With the big news out of China on the relaxing of the zero-COVID policies, I spoke with Michael Kruppe, General Manager of the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, the largest Western owned and run exhibition center in China, which has been closed for the last year.
As I look back and reflect on my experience at the UFI Global Congress, held Nov. 14-17 in Muscat, Oman, one of the most informative and valuable sessions to me was the Global Exhibition Industry Board Meeting, which featured senior leadership from a variety of companies — including ADNEC Group, Emerald, Messe Muenchen, EasyFairs and RX Global — discussing the current state of affairs in their functions as CEO, CFO, HR Director, CIO and Director of Strategy & Investment. Montgomery Group Chairman Sandy Angus moderated the session together with UFI’s Caitlin Reed and asked tough questions about the most pressing topics at the moment.
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.
A lingering pandemic in China and elsewhere. War in Europe. Inflation rates not seen in a generation in major markets. Droughts, hurricanes, and record temperatures. It’s certainly not “business as usual” as we write the closing chapter for 2022. And 2023? Not all will be black and white, and economists are using endless types of grey in their outlooks for the next year.
For the last Next Generation of Leaders (NGL) interview, I spoke with Justine Rabel, International Key Account Manager, Eventmaker and Monika Baro, Project Manager, VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. Our first featured Joe Kowalsky, Show Director, Emerald X LLC, and the second featured Daniella Galante, Digital Marketing & Creative Manager, RX South Africa, Maria Victoria Piñeres, Operations Manager, Costa Rica Convention Center/Grupo Heroica Volio y Trejos S.A., and Jon Yahirun, Customer Success Manager, Clarion Events.
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