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Company History

Since 1947, AFAG has successfully organised international trade fairs, specialist exhibitions, consumer fairs, regional exhibitions and congresses - now in its third generation.

1947
1949
1986
1991
2001
2007
2008
2018
2022
2023

1947

Helmut Könicke founded AFAG (the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Messen und Ausstellungen GmbH”) in Nuremberg in 1947 after he graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Erlangen/Nuremberg. In the same year, he held the "German Press Exhibition" and the travelling exhibition “Europe calls”.

1949

The “First German Construction Exhibition” took place in Nuremberg in 1949 under Helmuth Könicke’s management.

This was followed by other major trade fair projects and the much acclaimed anniversary exhibition “900 Years of Nuremberg”. AFAG developed into one of the leading private trade fair organisers in Germany.

Examples are the “EuroKa”, an international exhibition to celebrate the opening of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and Nuremberg Harbour, the international travelling trade fair “Roof & Wall”, the exhibition cycle “International Graphic Triennial Krakow – Nuremberg”, the “International Triennial of Glass Art”, the international exhibition “Naive Art” in cooperation with UNESCO and the world fire brigade exhibition “Interschutz” in Augsburg, in cooperation with the Deutsche Messe AG Hanover.

1986

After the death of company founder Helmuth Könicke, his sons Heiko and Hermann, who were already involved in the organisation of trade fairs and exhibitions at a young age, took over the management of the company together with their co-shareholder Martin Kampra (who passed away in 1988).

1991

AFAG’s branch in the Augsburg Exhibition Centre was opened in 1991. Since then, the “interlift” — the “International Trade Fair for Elevator Technology” and the “GrindTec” — the “International Trade Fair for Grinding Technology”, have become firmly established there as the world’s leading trade fairs for their respective business sectors and fields. The “AMERICANA” — the “International Fair for Equestrian Sports and Western Culture”, along with the “Western Riding World Open Championship”, has also firmly established itself and is Europe’s top event for leisure and western riders.

2001

In 2001 the company moved into its new premises in Wendelstein, with a large-capacity warehouse and in an optimal location at the Nuremberg South motorway junction, only ten minutes away from the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre.

The company building in Wendelstein connects our project teams with all our specialist departments and enables even better services and efficiencies for our customers.

2007

In 2007, the patron of the “Germany — Land of Ideas” initiative, Federal President Horst Köhler, awarded the iENA Nuremberg Inventors’ Fair, organised by AFAG, the “Site of Choice 2007” award.

2008

AFAG turns 60 — tradition and future

2018

AFAG entered its third generation in 2018: Henning and Thilo Könicke, the sons of the former CEOs and brothers Heiko and Hermann Könicke, form a new dual-management team. They had already been at their fathers’ sides in the management of the AFAG Messen und Ausstellungen GmbH since 2016. Both of these older men will continue to advise the two new managing directors.

70 years of AFAG — the iENA Nuremberg, the “International Trade Fair for Ideas, Inventions and New Products”, also celebrates its seventieth anniversary and looks back on a history full of innovations.

70 years iENA anniversary brochure Download as PDF

With The Elevator Show - Dubai, AFAG establishes the first international trade fair outside Germany. In annual alternation with the interlift in Augsburg, the elevator market is presented here close to the target group.

2022

As of July 1, 2022, AFAG has taken over the Munich-based trade fair organizer NETCOMM and will continue to run the NETCOMM trade fairs, which include the Munich SecurityExpo, the Munich Human Resources Fair and the Sales Marketing Fair.

2023

The private trade fair organizer AFAG took over the Stuttgart trade fair organizer RETRO Messen from the end of February 2023. The portfolio of RETRO Messen GmbH includes the trade fairs RETRO CLASSICS® Stuttgart, RETRO CLASSICS BAVARIA® in Nuremberg and EuroMotor® in Stuttgart, which will continue to be held at the familiar locations.

Company History

Memberships of AFAG