Stephanie Selesnick, Author at UFI Blog

Yes, the quality of exhibiting companies at your show matters
Yes, the quality of exhibiting companies at your show matters

Yes, the quality of exhibiting companies at your show matters

During the recent #UFIConnects Webinar featuring some results of the latest UFI & Explori Global Recovery Study (with funding from SISO), there were a couple of questions which were notable. They were around factors visitors consider when deciding whether or not to attend an exhibition. The number one determining factor was the quality of exhibiting companies with 71% of respondents citing it as a huge influence, and another 22% saying it has some influence. That’s 93% of visitors looking at [...]

By Stephanie Selesnick| 2020-10-05T09:15:12+00:00 October 5th, 2020|All, Americas, Asia – Pacific, Europe, Exhibition Industry, Exhibition Industry Research, Middle East – Africa|0 Comments

An Opportune Time to Connect
An Opportune Time to Connect

An Opportune Time to Connect

Now is a great time to refresh relationships with your visitors, exhibitors, sponsors, media and industry. The face-to-face, business-to-business events industry has significantly changed in 2020. Physical exhibitions are under new safety guidelines and will be for the foreseeable future. Virtual events and exhibitions are becoming commonplace. This COVID-19 world is no longer new and (unfortunately) is our normal for now. Most exhibitions traditionally have had a transactional relationship with [...]

By Stephanie Selesnick| 2020-09-21T09:33:39+00:00 September 18th, 2020|Americas, Asia – Pacific, Europe, Exhibition Marketing, Management, Middle East – Africa, Operations & Services|1 Comment

Pandemic myopia is real
Pandemic myopia is real

Pandemic myopia is real

Everyone - all over the world - is suffering from Pandemic Fatigue. We are tired! Collectively as an industry dependent on social, physical face-to-face engagement, we’re tired of this virus. We’re tired of the impact on our businesses and facing an uncertain future. We’re tired of planning for one set of circumstances, only to be tasked with facing another - over, and over, and still over again. Business owners are tired of figuring out how to stay open. Employees are tired of experiencing job [...]

By Stephanie Selesnick| 2020-08-26T10:46:50+00:00 August 26th, 2020|All|1 Comment

The end of the world as we know it is officially here
The end of the world as we know it is officially here

The end of the world as we know it is officially here

This week the largest business-to-business, face-to-face exhibition in the United States, CES® 2021 moved to an online, all digital event. In 2019, the UFI-approved event had 170,000 visitors, 6000 media, and 4000 exhibiting companies from every corner of the world. This is the first time since 1967 that the exhibition will not be held in Las Vegas – or anywhere in person. Releasing the ‘pivot’ to virtual so early (its scheduled dates were January 6-9, 2021) sent reverberations all around the Un [...]

By Stephanie Selesnick| 2020-07-30T14:28:51+00:00 July 30th, 2020|All, Americas, Exhibition Industry|1 Comment

If We Hold an Expo, Will They Come?
If We Hold an Expo, Will They Come?

If We Hold an Expo, Will They Come?

In the movie A Field of Dreams, one of the premises are, “If you build it, they will come.” It’s something our industry has counted on for decades and even longer! However, if people are fearful of going back to their offices, how are we going to get them to attend our exhibitions? The good news is that expos are open in China and Korea. Recently a select few have been held in the United States. Exhibitors and visitors are populating convention centers again. Unfortunately, even with a few shows [...]

By Stephanie Selesnick| 2020-07-17T10:40:34+00:00 July 17th, 2020|Americas, Exhibition Industry|0 Comments

An update from the United-States
An update from the United-States

An update from the United-States

With the lack of a national coordinated response, Governors of all 50 States in the US have been compelled to establish COVID-19 policies for their respective states and citizens. Presently there are no restrictions on travel between States, although three of them: Connecticut, New Jersey and New York have placed 14 day quarantines on people arriving from a number of hot spots in the country. What this means for the largest exhibition market in the world: Most convention and exhibition centers i [...]

By Stephanie Selesnick| 2020-07-03T09:56:35+00:00 July 3rd, 2020|Americas, Exhibition Industry|2 Comments

Innovative & Sustainable Events – A Recipe for Success!
Innovative & Sustainable Events – A Recipe for Success!

Innovative & Sustainable Events – A Recipe for Success!

Stephanie Selesnick, International Trade Information, Inc. Nick Dugdale-Moore, UFI’s European Regional Manager, is brimming with excitement over this year’s UFI European Conference, June 3-5 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Taking place in one of the most sustainable cities in the world, delegates will have a chance to experience Swedish style hospitality at the superb Gothia Towers hotel which sits atop the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre. The UFI European Conference, open to all exhibition prof [...]

By Stephanie Selesnick| 2020-03-04T14:24:40+00:00 March 4th, 2020|All|0 Comments

The Coronavirus – An Update
The Coronavirus – An Update

The Coronavirus – An Update

Stephanie Selesnick, International Trade Information, Inc. A conversation took place on last week’s Twitter #Expochat, devoting the entire discussion to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on the US and global exhibition industry. Industry leaders Kai Hattendorf, MD/CEO of UFI, David Audrain, Executive Director of SISO, and Julius Solaris from Skift’s EventMB joined me as moderator. PCMA also was active on the chat. Large exhibitors in the US and Europe are cancelling booths and sponsors [...]

By Stephanie Selesnick| 2020-02-26T09:43:36+00:00 February 26th, 2020|All|3 Comments

New Product Pavilions are Essential to Expos
New Product Pavilions are Essential to Expos

New Product Pavilions are Essential to Expos

On a global basis, the number one reason attendees and visitors go to trade shows is to see new products and services. This is borne out in UFI/Explori Visitor Surveys. CES 2020, the largest annual trade-only exhibition in the United States, was held earlier this month in Las Vegas, NV. It had over 175,000 attendees, 4400+ exhibiting companies, and almost 3 million square feet over five venues and took place for four days. Besides hundreds, if not thousands of product launches throughout the sho [...]

By Stephanie Selesnick| 2020-01-21T09:48:09+00:00 January 20th, 2020|Americas|0 Comments

Meet the 2019/2020 NGL Grant Winners (Part 2 of 2)
Meet the 2019/2020 NGL Grant Winners (Part 2 of 2)

Meet the 2019/2020 NGL Grant Winners (Part 2 of 2)

Stephanie Selesnick, International Trade Information, Inc. In its fourth year, UFI’s NGL Grant (Next Generation of Leaders), sponsored by Freeman, identifies and helps develop up-and-coming exhibition industry talent. The program is two parts: The first has the five NGL Grant recipients presenting their research and thoughts about the exhibition industry’s future in a session at the upcoming UFI Global Congress in Thailand. The second pairs them up with C-level industry mentors. These talented [...]

By Stephanie Selesnick| 2019-10-25T08:37:34+00:00 October 25th, 2019|Education, Exhibition Industry|0 Comments

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