Speakers

Michael von Zitzewitz has been Chairman of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt GmbH for ten years. Prior to this, he was Deputy Director of Deutsche Bank AG between 1983 and 1992, after which he served as General Manager of Commerz Grundbesitz Investmentgesellschaft mbH until 1998. 
 
With economist and real estate expert Michael von Zitzewitz at the helm, Messe Frankfurt developed into a global corporate group with 29 subsidiaries and approximately 50 international Sales Partners. Between 1999 and 2008, the Group’s sales increased by some 60 percent from €275 million to €436 million. Sales attributable to markets outside Germany have grown to €103 million, more than quadrupling since 1999. In 2008, a total of 62 trade fairs were organized outside Germany—roughly twice the number held ten years beforehand. Michael von Zitzewitz systematically developed the Frankfurt exhibition grounds, leading to the construction of - to give just a few examples-the new Hall 3 and the Forum. Furthermore, the new Hall 11 will be opened in time for the 2009 IAA International Motor Show.
 
From 2002 to 2004, Michael von Zitzewitz was President of the European Major Exhibition Centres Association (EMECA). Since 2005, he has been Chairman of the Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics (FKM). In October 2006, he was appointed Senator of the European Economic Senate (EWS), an independent body of outstanding individuals from politics, business and academia. Since December 2007, Michael von Zitzewitz has been on the Board of the German Chamber of Commerce in Austria. He is also Honorary Consul of Bangladesh for the German state of Hesse.