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UFI President Corrado Peraboni with Kathryn James.
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UFI President Corrado Peraboni with Kathryn James.
UFI President Corrado Peraboni with Kathryn James.
The UFI European Conference takes place in May each year and brings together more than 200 industry professionals from all over Europe and beyond.
PARIS / VERONA – The UFI European Conference 2019 will be hosted by the NEC in Birmingham (UK), from Wednesday 15 May to Friday 17 May. Kathryn James, CEO of the NEC, and UFI President Corrado Peraboni, agreed on the collaboration in a joint meeting at this year’s European Conference in Verona.
As the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, UFI organises annual industry conferences in Europe and around the world, as well as the UFI Global Congress. The UFI European Conference takes place in May each year and brings together more than 200 industry professionals from all over Europe and beyond. It has previously been hosted in Verona (2018), Cologne (2017), Basel (2016), and Istanbul (2015), and is open to UFI members and non-members. Based on data from Explori, a global UFI research partner, participants regularly rate this unique conference as one of the very best opportunities for networking and best practice learning in the industry.
“The UK is home to many organisers with international portfolios, and also offers great venues. As a long-standing UFI member, the NEC is going to be a wonderful host for the occasion,” says President Peraboni. “Our delegates can already look forward to a unique event, packed with networking, timely content, and some special British experiences.”
Kathryn James, Managing Director, Conventions and Exhibitions, NEC Group comments: “The UK’s position in the global events industry and its evolving role in the European political and economic landscape have made the mutual desire to bring Europe’s largest meeting of international event industry professionals to our shores even stronger. It’s brilliant to now confirm that the NEC Birmingham will be hosting the UFI European Conference 2019. There’s no doubt that the high-tech venue facilities at our new VOX conference centre, our personalised service and unrivalled international connectivity helped us lock down the deal. This is a great opportunity and reinforces our role, at the heart of the UK events industry, as one of Europe’s busiest exhibition centres.”
The National Exhibition Centre (NEC), is where brands are born, products are launched and networks are made. The campus welcomes 6 million visitors, over 34,000 exhibiting companies and 500 events every year. Over the last 40 years, the NEC has firmly established itself as the UK’s No.1 venue to visitors, event organisers and exhibitors.
Centrally located and ideal for any size event or association, the NEC boasts unrivalled connectivity by road, rail and air and a variety of flexible spaces, including 34 conference suites – ready-made event layouts and complete blank canvas halls hosting any type of event for 10 – 10,000+ delegates.
UFI elects Mary Larkin as future President for the 2019/20 term
The UFI Board of Directors has elected Mary Larkin as President of UFI for 2020. The decision was made at the board meeting during the UFI European Conference in Verona (Italy). The UFI presidential trio for the 2018/19 term will therefore comprise of:
- Craig Newman (Johannesburg Expo Centre, South Africa) President 2018/19
- Mary Larkin, (Diversified Communications, Portland, USA) Incoming President
- Corrado Peraboni (Fiera Milano, Italy) Outgoing President.
This decision becomes effective at the conclusion of the 85th UFI Global Congress, which runs from 31 October to 3 November 2018 in St. Petersburg.
Corrado Peraboni, UFI’s current President, welcomed the election of Mary Larkin, saying: “I congratulate Mary Larkin for being elected as the new UFI incoming President. It will be a great privilege for me to be part of the presidential trio, together with Craig Newman and Andreas Gruchow in this historical moment – Mary will be the first female President in UFI’s history, and also the first to be based in the USA. I wish her every success in performing all the important duties that are required of this position.”
Mary Larkin commented: “I am delighted to be part of UFI’s leadership in the coming years and to continue with the development and support that UFI has provided the industry for so long. I am particularly looking forward to representing and working with women to help increase the level of female representation in leadership positions within the industry.”
As UFI’s incoming President, Mary Larkin will work closely with the incumbent President and outgoing President to make up the presidential trio, managing UFI at the highest level, and helping UFI continue on its path of global development.
UFI was founded in 1925 as a non-profit, non-partisan international association, and today is the global association for the exhibitions industry, directly representing more than 50,000 exhibition industry professionals in almost 90 countries around the world. UFI operates four regional offices in addition to the headquarters in Paris. UFI’s recent presidents were from Germany (Andreas Gruchow 2016/17), Russia (Sergey Alexeev 2015/16), Colombia (Andres Lopez-Valderrama 2014/15), France (Renaud Hamaide, 2013/14), and China (Xianjin Chen, 2012/13).
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
