Messe München in China: contract for President and CEO of Messe Muenchen Shanghai, Evan Sha, to be extended

Keeping things consistent in the growing Chinese market: Messe München has extended the contract with Evan Sha, CEO and Managing Director of its subsidiary Messe Muenchen Shanghai, for another five years, effective December 1, 2025.

“By extending the contract, we are building on the stability of the successful management team. Evan Sha is a proven leader with excellent industry knowledge, and we are delighted to be continuing our collaboration with him. Messe München’s success in China in recent years is closely linked to his name,” emphasize Messe München’s two CEOs Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel.

Evan Sha draws on nearly three decades of experience in the trade show industry. After graduating from Shanghai University, he began his professional career at the Shanghai Commercial Exhibition Office of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), followed by positions in the management of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition in China and a senior position at Informa China. In 2022, Sha then joined Messe München as President China, where he has been responsible for the strategic market development. In December 2024, he was also appointed CEO and Managing Director of Messe Muenchen Shanghai, forming the local management team together with CFO Jan Rohde, who is responsible for traditional financial matters as well as parts of the trade fair business.

China a successful focus market for Messe München

For over 20 years, Messe München has been present on the Chinese market via its wholly-owned subsidiary Messe Muenchen Shanghai and is now one of the country's leading trade fair companies. Achieving annual sales of over €125 million in 2024, the company not only had a record year but also made a significant and profitable contribution to Messe München's consolidated results. In 2024 alone, almost one million visitors attended 25 events and got to meet more than 16,000 exhibiting companies. “We have witnessed a strong growth in China over the past ten years. The number of visitors nearly doubled, and the number of exhibitors went up by two and a half times. China is the most important focus market for us,” state Pfeiffer and Rummel.

Among the leading trade fairs organized by Messe Muenchen Shanghai are analytica China, bauma China, electronica China, ISPO Beijing and ISPO Shanghai, Laser World of Photonics China, and productronica China. Messe Muenchen Shanghai has just under 170 employees.