FORUM S.A., a leading trade show organizer in Greece and a member of the German exhibition group NürnbergMesse, has taken a Strategic Acquisition step by acquiring the trade show and professional magazine publishing company O.MIND CREATIVES, becoming its sole shareholder. 

Since its founding in 1988, FORUM has experienced a long journey of continuous growth and expansion, becoming today the largest trade show and festival organizer in Greece. Its portfolio includes nine of the largest and most important international exhibitions held in the country: HORECA, FOOD EXPO, OENOTELIA, XENIA, ARTOZA, GLOBAL PACK, FOODTECH, ATHENS COFFEE FESTIVAL, and WORLD OF BEER FESTIVAL. These exhibitions host over 4,000 Greek and international exhibitors annually and attract more than 200,000 professionals from Greece and abroad. 

In addition, the high-quality and widely circulated professional magazines published by the company—SNACK & COFFEE, A-Z, PSITO, AMBROSIA—have become valuable communication tools for professionals in the sectors they target. 

On the other hand, O.MIND CREATIVES has been successfully active since 2005 in the trade show and publishing sectors, managing through its projects to penetrate relevant markets and create conditions for effective collaboration among stakeholders. 

The strategic decision to invest in the acquisition of O.MIND CREATIVES aligns with FORUM S.A.’s consistent pursuit of identifying and leveraging market opportunities that ensure high added value to its existing commercial activity. 

This important investment decision in the full acquisition of O.MIND CREATIVES is in line with FORUM’s strategic goal to continuously seek and utilize market opportunities that ensure high added value to its existing commercial activity. 

From left: Thanos Panagoulias, Theodoros Dimitriadis, Antonis Moschonidis, Maximilian Maier 

It is a decisive step that will impact FORUM S.A.’s position in the Greek and international exhibition industry, as with the acquisition of O.MIND CREATIVES, the company expands its portfolio with new products and enters new geographic and sectoral markets, increasing its competitiveness and overall market share in the exhibition industry. 

At the same time, aiming for innovation and the creation of new efficient processes, it integrates the expertise and best practices of both companies and leverages shared resources, creating economies of scale. 

During the Press Conference, FORUM announced some of the first strategic decisions regarding the portfolio of the acquired company: 

• MEAT/DAIRY/FROZEN EXPO, the exhibition for animal product processing & agri-food, will be absorbed by FOODTECH, the international exhibition for food and beverage processing technologies. The absorption will take place in the 2027 edition. 

• The biennial co-organization of the exhibitions “Supply Chain & Logistics” with “Cargo Truck & Van Expo” will continue in October, at the Athens Metropolitan Expo. The main goal will be the focus and strengthening of the Professional Vehicle sector. 

• The biennial schedule continues for the “Logistics & Transports Expo” along with the “Logi.C” conference, held at the HELEXPO International Exhibition Center in Thessaloniki, with a new period of execution in autumn, specifically October 2026. The main goal will be the development of the exhibition’s outreach in the Balkan region. 

• In the coming period, a complete redefinition of the professional magazine publishing schedule will be carried out, both in print and digital formats. 

Specifically, the schedule of upcoming exhibitions until the end of the year, based on FORUM S.A.’s new enhanced portfolio, will be as follows: 

• Supply Chain & Logistics & Cargo Truck & Van Expo, October 18–20, 2025, Athens Metropolitan Expo 

• GLOBAL PACK – International Packaging Exhibition, November 7–10, 2025, Athens Metropolitan Expo 

• FOODTECH – International Food Processing Exhibition, November 7–10, 2025, Athens Metropolitan Expo 

• XENIA – International Tourism Industry Exhibition, November 22–24, 2025, Athens Metropolitan Expo 

True to its vision, FORUM S.A. is pioneering and leading change in the exhibition sector, providing Greek and international professionals with the most fertile ground for business agreements and the most productive hub for showcasing and sharing knowledge, inspiration, and human networking. 

As highlighted during the Press Conference on Wednesday, September 10, at the Electra Palace Athens Hotel, Mr. Thanos Panagoulias, President & CEO of FORUM S.A. – Member of NürnbergMesse Group, stated: 

“I commit that, based on the core corporate values championed by the NürnbergMesse Group PEOPLE – PASSION – PROGRESS, we are all embarking together on this new and exciting chapter, building on our great achievements and moving toward a shared future full of challenges, always with the same love and passion for all the people who make up the big family of trade shows & publications”. 

From the NürnbergMesse Group, Mr. Maximilian Maier, Vice President Strategy & Portfolio, expressed his optimism about this strategic investment: 

“At NürnbergMesse Group, we have a successful track record of investments in emerging markets. The acquisition of FORUM S.A. in 2019 was one such success story. I am very pleased to see FORUM S.A. – already the leading exhibition organizer in Greece – further strengthening its market position, expanding its portfolio through the acquisition of O.MIND CREATIVES, and I am very optimistic about its future growth in the Greek and global exhibition industry”. 

From O.MIND CREATIVES, the two former shareholders, Mr. Theodoros Dimitriadis and Mr. Antonis Moschonidis, stated: 

“Our decision to integrate O.MIND into FORUM and the international NürnbergMesse Group is a strategic step that ensures the sustainability and further development of what we have consistently built over the past 20 years. We feel proud of our journey and grateful to our partners and the market that supported our projects, which now gain new momentum through FORUM’s international experience and outreach. We are confident that the union of our forces will further enhance the quality and prestige of exhibitions and publications, benefiting the industries we serve”. 

From left: Antonis Moschonidis, Maximilian Maier, Thanos Panagoulias, Theodoros Dimitriadis