Strategische Allianzen in der deutschen Messebranche

Abstract

Recent trends have shown an increasing importance of alliances as a strategic option for businesses. Several studies state that companies in vulnerable positions and undergoing business discontinuity tend even more to perform alliances. The trend is furthermore especially applicable to companies from the business services sector.The German exhibition organizers form one of the most important service industries of their country. Their global position is undisputed. But in recent years they had to struggle with decreasing numbers of exhibitors and visitors whilst the hall capacities continued to increase. Moreover exhibition organisers from abroad with ambitious fairgrounds make part of a competition which was previously to such an extent, non existent.Nevertheless strategic alliances between German exhibition organizers are being performed only to an insignificant manner. Considering these trends this master thesis deals with the applicability of the concept of strategic alliances to the German exhibition industry on the one hand.The theoretical applicability will be explained by pulling up the market based view and the research based view of strategic management. Case studies of failed alliances of the past and of current successful ones will point out the practicability of alliances between exhibition organizers.On the other hand the existence of sectoral features that avert the accomplishment of alliances between German exhibition organizers will be examined. The identification of these features will be done through an intensive research of relevant literature and more importantly by interviewing several experts.In this context, possibilities offered by alliances to the participating exhibition organizers will be illustrated, as well as their limitations.