of Messe Offenbach can be seen throughout the city: hotels and restaurants benefit from the guests, the trade fair boosts Offenbach as a business location. In addition to the successful ILM, other formats have become established: From the Barefoot Fair to construction fairs and training fairs to sports and creative fairs. Corporate events are now also part of the portfolio.
Small, focused, agile
Meanwhile, Messe Offenbach is focusing on smaller, curated formats. Boutique-like specialty trade fairs are now replacing the gigantism of the past. "The effects of the pandemic have changed the trade fair business. Today, it's no longer just about product shows, but more and more about personal interaction and networking between participants. We now offer combination events consisting of lectures, talks, after-work events and discussion panels. Each day of the trade fair follows a natural flow," says Managing Director Kappe. Today's customers are increasingly interested in encounters, not just ticking off appointments. "Today, Messe Offenbach sees itself as a convention: a place where strategies are discussed, products are showcased and innovations are debated," emphasizes Kappe.
Sustainability and future viability
Social issues now also have a firm place. Exhibitors are increasingly presenting sustainable collections made from apple waste, pineapple leather, cork or fish skin, for example. "More and more customers want to know where their products come from. Sustainability is no longer a marginal topic, but is actively addressed by our exhibitors," says Kappe.
With 14 permanent employees, numerous freelancers and service providers, the trade fair remains flexible. "We are small enough to react quickly and large enough to have international significance. That's why we're not worried about the next 75 years," concludes Managing Director Kappe.
Symbol of stability in times of change
Today, the Offenbach Trade Fair - like Offenbach as a business location as a whole - is a symbol of adaptability. Both have survived economic miracles and recessions, fads and structural change and have always found new ways forward. "Despite all the changes, Offenbach's strengths remain constant: its central location in Europe, excellent transport connections and competitive costs, a business-oriented administration. Investments in infrastructure, such as the creation of 1,200 parking spaces within walking distance and the direct S-Bahn connection to Frankfurt Airport, underline the future orientation of the trade fair location," says Mayor Schwenke. "The fact that the trade fair has been successful for decades shows that Offenbach is a location with a history, a present and, above all, a future."
