Die FIBO zieht nach Köln: Spaniens Fitness-Star und FIBO-Botschafterin Jessica Exposito (oben rechts) und ihre Kollegen freuen sich schon. Foto: FIBO

From the Ruhr to the Rhine: FIBO, the Leading International Trade Show for Fitness, Wellness and Health will be back in Cologne for the first time from 11 to 14 April. Back for the first time? Correct, because after all, the trade show was founded in the cathedral city in 1985 and only moved to Essen on the banks of the Ruhr in 1991.

But it is an entirely different trade show that now returns to its birthplace. "We left Cologne as a glittering offbeat fitness and bodybuilding event, today we return as the leading international trade show for fitness, wellness and health", says FIBO Event Director Olaf Tomscheit. Together with the entire industry, the trade show has taken a gigantic step towards the health market. Whereas formerly the first fitness generation flooded the halls with garish colours, and the aisles were barely wide enough for all those muscles, today you will find more muted colours at FIBO. Meanwhile every fifth trade visitor at FIBO is working in the health professions and represents a physiotherapist or medical practice, a health or rehab centre. A course which FIBO will further pursue and expand in Cologne with its own FIBOmed Congress.

State-of-the-art exhibition halls with natural lighting, perfect transport connections: visitors and exhibitors may look forward to FIBO in the cathedral city! The trade show occupies all oft the new exhibition halls 6, 7, 8 and 9 which were only completed in 2006. For FIBOactive, it also occupies halls 4.2 and 5.1; FIBO POWER which is held parallel to FIBO as a separate event offers ample space for bodybuilding, weightlifting and martial arts fans in the southern halls 1, 2.1. and 2.2. Adding up to a total of some 100,.000 m² this means an increase in occupied area of 20 percent right from the start. At the last event in Essen, the trade show occupied all available ground-level halls with 78,000 m².

Already 80 percent of the space has been booked. Says Olaf Tomscheit: "We are happy that, following the move to Cologne, we are now able to offer our exhibitors top-quality, state-of-the-art exhibition halls throughout." In other words: there will no longer be an especially popular hall like hall 3 in Essen. "We always regretted not to be able to meet all the exhibitors' wishes to be accommodated in a hall of equal quality - that's now a thing of the past!"

What do visitors find where?

Starting in Cologne in 2013, visitors will find the heart of FIBO, the Training Equipment segment, in halls 6, 7 and 9. Originally, the plans were for halls 6 and 7 - but even before FIBO 2012 the emerging demand for stand space was so strong that hall 9 was included. This newly added hall will now even be of special significance - it will become the FIBO "hall of the future". Olaf Tomscheit explains what this means: "In addition to the training equipment segment we will primarily present new ideas, innovations and concepts in hall 9." Hall 9 is also where the heart of FIBOmed beats, the trade show for the health industry within the trade show. It is also where various institutions will present themselves, such as the German federal office for health education (Bundeszentrale für Gesundheitliche Aufklärung - BZgA), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the German association for sports medicine and prevention (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sportmedizin und Prävention - DGSP) as well as the Cologne sports academy (Sporthochschule Köln).

A lot is also happening in the other segments, such as Equipment & Services and FIBOactive. These are now located in hall 8 right next to the North Entrance (Equipment & Services, Wellness) and in halls 4.2 and 5.1.

About FIBO
State-of-the-art training equipment, intelligent health promotion concepts, up-to-date specialist lectures and action-packed events: FIBO not only offers the world's best overview of the market but also direct contact to companies and their innovations. It is therefore not surprising that more than 76,000 visitors from about 100 countries come to the Leading International Trade Show for Fitness, Wellness and Health, since more and more companies are taking advantage of the trade show to present their innovations. This makes FIBO the industry's largest show of innovations. At FIBO 2012, 612 companies from more than 35 countries presented themselves. In 2013 and due to the continuously increasing demand for exhibition space, FIBO moves to the Cologne Exhibition centre, where it was founded in 1985. From 1991 to 2012, FIBO was held at the Essen Exhibition Centre.

www.fibo.de

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download press photo 1: FIBO moves to Cologne: Spainish fitness celebrity and FIBO embassador Jessica Exposito (red shirt) and her colleagues are looking forward to the Leading International Trade Show for Fitness, Wellness and Health 11-14 April 2013, exhibition centre Cologne. Photo: FIBO [jpg | 1 MB]

press photo 2: FIBO moves to Cologne: Spainish fitness celebrity and FIBO embassador Jessica Exposito (red shirt) and her colleagues are looking forward to the Leading International Trade Show for Fitness, Wellness and Health 11-14 April 2013, exhibition centre Cologne. Photo: FIBO [jpg | 1 MB]

download graphics development of exhibitor figures FIBO [jpg | 250 kb]

download graphics development of visitor figures FIBO [jpg | 270 kb]

Pressekontakt:

Dr. Mike Seidensticker
Pressesprecher
+49 211 90191-128
mike.seidensticker@reedexpo.de

Nadine Lente
Pressereferentin
+49 211 90191-191
nadine.lente@reedexpo.de