News

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (Dec 8) - Klaus Wellmann, who as vice president of the house, garden & leisure division at Kölnmesse is also responsible for Ifma, moves on to OutDoor and Eurobike organizer Messe Friedrichshafen. On 1 April 2006 the 41-year-old will become part of the Messe Friedrichshafen management. After a transitional training phase he will take over the job of longtime Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Rolf Mohne. Mohne will officially retire on 31.3.2007. "I have known Klaus Wellmann for a long time. I recommended our supervisory board to hire him as my successor and they accepted," says Rolf Mohne. Both Eurobike and OutDoor were created under leadership of CEO Mohne. According to Klaus Wellmann "the international success of trade shows such as Eurobike and OutDoor are rooted in the attractive location. I'm a native of Cologne and I like the mentality here. But we can't offer our trade visitors such a holiday atmosphere as Messe Friedrichshafen at Lake Constance". Wellmann has worked at Köln Messe since 1997. He is also an avid downhill skier that once made it into the Eurocup competition races. Now he is going back south and "closer to the mountains and the snow". (JB)