UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, hosted its first in-person European Conference since the beginning of the pandemic last week in Poznan, Poland, having announced several weeks earlier that the location would not be moved despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Over 170 industry professionals from 25 countries attended the event. Key themes covered during the three-day event included industry recovery, ongoing staffing shortages, and sustainability goals, and UFI notes that the event was characterized by “a sense of optimism for the future of the industry.”
The conference was hosted by Grupa MTP, which has been supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, and many delegates also brought items to donate to the cause as venues across Europe do their part to help.
“The power of meeting in person was plain to see as delegates were visibly happy to be able to reconnect after a long period apart to network, learn and share ideas,” said Nick Dugdale-Moore, UFI Regional Director, Europe, in a statement. “It was quite emotional and humbling to learn about how our hosts Grupa MTP and other members in Poland and around Europe have been supporting refugees from Ukraine, but despite this, there is a sense of optimism for our industry as we emerge from the pandemic.”
The event also included an announcement from event tech provider ExpoPlatform, which shared that it has officially become a UFI member after having supported the associated for years. This also underscores the growing importance and role of event technology providers in the events and exhibition industry as a whole as we emerge from the pandemic.
Tanya Pinchuk, CEO of ExpoPlatform, said that the move is “an important milestone for ExpoPlatform and for me personally to become an UFI member. We've been an active participant at UFI events since 2015 and we are delighted to become an official member of the UFI family. We look forward to getting more involved with UFI and contributing more to the industry.”