The world's largest annual industrial fair, Hannover Messe, became the driving force for post-war reconstruction of the city. The idea to hold such fairs belonged to the British administration of the city. The first took place in a factory building in Laatzen in 1947. The undertaking was acknowledged to be successful. Then the industrial fair in Hannover became an annual event. The epithet "Messestadt" ("The Fair City") appeared outside the city.
In 2000, the German Chancellor of the time, Gerhard Schroeder, gave Messe a new impulse. A native of Hannover, Schroeder did much to strengthen the authority of the exhibition.
Hannover Messe is traditionally held in April. The exhibition center of Hannover - the world’s largest expo-centre is the platform for the fair. There are 26 covered pavilions on its territory and the congress center has 35 modern rooms and is the largest in Europe.