Koelnmesse optimizes trade fair traffic with eSlot

Good accessibility, sustainability and efficiency in handling trade fair traffic around set-up and dismantling times no longer lie in the future. Koelnmesse's new logistics management system called eSlot has now made these factors a reality. With the help of this new, dynamic system, logistics providers, forwarders and exhibitors digitally register all logistics traffic for the set-up and dismantling of a trade fair in advance. Based on this early digital registration, Koelnmesse "...receives a holistic overview of the logistics situation for our trade fairs. This opens up completely new possibilities for traffic control and logistics management," says Koelnmesse Managing Director Herbert Marner.

Increased efficiency through intelligent control

With eSlot, trade fair traffic planners can efficiently distribute the expected trucks and vehicles in terms of time and space. This equalizes delivery traffic, achieves higher throughput rates and avoids waiting times and backups on site, which in turn reduces pollutant emissions in Cologne on the right bank of the Rhine significantly.

After successful pre-registration, the announced vehicles are routed to the exact loading and unloading station on the anounced day via the navigation app NUNAV. The customer is automatically assigned a slot by the system. If this is not possible, the vehicles are collected at Koelnmesse's logistics center and will wait there for entry.

Just-in-time procedure reduces waiting times 

This brings Koelnmesse significantly closer to the just-in-time logistics it is aiming for. It also eliminates waiting times, previously an annoyingly high cost factor for exhibitors. As of now, eSlot booking is mandatory for access to the Koelnmesse exhibition center during set-up and dismantling.

These and other measures to digitize traffic management are being supported and promoted by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure as part of the "Digitization of Municipal Transport Systems" program.