Messe Düsseldorf post strong numbers

Group revenues increased to €423 million in 2023 – up 36% compared to €311 million in the previous year. Net profits also rose significantly, up 56% to €94.6 million. Management highlighted growth in Turkey and Asia. A dividend of €31.5 million was also approved.

The Washington Post lost US$77 million last year

The group lost US$77 million last year and it has recorded a 50% drop in its audience numbers since 2020. Management’s plan to turn things around? New revenue streams such as “flexible payments” and “frictionless payments.” Yikes. That doesn’t sound like it is going to be enough.

Referral revenue from Facebook expected to decline

This is an interesting article on the outlook of referral revenues. Facebook, as a source of referral revenue, has been sliding for many years. 82% of respondents expect that drop to continue followed by YouTube (67%) and TikTok (57%).

The ongoing story of AI vs. publishers

Another good, long article on publishers grappling with how to confront the threat of AI. Publishers and their lawyers are racing to figure out how to protect the value of their data and content. (It seems this article was researched and written by a real person.)