UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, is holding its 73rd Congress in Beijing from November 8-11, 2006. The 348 delegates attending this prestigious annual event, includes exhibition…
UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, is holding its 73rd Congress in Beijing from November 8-11, 2006. The 348 delegates attending this prestigious annual event, includes exhibition organizers, venue operators, national exhibition associations and partners of the industry from 48 countries. This year’s event is hosted by two UFI members, the China International Exhibition Center Group Corporation (CIEC) and the China Association for Exhibition Centers (CAEC).
The theme of the 2006 gathering, “The Changing Face of the Global Exhibition Industry,” is providing participants with sessions providing strategic insight into the current state of the exhibition sector. Demographics, geography, economics, technology: each element was developed by experts providing both internal and external perspectives of the industry.
While foreign firms line up to invest in a number of Asian markets, one of the most successful means for market entry remains the exhibition forum. The rapid growth of exhibition venues across the Asia/Pacific region in the past five years parallels these dynamic developments. UFI’s membership reflects this trend, doubling in the region in the past 3 years.
Vincent Gerard, UFI Managing Director, pointed out, “the dynamic growth in this region is having a strong influence around the world. We’re seeing our European and American members invest in joint venture programmes and site development opportunities with their Asian colleagues.”.
Chen Ruowei, President of the CAEC, added, that “UFI has a strong role to play as we turn our attention from building new venues to developing training exhibition professionals and developing quality exhibition themes.” Industry projections show that China, Japan, Korea and India will top the exhibition market in the region over the next decade. While China has outpaced other countries in the Region and now accounts for some 2/3 of the exhibition space in the region, nations like Korea, Thailand and Singapore are showing strong growth as well.
UFI members are representatives of the world’s leading trade fair organisers, exhibition centre operators, tradeshow associations and partners of the exhibition industry. Jochen Witt, UFI President, is intent on developing the association to ensure that it promotes, informs and provides the networking opportunities which the international exhibition industry deserves. “Face-to-face contacts still remain a determining factor in any final buying decision. And this is what we in the exhibition industry need to make known. As a long time UFI member, I know that this association is the best suited to promote the marketing value of exhibitions for any company.”
The Annual UFI Congress moves from Region to Region and will be held in France in from October 24-27, 2007.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
