The right time to reactivate the Conferences

Approximately 220 delegates from more than 20 countries and regions attended the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference in Malaysia. The annual event was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (KLCC) and hosted by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB). It took place from 2-3 March and was followed by a post-conference city tour through the enchanting and historical city of Kuala Lumpur. In every edition, the Conference addresses pertinent topics that pushes the segment to break boundaries and accelerate growth, making it a sought-after business event by hosting destinations. Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), YB Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, opened the conference.

He said that UFI's presence in Malaysia held a significant meaning to the overall tourism industry of the country. "I am excited to welcome the delegates to experience our country and recognise the great work between MyCEB and UFI", commented YB. YBhg. Dato' Sri Dr. Abdul Khani, CEO of MyCEB said "Moving forward, we truly hope the overall partnership with UFI will address the exhibition industry in Malaysia in tackling the challenges faced through global sharing of key learning strategies to advance the industry." Kai Hattendorf, managing director of UFI stated "the time is right for us to reactivate the Conferences as a face-to-face event. We are glad to have chosen Malaysia for this 'restart' event for the exhibition industry in Asia."Over the two days of the conference, the programme delivered a broad range of topics and updates. Mark Temple-Smith, COO of Informa Markets, gave a global perspective on the re-opening of Asia after the pandemic and on the outlook. A panel of organisers and venues from China and Hong Kong shared their views on the situation there two months after the official end of the national zero COVID policies. Devangshu Dutta, founder of Third Eyesight, presented a detailed take on the rise of India and the opportunities for the exhibition industry there. On the second day, there were sessions data insights and marketing, industry advocacy and show development. One of the legacies of the conference will be specific education that UFI will organise and run to upskill event industry professionals from Malaysia and neighbouring countries. UFI and MyCEB agreed that UFI will produce the “UFI Certified Professional” programme in Kuala Lumpur in a few months.

During the conference, UFI and the Asian Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations (AFECA) signed a memorandum of understanding on future collaboration across topics including research and education. AFECA President Vincent Lim and UFI President Michael Duck announced the news to participants on the second day of the conference.All sessions will be made available to UFI members and conference participants in the coming days as on-demand videos. Full details of the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference 2023 can be found on the event website: https://www.ufiasia.org/
The UFI Asia-Pacific Conference 2024 will take place in Macau, hosted by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM).

https://www.ufiasia.org