Media Releases

UFI Asia-Pacific Conference unites exhibition industry leaders in Macau

  • Close to 300 exhibition industry leaders gather in Macau
  • Key issues discussed included sustainability, AI and changing event formats
  • Success of conference in Macau underscores importance of Greater Bay Area

Paris / Macau – 12 March 2024: Close to 300 delegates from 20 countries and regions attended the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference in Macau. The annual event was held at The Parisian Macao and hosted by the Macau Fair & Trade Association. It took place from 7-8 March and was co-located with the first-ever Event Directors Summit held in Asia.

“This was our first time bringing this event to Macau since 2008. Both Macau and its MICE industry have grown remarkably since then. This year’s conference was particularly successful in bringing together UFI members and industry leaders from around the region, including approximately 150 from Greater China. A key theme explored in Macau was the emerging importance of the Greater Bay Area and growth opportunities for our industry in this region,” commented Mark Cochrane, UFI Asia-Pacific Regional Director.

Ms. Synthia Chan, Council Chairperson for the Macau Trade & Fair Association, said, “What an honour it was to host the 2024 UFI Asia-Pacific Conference! It got our adrenaline pumping with fun and surprises! And as always it was a pleasure to work with the UFI team. We have been waiting for years to host this event again, and now I can honestly say it was worth the wait!”

Over the two days of the conference, speakers covered key issues such as the rise of AI and its expected impact on exhibitions, the importance of implementing sustainable best practices, the evolution of event formats and the exciting opportunities emerging in China’s Greater Bay Area which includes cities such as Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

All sessions will be made available to UFI members and conference participants in the coming days as on-demand videos.

Macau also saw the initial edition of the “Event Directors Summit” format in the region. Launched in Europe in 2023, this invitation-only summit connects show and portfolio directors across borders to discuss common challenges.

Alongside the conference, UFI held numerous association meetings, including the Asia-Pacific chapter meeting and a session of the Associations Committee. UFI management also hosted a student delegation from Macau’s City University.

In 2025, the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference will take place in Melbourne from 13-14 February, hosted by the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

As the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, UFI organises annual regional conferences in Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa, as well as the UFI Global Congress.

Full details about the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference 2024 can be found on the event website: www.ufiasia.org.

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AsiaWorld-Expo signs multi-year Diamond Sponsorship Agreement with UFI

Paris / Amsterdam – 20 February 2024: UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and AsiaWorld-Expo have signed a multi-year Diamond Sponsorship Agreement, underlining AsiaWorld-Expo’s commitment to the ongoing development of the exhibition industry.

The official signing took place during the 2024 Global CEO Summit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The Diamond Sponsorship is the highest tier of UFI sponsorship available, and all Diamond Sponsors directly contribute to expanding the depth and scope of UFI activities, enabling the association to better serve the exhibition industry. AsiaWorld-Expo will gain year-round promotion and visibility across all UFI events and activities as part of the Diamond Sponsorship Agreement.

“UFI provides an unparalleled platform for visionary leaders and passionate individuals in the exhibition industry to connect and collaborate. Our partnership with UFI represents a pivotal move to reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as an essential hub for international exhibitions, as well as AsiaWorld-Expo’s strategic location which enables more exhibitors and organisers from around the globe to access and capitalise on the vast potential and promising growth of the China Greater Bay Area”, says Irene Chan, CEO of AsiaWorld-Expo.

“We are thrilled to have this support from AWE for the coming years. It will allow us to invest more in some UFI projects and activities that benefit our industry around the world as we are closing into UFI’s 100-year-anniversary in 2025”, says UFI President Geoff Dickinson.

UFI Diamond Sponsorship

The UFI Diamond Sponsorship programme offers selected partners of the exhibition industry a unique opportunity to support UFI in its global mission while mutually benefitting from the networking opportunities the globally leading association of the exhibition industry has to offer.

Find out more about UFI sponsorship activities at: www.ufi.org/contact-us/sponsorship-opportunities/.

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