The annual result of minus € 2.7 million is in red (and better than anticipated), even if the course steered by Hamburg Messe and Congress according to CEO Bernd Aufderheide is "future-oriented and green". In terms of sales, things didn't go quite that bad: turnover was at € 53 m – and that's 10 % more than in reference year 2007. As in the years before, expo business generated the largest share in total sales 2009. The 43 fairs and exhibitions staged at the city's fairgrounds yielded approximately € 33 m in revenues, and Hamburg's expo makers want to continue on this growth course: premium shows are booked solid and new events are selling good. At the annual press meeting on January 14 of this year, Aufderheide said that he believes "the decisive factors for economic success to be the high quality of our events, the services provided by our company, and Hamburg's appeal as business metropolis und tourism magnet". For fiscal year 2010, Hamburg Messe und Congress anticipates sales in the range of € 75 m. (ch) http://www.hamburg-messe.de/hmc/content/hm/en/start.php