Expo Centre Sharjah, the exhibition wing of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, took part in the fifth UFI CEO Forum for exhibition organisers (UCF) held in Paris recently.

 Expo Centre Sharjah, which was one of the main sponsors of the biggest and the best networking event worldwide for CEOs of the global exhibition industry, was represented by its CEO, Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

 “The CEO Forum was a strategic event for Expo Centre Sharjah. The UAE and the rest of the region are once again hogging the limelight with back to back successes in bringing world events like FIFA World Cup and World Expo 2020 to the region,” said Mr. Midfa on his return from the event, which was held from February 10-12, 2014.

 “By taking part in the event, we were able to underscore the importance of the exhibitions industry in the region and its huge potential. Our sponsorship of the event this year, and in the past too, speaks volumes about our commitment to project Sharjah and the UAE prominently within the global exhibitions industry,” he added.

UFI is the association of the world’s leading tradeshow organisers and fairground owners, major national and international associations of the exhibition industry and its partners. The UFI’s Middle East/Africa regional Office is based in Sharjah at Expo Centre Sharjah.

“This was not only a key event for CEOs of leading exhibition centres from across the world but also for the UFI itself. It was the first gathering after the UFI CEO Forum and events consultancy tfconnect’s Global Event Summit (GES) decided to merge, combining the best attributes of the two individual events,” he added.

The UCF is an event “by-invitation-only” that provides a key opportunity for CEOs of exhibition organising companies from around the globe to identify and discuss the challenges facing the exhibitions industry and to seek ways to develop new forms of co-operation.

“Held under the theme ‘Leadership in times of change’, the forum included a panel discussion on key issues for 2014, interview with economist Roger Martin-Fagg, and networking opportunities for attendees,” said Mr. Midfa.

CEOs from different parts of the world also provided their insights into what they felt will be the most important issues for 2014 and how best to embrace them, he added.

The UFI forum comes at a time when technological, demographic, economic and cultural changes over the last few years have heavily influenced the way exhibition centres do business.

According to the recently released UFI report on the exhibition industry in the Middle East and Africa, the UAE provides the largest indoor exhibition space, accounting for 31 per cent of the total space available, while South Africa comes second with 29 per cent.

Since 2006, there has been a 14 per cent increase in the number of trade fairs organized and a 21 per cent increase in available exhibition space in the region, it added. The UAE, South Africa and Iran together host nearly 46 per cent of the region’s trade fairs and exhibitions.

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