237 delegates from 21 countries and territories gather in Singapore this week to take stock of their industry which continues to grow despite plenty of economic and political uncertainties. Seismic changes such as Brexit, the emerging policies of the Trump administration and slow economic growth in key markets all suggest challenging times lay ahead. However, the Asian exhibition industry has proven time after time that it is well-positioned to grow in the face of less than ideal economic and political circumstances.
In Singapore, this week, several hundred exhibition industry leaders from around the region will discuss and debate growth opportunities as well as a wide range of issues including Asia’s changing venue landscape, digital trends at events in China, and effectively mitigating security and safety risks at events around the region.
The exhibition industry is changing and the theme of this year’s seminar, “Adapting and Upgrading,” examines how it is changing and why. The two-day programme features key industry thought leaders such as Mark Brewster, CEO of Explori, who will share his research on changing visitor and exhibitor demands. Adam Charles of FreemanXP will offer his take on innovative event formats which are evolving after years of relying on essentially the same formula.
AirBnB’s Kevin Hoong will describe how his company reshaped the global hotel market using an online platform that does not own or operate a single hotel property and David Zhong of VNU Exhibitions Asia will outline his experiences with digital innovation at events in China – arguably one of the most innovative digital markets in the world.
The venue landscape is also going through a period of change. Michael Kruppe, General Manager of the SNIEC venue in Shanghai will moderate a panel of venue managers from round the region including Singapore, Australia and Thailand. The panellists will discuss new sources of revenues, what is required to stay competitive and what new services visitors are expecting from venues.
UFI is pleased to bring the 12th edition of this seminar to Singapore – which last hosted a major UFI event in 2010 when the 77th Global UFI Congress was hosted by the Lion City. This year’s UFI Open Seminar in Asia is hosted by several key industry organisations in Singapore – including Suntec Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organiser and Suppliers (SACEOS). It is also supported by UFI’s Diamond Sponsors: Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Global Experience Specialists (GES).
The Open Seminar week features two days of networking and learning as well as a Sustainable Development Education Forum, a meeting of the members of UFI’s Asia Pacific Chapter, an Association Committee meeting, a gala dinner, city tours and much more.
Kai Hattendorf, UFI’s Managing Director, stated, “The Asian exhibition industry has always demonstrated an ability to grow year after year – even throughout periods of uncertainty such as the global financial crisis. For this reason, it is exciting for UFI to bring together exhibition industry leaders from around the region as they look for opportunities to grow and expand their businesses in 2017. We are particularly pleased to be Singapore their as the market here plays an important part of the booming exhibition industry in Southeast Asia.”
Full details of the 2017 UFI Open Seminar in Asia can be found on the event website: www.ufi.org/singapore2017