NürnbergMesse Group, one of the world’s 15 largest trade fair companies based in Nürnberg, Germany, launched a new class last month as part of its ongoing annual training program for aspiring young exhibition industry professionals. Ten trainees and five students began training programs or dual-track study curricula in September at NürnbergMesse and the Ravensburg University of Cooperative Education in Ravensburg, respectively. 

This year’s class includes eight event management assistant trainees, one marketing communications trainee and one digitalization management trainee, who are joined by four trade fair, conference and event management students, and one media and communications student in their first semesters at the college. 

During their first two introductory weeks at NürnbergMesse, the new trainees and students get familiarized with the company and the key elements of their program, and are provided with IT resource training. The newcomers are then exposed to the company’s different departments to attain a broad understanding of its business operations and how the different departments work together. 

Trainees are assigned to teams and given tasks and projects for which they are fully responsible, while students learn about the many facets of the trade show industry by working in different departments. 

Each trainee then moves into NürnbergMesse’s established trainee mentoring system, where they are partnered with a second-year student to help mentor and guide them through the program. After successfully completing the practical and study phases of the program, students are then awarded a Bachelor of Arts in business studies. 

And of course, NürnbergMesse will be keeping its aspiring young professionals safe with the help of its hygiene concept, developed in early summer to protect exhibitors, attendees and employees at events held at Nürnberg Exhibition Center. Practices include extensive hygiene standards, social distancing, facemask requirements and ensuring contact tracing when needed.

According to NürnbergMesse Group officials, while the company has been committed to career training for young event industry professionals since its inception in 1974, it didn’t launch its dual-course study program until 1998. 

“The dual training system offers a genuine model for success,” said NürnbergMesse CEO Peter Ottmann. “With them, we’re investing not just in our new colleagues, but quite knowingly in our company’s own future.” 

In the last eight years, an average of 60 percent of trainees and 70 percent of students end up finding jobs at NürnbergMesse after completing their training or studies. This high success rate is directly reflected in the company’s robust junior team, which currently features 46 trainees and students from the program.

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