UFI President

Dear colleagues, dear friends, When you read these lines, we will be four short weeks away from our Global Congress in Las Vegas. I am sure that this will become a most memorable event for each and everyone participating, and for many different reasons. For me personally, it will mark the end of my year in office as your President.

I hope many of you had the opportunity to enjoy a little break between the busy seasons our industry is going through again this year. I for my part have returned energised and excited about where we are as an industry right now. Looking at our most recent UFI Global Barometer, it is nothing but astonishing that – give or take a few percentage points – globally and on average we have grown back this quickly to the size we had in 2019 when we look at the industry revenues.

I have been “on the road” quite a bit in [...]

This edition of UFI Info goes out just one day before our annual “Global Exhibitions Day”. As you read these lines, colleagues around the world are putting the final touches to their activities and posts for this biggest advocacy day of our industry. Across the time zones – from Auckland in New Zealand to Las Vegas in the US – a flurry of on site and online activities will hit local venues and social media alike...

When following all the dynamic developments around our industry in recent months, the phrase “from zero to hero” comes to my mind. The speed with which we have raced out of the pandemic slump… our business model confirmed, our purpose revigorated, our colleagues giving it all to serve our customers… what a pace. What an experience to live through.

Dear colleagues, dear friends, We are two months away from this year’s Global Exhibitions Day – the 7th of June! Launched by UFI and many many other industry associations back in 2016, this day has quickly become a true force of advocacy for our sector.

This year is an election year at UFI. In spring, you will all elect the new leaderships for our regional chapters around the world. Later, after the summer, we will have the Board elections. In parallel, the working groups and committees will as well elect their new leaders. At UFI, these are open elections, there is no “roster of candidates” pre-selected by a Board and put forward for approval.

A belated Happy New Year to everyone, and a Happy Lunar New Year, and also “Gong Xi Fa Cai“. How fitting it is that 2023 is the year of the rabbit in China, as it represents both longevity and good luck. It is said that this is a year when sacrifices of the past are rewarded generously. I see that as a good omen for our industry!

I am hugely honoured to be in this position, and I will ensure that I will work hard with the UFI team and the Board to bring back our industry from the challenges of Covid and other economic and geopolitical matters which have affected both our business and personal lives.