"The operations will continue in Älvsjö for at least another five years”

Stockholms Stadshus AB, which oversees all municipal companies within the city of Stockholm, has been tasked with preparing a transfer of Stockholmsmässan AB to an external party. This means that the operational activities of Stockholmsmässan will be sold, while the parent company, Mässfastigheter AB, will continue to be owned by the City.

When the news of the planned sale was announced, the City of Stockholm also revealed that the long-term plan for the Älvsjö district is to build housing and offices in the area where Stockholmsmässan is located today. Many interpreted this as a sign that the move from Älvsjö was imminent, but Stockholmsmässan’ s CEO, Christian Clemens, is clear that this is not the case.

– The party purchasing Stockholmsmässan AB must, of course, be involved in discussing how the facility issues will be resolved in the future, together with the City and with us in the operational management. However, such large urban development projects take time, and our trade fair and congress activities will continue as usual in Älvsjö for at least another five years, he says.

– The program development work is expected to begin at the turn of 2023/24, then detailed plans will be developed, and then the City's planning can commence. So, until 2028, this will not affect Stockholmsmässan’ s operations in its current location, says Staffan Ingvarsson, CEO for Stockholm Business Region, the official business agency for the City of Stockholm.

The work of finding suitable buyers for Stockholmsmässan’ s operational activities will begin in 2024, something that both Staffan Ingvarsson and Christian Clemens view positively.

– There are private actors in the market who want to operate trade fair activities, and I know that several such actors have already spontaneously reached out and expressed their interest if the City were to divest the company, says Staffan Ingvarsson.

– I see definite advantages in Stockholmsmässan having an owner from the business world who can provide us with entirely different resources and international reach. An owner in the trade fair and event industry can contribute their own events, networks, and additional expertise, which would give us opportunities to grow and develop, says Christian Clemens.

Stockholmsmässan’ s activities generate many job opportunities and significant revenue for the regional business community.

–  Stockholmsmässan’ s visitors book hotel rooms, shop, visit attractions, dine at cafes and restaurants, take taxis and public transportation. So, it is important for the Stockholm region to have a large trade fair and congress activity here, but it doesn't need to be publicly owned. As the city's business and destination company, we look forward to continuing our work to attract congresses, meetings, and events in close cooperation with Stockholmsmässan, academia, associations, and the business community, says Staffan Ingvarsson.

For 2024, Stockholmsmässan has an almost fully booked calendar with nearly 90 events to be held at the venue. This means that over 800,000 Swedish and international visitors are expected to pass through the doors of the venue, representing a 40 percent increase in visitor numbers compared to 2023. The event calendar for the fall is packed with popular events such as the Sewing and Crafts Festival, Comic Con, All for Health, and Sthlm Food & Wine, as well as conferences, trade fairs, and numerous meetings. For more information, please visit www.stockholmsmassan.se

Press Contact
Catarina Oscarsson, PR & Communications Manager, +46 70 789 43 66, catarina.oscarsson@stockholmsmassan.se