Designated programming to support industry professionals during COVID-19 pandemic. Session, Talks and Panels for exhibition and industry professional to be hosted and streamed globally; Sessions will be open free of charge for industry professionals.
PARIS – As the COVID-19 pandemic keeps exhibition industry professionals apart, the need to talk, to discuss, and to learn is bigger than ever.
In response to this, UFI, the global association for the exhibition industry, is launching “UFI connects”, a series of regular talks, sessions, and panels that will take place online.
“As our industry’s global association, we are working to support our members and the industry at large through this unique time. The recovery of the world’s economies will rely on our companies, our skills: We will need to build and run the market places and the meeting places for industries and expert to come together again. UFI connects is a way to stay connected, to get through this pandemic, and to be ready for the time afterwards“, says Mary Larkin, UFI President.
“UFI connects” will provide a schedule of regular talks, panels, and webinar sessions – organized by the UFI team and the UFI community. The programme will also feature selected sessions from previous UFI event that are normally only available to members of the association. Access to all sessions will be free of charge for industry professionals.
First sessions are focusing on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the exhibitions and events industry in various regions around the world.
Hundreds of industry colleagues signed up for the initial sessions:
- Focus on Latin America session that included updates and insights from Pepe Navarro (Tarsus Mexico), Fernando Gorbaran (Messe Frankfurt Argentina) and Ana Maria Arango (UFI Regional Manager LatAm).
- Focus on Asia, included updates and insights from Aloysius Arlando (SingEx Holdings, Singapore), Michael Duck (Informa Exhibitions Asia, HongKong), Anbu Varathan (BIEC, Bangalore), and Michael Kruppe (SNIEC, Shanghai), moderated by Mark Cochrane (UFI Regional Manager Asia/Pacific).
This week will see a live session on the situation in Middle East & Africa, and other programming.
The hub for this evolving programming is a designated area on the UFI website at www.ufi.org/uficonnects. Schedules and programme announcements will be posted there. Exhibition industry professionals will also have the opportunity to re-watch previous episodes and programmes from there.
“The content we provide and deliver at our UFI events around the world are one of our association’s biggest assets. While our regular events and educational programmes cannot take place as usual, ‘UFI connects’ is our way to continue to deliver”, says Kai Hattendorf, UFI CEO and MD.
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.
