A record 450 international leaders and decision makers from the exhibition industry sector gathered from 55 countries for this annual event.
ABU DHABI/PARIS – UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, opened its 79th Congress at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
The Congress was officially opened by ADNEC’s Managing Director, His Excellency Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, on behalf of His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of ADNEC.
Al Dhaheri, commented: “I am delighted to welcome international senior officials from the exhibition sector to ADNEC, which is considered one of the most important exhibition centres in the region. Our strategic plan aims to raise the bar of Abu Dhabi as a conference and exhibition destination whilst backing Government’s initiatives designed to fuel the MICE sector. ADNEC is looking forward to discussing mechanisms for identifying future industry growth at the event.”
Pieter Idenburg, Group Chief Executive Officer at ADNEC, said, “We are delighted to host UFI’s 79th summit, which will have a positive impact on exhibitions in our region. The UFI Congress offers a chance to showcase the strengths of ADNEC, our ability to respond rapidly to the needs of emerging markets, and our flexibility in hosting new experiences and businesses. We want to create the ideal environment for our main business areas and we are always working to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our customers and guests.”
Participants at the Congress are meeting to review an extensive agenda covering issues related to the latest developments and trends in the industry and its response to the global economic climate.
The theme of this year’s UFI Congress is “where is the growth coming from?” UFI President, Arie Brienen, summarised the objective of this year’s gathering: “UFI is focused on making sure that we add value to our members’ businesses in all that we do. This Congress gives our members the opportunity to develop new business ties and to share information on key topics impacting our industry today.”
Among the issues being addressed in the context of today’s shifting economy are growth via social media; business opportunities in the Middle East; the symbiotic partnership between technology and nature and sustainable growth and corporate social responsibility.
Paul Woodward, UFI Managing Director, highlighted, “exhibitions aren’t just about selling square metres. As a valuable face-to-face marketing medium, today’s exhibitions play an important role in developing industry sector “communities” which bring buyers and sellers together throughout the year.”
The 80th UFI Congress will be hosted by AKEI in Seoul (Korea) from 13-16 November 2013.
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.
