Mathias Küppe will take on the newly created role of regional president APAC from 1 December 2025.
Global trade fair organiser Koelnmesse is strengthening its Asia-Pacific footprint with a new regional leadership structure, appointing Mathias Küpper as its first-ever regional president APAC from 1 December 2025.
He will hold the role alongside his current positions as managing director of Koelnmesse Singapore and its Thailand joint venture, Expolink Global Network.
Based in Singapore, Küpper will oversee strategic alignment across Koelnmesse’s APAC subsidiaries, including operations in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, while steering growth in neighbouring markets.
As part of the reorganisation, he will transfer operational leadership of the Hong Kong subsidiary to Michiel Kruse, who adds the role to his responsibilities as managing director of Koelnmesse China, with offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
“The reorganisation comes at a time of strong international growth for Koelnmesse,” says Küpper. “We have significantly expanded our portfolio in Asia in recent years and successfully positioned leading trade fair brands in dynamic growth markets. My goal is to continue this course consistently, further strengthen our presence across the region and work with our local teams to unlock new opportunities for growth.”
In 2024, Koelnmesse celebrated successful premieres, for example, in Bangkok with THAIFEX – HOREC Asia and Anuga Select Japan in Tokyo. The expansion continued in 2025 with events such as the International Hardware Fair Indonesia, interzum jakarta, and the new DMEXCO Asia in Singapore. In 2026, additional platforms such as IFMAC/WOODMAC in Jakarta will follow.