Friday, November 16, 2012

79th UFI Congress breaks attendance record


News this week: UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, recently concluded its annual 79th Congress at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) to a record 475 participants from 55 countries.

Themed “where is the growth coming from?”, key topics this year included growth via social media, business opportunities in the Middle East, the symbiotic partnership between technology and nature, and sustainable growth and corporate social responsibility.

UFI’s global membership currently consists of 612 member organisations from 85 countries – with 36 new member organisations added in the past year. According to UFI, China now accounts for 46% of the global increase in available indoor exhibition space, with 69% of this increase related to new venue construction.

Chen Xianjin, who assumed his new role as President of UFI at the event, was quoted saying, “Our association’s history reflects the development of the world exhibition industry and it is also the global economic development history in miniature. Today China represents 15% of UFI’s total membership and there are many stories about international exhibition companies coming to China and succeeding. It’s my intention to use the advantage of my origin from Asia to better connect Asian members with those from Europe and other continents.”

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