2024 will go into the history books as the best year the global exhibition industry has ever recorded, measured by revenues—topping out an astonishing comeback after the global pandemic. Investors remain eager to put money into our industry’s core business model of connecting people for trade and innovation, but the future will see challenges escalate, existing developments pick up speed, and complexities grow.
I am extremely happy and honoured to address you all, our global UFI community which really is the global exhibition community – as I assume the Presidency of UFI for the coming year.
It is time to thank - you. Each and every one of you. For reading these short texts regularly over the years. Since 2015, I have penned around 100 of these CEO updates, reporting on UFI activities and developments as well as sharing some thoughts around issues that impact our industry and ourselves.
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.
UFI’s previous logo and brand identity were introduced early into this century when UFI underwent a major repositioning. Back then, the brand’s redesign was all about supporting UFI’s growing global reach and role.
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.
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.
