UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, has announced its regional conference in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region will take place on 8-9 April at Dubai World Trade Centre.
The theme for the 2019 conference will be ‘Embracing change, looking forward to the future’, and the event will bring together exhibition professionals from the MEA region to discuss opportunities related to ongoing changes in the industry.
Topics will include digital impact and exponential change, the future of venues and events, talent management, the evolution of value and ROI from trade fairs, the economic outlook and visitors’ insights.
“With old certainties gone, it is a time of change in many ways. Different markets and regions need increasingly varied business approaches. The UFI MEA conference will address topics that will shape the future of events and exhibitions in this particular region,” said Sonia Thomas, UFI COO and director of operations.
The exhibition industry in the Middle East has grown strongly over recent years, with the market size in the GCC region alone nearing around US$1bn, according to estimates from industry consultants.
“UFI currently has close to 100 member companies based in the region, organised in the MEA Chapter, who we are serving out of our Dubai regional office,” added Kai Hattendorf, UFI CEO and Managing Director. “The conference is one of the region’s key initiatives, as well as numerous educational projects. Moving forward, we also plan to produce research around core industry data for this important region. And, last but not least, 2020 will see the UFI Global Congress returning to the region with Oman hosting this UFI flagship event.”
