190 industry professionals from around the world attended the second seminar of UFI, Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, in Asia. Jointly hosted by the Association of Korea Exhibition Industries (AKEI) and…
190 industry professionals from around the world attended the second seminar of UFI, Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, in Asia. Jointly hosted by the Association of Korea Exhibition Industries (AKEI) and KOTRA (the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency), the event addressed two key themes on Improving Your Exhibition Competitiveness and The Changing Role of Venues in Successful Exhibition Business.
UFI Incoming President Mr. Cliff Wallace welcomed delegates from 18 countries and regions to the event, saying “we are delighted to continue the tradition of strong and well-attended seminars in Asia that began last year in Hong Kong. We thank your Korean friends for the great support that they have given this event and UFI”.
An international panel of presenters representing nine different countries in Europe, Asia and N. America shared insights with delegates. These included:
- Prof. Dr. Bong-Seok Kim, Professor of Trade Fair & Exhibition Management, Kyung Hee University, Korea.
- Ms Katharina Hamma, Executive Director, Messe Munchen GmbH, Germany.
- Michael Watten, Commercial Director, The NEC Group, UK.
- Simon Naudi, Managing Director – Answers Training International Ltd., USA.
- Michael Dreyer, Vice-President Asia Pacific, Kolnmesse Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore.
- Eric Preat, Vice President Product Development, easyFairs, Belgium.
- Warren Buckley, Managing Director, Suntec Singapore, Singapore.
- Abhijit Mukherjee, CEO, Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, India.
- Ms Pojai Pookakupt, Director of the Board, Chair Person of Education Committee, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Thailand.
- Ross Yaeger, Vice President, MindComet Corp., USA.
In closing, UFI Asia/Pacific Chapter Chairman Chen Xianjin (Shanghai) said “For those of us from other countries, it has been particularly interesting to meet so many representatives of the fast-growing exhibitions industry that you have here in Korea. I hope that the new friendships many of us have made will lead to new business opportunities. That is what being part of an international organisation like UFI is all about”.
The seminar ended with a tour of the COEX and Kintex exhibition centres as well as a visit for delegates to the Gyeongbokgung palace in Seoul.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
