In focus, with the Digital Innovation Award finalists
This year’s UFI Digital Innovation Award put a spotlight on technological advances by innovators who push the boundaries of our industry.
This year’s UFI Digital Innovation Award put a spotlight on technological advances by innovators who push the boundaries of our industry.
My last two columns here carried big UFI staff news, respectively: Chris Skeith will take over as UFI’s CEO on January 1, 2025, and Kai Hattendorf will leave UFI after a decade in the CEO’s chair (or, for a fair share of that, an airplane seat).
Brands trigger emotions. We are used to the way something looks, and we value familiarity. At the same time, the world continues to change, and brands need to change with them. It is a case of “running to stand still” if you don’t want to be left behind.
Improving urban quality of life and mobility requires collaboration between the private and public sectors to prevent widening inequality.
The launch of UFI’s new “Exhibition Essentials” education programme in Riyadh, Saudi-Arabia. Our first ever UFI Americas Conference in Monterrey, Mexico. The 3rd Asia CEO Summit in Singapore. The Sustainable Events Summit in New York City that UFI supports – I have to admit that, even as the UFI President, I have struggled on occasion to keep up with the stream of news and updates that the team has shared with me in the past weeks.
In my decade at UFI, I struggle to remember another month that has been as packed with UFI activities around the world as this past September. Within a few weeks, we had the regular late summer leadership meeting in Paris. We ran a successful pilot for a new education programme for colleagues who are new in our industry, the “UFI Exhibition Essentials”, in Riyadh, working with Tahaluf.
Thailand’s food and beverage (F&B) industry is a critical part of its economy, driven by diverse stakeholders, including manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, policymakers, and consumers. The industry thrives on innovation, quality, and sustainability. For these stakeholders, exhibitions play a key role in supporting business growth, driving collaboration, and promoting industry-wide advancement.
Here we are – our next peak exhibition season is underway. I don’t know about you, but September looks more than just packed in my diary – including a trip to Paris this week for our regular September UFI Executive Committee meeting.
August saw two special delegation activities for UFI members: We had the opportunity to take a group behind the scenes at the “Deutsches Haus” at the Paris Olympics, thanks to our colleagues from Messe Düsseldorf. The Games really managed to transform Paris into an even more special place, and quite a few UFI members were involved in that – Viparis, GL Events and others.
The exhibition industry, particularly in advanced manufacturing, is experiencing significant growth, driven by a dynamic business ecosystem, robust infrastructure, and strategic positioning within Southeast Asia. This sector benefits from key initiatives focused on fostering innovation and technology, creating an ideal environment for specialized exhibitions.