Germany Treats Trade Shows Like Infrastructure. Why Don’t We?

How Messe Frankfurt and others are breaking profit records—and what it would take for American cities to stop just hosting and start owning.

In Germany, the word Messe means fair. But in function, it means something closer to infrastructure.

A Messe isn’t just a trade show. It’s not a one-off activation or a convention center booking. It’s a civic platform, a cultural asset, and—crucially—an economic engine that cities own. It’s not just a place where people gather. It’s a place where industr…