NEW HOUSING has a new project manager
NEW HOUSING 2026 will take place from 26 to 28 June. Florian Klag will be primarily responsible for the event. He is the new project manager of Europe's largest event for alternative forms of living. Klag introduces himself in an interview.
Hello Florian, welcome to the NEW-HOUSING team.
FLK: Thank you very much. I am very pleased to be able to continue shaping this great trade fair together with the team.
You have already gained a lot of experience in the trade fair business. Tell us a little about your career.
FLK: My professional career has been pretty much shaped by trade fairs. I already worked for Messe Frankfurt's trade fair caterer during my studies. And then, when I saw a job at a private trade fair organiser in Mannheim, I knew that's where I wanted to be. From Mannheim, I then worked in various positions for a wide range of trade fairs in the DACH region. These included topics such as rehabilitation and care, but also “Zukunft Kommune”, a trade fair that originated in Karlsruhe. I believe it started at the fairgrounds back then. Through the personnel trade fairs “Zukunft Personal” and “PERSONAL”, I also got to know Messe Karlsruhe as a guest at LEARNTEC. That's how I ended up starting here in January 2014, initially for LEARNTEC, of course, but also for IT-Trans and industrial trade fairs such as WTT-Expo and HallTtec.
And then you spent ten years as project manager for NUFAM, the commercial vehicle trade fair organised by Messe Karlsruhe. Tell me, how did you go from big trucks to small houses? Why did you decide to make the change?
FLK: First of all, I had a great time at NUFAM. I was able to help shape the transport industry's journey towards CO2 neutrality and gain a lot of skills. But after such a long time, I was simply very curious to try something new. And NEW HOUSING offers me the opportunity to develop a project, however small it may be compared to other events at our company, and to contribute my ideas to ensure that the trade fair becomes an indispensable part of the annual planning, both for us and for visitors.
So now, as project manager, you are primarily responsible for ensuring that NEW HOUSING continues to develop. What are your wishes and goals for Europe's largest trade fair for alternative forms of living?
FLK: First and foremost, of course, that we will be economically successful and also serve as a flagship for the city of Karlsruhe. Until now, NEW HOUSING has been particularly associated with its festival character and geared towards end customers. In other words, those who want to move into a tiny house themselves. The next step for an economically secure future must be to open up the event to a specialist audience and make it attractive. NEW HOUSING should not only be seen as a festival, but should also offer real added value for companies and local authorities. There are basically two key components here. On the one hand, there are exhibitors who offer investors future-proof products and services, which often overlap with the needs of private customers, giving us a good basis. On the other hand, NEW HOUSING will also offer the opportunity to obtain targeted, curated and prepared specialist knowledge in the future. What contributes particularly strongly to this, as I notice every day in every conversation with my colleagues, is that everyone involved in our company, but also important partners, are very passionate about what they do and thus create a very special spirit. For me, it is essential to maintain this.
