The exhibition area in Brno lacks suitable exhibition space, a pavilion will be built

Brno - The Brno Exhibition Centre has been struggling with a lack of space for large trade fair events in recent years. Approximately ten to 15 percent of the exhibition space is very poorly marketable. It does not meet today's requirements, and companies are therefore not interested, said Jiří Škrla, the General Director of Brno Trade Fairs, to ČTK today. The company has been talking about a new pavilion for several years now. Its construction is set to begin next year, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the Brno Exhibition Centre.
    The Brno trade fair calendar offers over 40 events annually. Many of them are the largest in Central Europe. Brno holds about two-thirds of the Czech trade fair market. The exhibition area spans 667,000 square meters and has 16 pavilions. The value of all the buildings in the complex is nearly three billion crowns. In recent years, several pavilions have been added, such as E, F, or V. However, it is still not enough for some fairs. The International Engineering Fair, in particular, proves that pavilions cannot be inflated.
    There is enough space, but part of it is poorly usable, believes Škrla. According to him, exhibitors have not shown much interest in areas on the balconies in pavilions Z and A in recent years. Other pavilions, such as H, K, or X, are also difficult to rent out. Therefore, a new pavilion P will be built near pavilion Z. According to the company's plan, it should have its own gate, which is intended to function as one of the main entrances to the complex.
    The company wants to rent out the current spaces that cannot be used for exhibitions. In some cases, this is already the case; one of the smaller buildings is used by the local cable television, and several companies have rented additional spaces. The building of the former theater remains unused. "We will not be able to put it back into operation on our own," noted Škrla. The costs of operating the stage would reportedly not be worth it for the company.
    Brno Trade Fairs reported a profit of 89.9 million crowns last year. Revenue rose by 13 percent to 1.7 billion crowns. More than 60 percent of the company's shares are owned by the German Messe Düsseldorf, while 34 percent are held by the city of Brno. The remainder belongs to minor shareholders.