Rapid Rise of Technology-driven Solutions Focus at UFI Open Seminar in Asia
March 8, 2016
Almost 270 delegates from 21 countries and territories gathered in Chiang Mai at the end of February to discuss and debate the future of the exhibition industry. T
Technology, and the internet in particular, has long been a potential opportunity as well as a source of concern to business event organizers.
At this year’s UFI Open Seminar in Asia, industry leaders shared their views on the future of the exhibition industry as more and more event-related online platforms and mobile apps come to market.
The 11th edition of the seminar was held in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai and was hosted by UFI Diamond Sponsor, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).
The event featured two days of networking and learning as well as a Sustainable Development Focus Meeting, a CEO Golf Tournament, committee meetings, city tours and much more.
More “than a third of UFI’s membership is now based in Asia, so it’s not surprising that the UFI Open Seminar in Asia has become our second largest event after the global Congress,” said Kai Hattendorf, UFI’s managing director.
He added, “This seminar has grown into an essential platform for the Asian exhibition industry to meet and discuss the issues and challenges facing our industry in the region. Given the rapid rise of technology-driven solutions, this year’s seminar was a particularly robust discussion about the forces shaping the future of our industry.”
Supawan Teerarat, vice president at TCEB, said, “TCEB has a long-running and valued relationship with UFI, so we were honoured to host the 11th UFI Open Seminar in Asia. The exhibition industry in Thailand continues to goes from strength to strength and so we were delighted to have the opportunity to showcase Thailand’s world-class venues and service capabilities to our colleagues from around the region.”
As always, the seminar featured an engaging line-up of industry leaders. ITE Group’s Digital Director Baris Onay opened the seminar with his take on the convergence of digital tools and face-to-face events.
Mao Daben and Gu Xuebin discussed the latest innovations in China, Asia’s largest exhibition market. Koelnmesse’s Christian Glasmacher moderated a panel that explored mobile marketing trends at events. Other speakers
included SISO’s David Audrain, jwc’s Gerd Weber, Tracy Short of SMG Malaysia, and many others.
The program also included a sold-out Sustainable Development Focus Meeting, the second edition of the UFI CEO golf tournament, a members’ meeting of UFI’s Asia Pacific Chapter as well as an UFI Associations Committee Meeting.
In addition to TCEB, our host and Diamond Sponsor, other key supporters of this Open Seminar in Asia were Diamond Sponsors: Global Experience Specialists (GES) and Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE). The seminar’s Silver Sponsor was the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).
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Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
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