UFI Teams With Grip for Speed Networking Program at Sold-Out European Conference
June 2, 2023
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, is partnering with Grip, an AI-powered event platform, to automatically schedule, manage and host more than 400, four-minute meetings during the UFI European Conference 2023. The sold-out conference, set for June 14-16 at the MECC Maastricht in Maastricht, Netherlands, will bring together more than 270 event professionals for networking and knowledge sharing.
UFI is using MustMeet, Grip’s new AI-powered meeting scheduler, to power the pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, which will take place June 15, enabling organizers, venues and suppliers to meet and learn from one another.
“People come to our events to meet, network and do business with colleagues from across Europe,” said Nick Dugdale-Moore, UFI’s regional director for Europe. “Speed networking is becoming an integral part of UFI events, and in Maastricht, thanks to Grip, this process will be much easier to manage.”
With MustMeet, UFI will gain vital process efficiencies that will enable it to expand and enhance pre-scheduled meetings with ease, according to Dugdale-Moore. The association will easily be able to host the complex meeting formats automatically, saving hours of manual work. For example, previously it would have taken several hundred post-it notes, spreadsheets and hours of manual work to pre-schedule speed networking meetings. In addition, last minute dropouts would have thrown carefully planned schedules into disarray.
According to Tim Groot, founder and CEO of Grip, pre-scheduled meetings are an important industry trend in 2023, as detailed in the recent B2B Relationships Report.
“As such, UFI understands the importance of being deliberate when it comes to arranging meetings at its events,” Groot said. “Connecting its members is a vital part of its European Conference, and I’m proud that our MustMeet product is helping UFI members and the wider community build and maintain valuable relationships.”
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Partner Voices
Dallas already boasts 35,000 hotel rooms, award-winning global cuisine, and a walkable downtown. But we are just getting started.
Visit Dallas is thrilled to announce that the city of Dallas is doubling down with a massive new convention center and entertainment district. Featuring 800,000 square feet of exhibit area, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 170,000 square feet of ballroom. The center will connect business travelers with dining and shopping options in the popular Cedars District means more places to get down to business, and even more ways to unwind.
“Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas senior vice president and chief sales officer. “The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and are exactly what our customers’ need and have been asking for."
What’s New – AT&T Discovery District
Located in the heart of Downtown Dallas, this new district on the AT&T corporate campus is tailor-made for groups of all sizes. It boasts a multi-sensory experience, including outdoor event space, the AT&T Theater, and multiple dining outlets including JAXON Beer Garden and The Exchange, a bustling food hall.
Hotels Coming Soon
Names like the JW Marriott (Downtown), lnterContinental Dallas (Uptown), and Hotel Swexan (Uptown) are adding luxury amenities and bountiful event spaces. The projects will debut in 2023 and beyond.
JW Marriott
This new, 15-story, 283-room hotel will open in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts District this year. The property features a 25,000-square-foot grand ballroom, as well as a spa, restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a rooftop pool deck and bar.
InterContinental Dallas
Located in Cityplace Tower in Uptown, InterContinental Dallas will feature sweeping panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. Guests will enjoy spacious, high-end rooms and amenities, including more than 21,000 square feet of event space.
Hotel Swexan
Hotel Swexan, a new, 22-story luxury property, is rising in Uptown’s Harwood District and will make its mark on the Dallas skyline. Opening this year, it is a sculptural building with cantilevered upper floors, as well as a 75-foot rooftop infinity-edge swimming pool and a hidden underground lounge.
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