Every UFI connects session focuses on a specific theme, and time is always allocated for dialogue between the speakers, panelists and the session participants.
PARIS – Faced with event bans around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, decided to use digital sessions as an alternative means to connect with its members and the industry at large in late March. Since then, in the space of just one month, the association organised and held ten online events, bringing together thousands of exhibition industry professionals from all around the world.
“UFI connects” provides an array of regular talks, panels, and webinar sessions – organised by the UFI team and the UFI community. The programme also features selected sessions from previous UFI events that are normally only available to members of the association. Access to all sessions is free of charge for industry professionals.
“Right now, dialogue and best practice sharing are more important than ever, and as our industry’s global association we are in a position to facilitate this. We are thrilled by the feedback we are receiving. We succeeded in welcoming thousands of participants live during the respective sessions – and are seeing many more watching the session recordings afterwards on demand around the world”, says Kai Hattendorf, UFI CEO and MD.
Every UFI connects session focuses on a specific theme, and time is always allocated for dialogue between the speakers, panelists and the session participants.
“The content we provide and deliver at our UFI events around the world are one of our association’s biggest assets. Whilst our regular events and educational programmes cannot take place as usual, we are happy to see that our ‘UFI connects’ session can fill this void at the present time. A huge thank you to all the speakers, but also to the UFI team who put these sessions together and deliver them”, says Sonia Thomas, UFI COO.
Highlights of the April sessions include:
- Economist Roger Martin-Fagg discussing ‘The Economist’s View Beyond Covid-19’
- A panel on the do’s and don’ts of virtual events with Dahlia El Gazzar (Tech Evangelist + Idea Igniteur, DAHLIA + Agency), Enrico Gallorini (CEO, GRS S.r.l.) and Matthias Tesi Baur (CEO, MBB Consulting Group)
- Regional COVID-19 focused industry updates from Asia, Middle-East/Africa, Latin America, and Europe
- A session of best practice examples of venues being converted into temporary hospitals around the world.
- All sessions are available on demand – and free of charge – on the “UFI connects” area of the UFI website.
Upcoming sessions will focus on the Middle East (4 May) and North America (5 May). Numerous additional sessions are being developed for the weeks ahead that draw on insights from the global UFI community.
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.
