UFI Connects – reopening exhibitions

ACCO International Ltd., organizer of BABY EXPO and Children’s Fashion Fair, is a UFI member.

UFI connects is a way to stay connected, to get through this pandemic, and to be ready for the time afterwards. It is a program of regular talks, panels, and webinar sessions organized by the UFI team.

On 14 May 2020, UFI connects session was held via ZOOM to discuss reopening exhibitions worldwide.

As of today, all exhibition centers are closed, all exhibitions have been postponed, and everyone is waiting for removal of restrictive lockdown measures and relaunch of economy. Exhibitions are powerful drivers of economic growth. Exhibition is not just a gathering of a large number of people under the same roof, but a business event visited only by professionals who negotiate and sign agreements, thus developing economy in various countries. Exhibitions involve a large set of associated services, including hotel accommodation; logistics services for delivery of product samples, exhibition stands, roll-ups; transport services to reach the exhibition, etc.

Speakers:

• Marco Spinger – Director of Global Markets & IT Division, AUMA (Germany)

• Rachel Parker, Director at AEV – Association of Event Venues (UK)

• João de Nagy, Vice President at UBRAFE (Brazil)

• Nick Dugdale Moore – European Regional Manager UFI

Over 400 professionals from Turkey, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia, Germany, Lebanon, Croatia, Poland, Singapore, USA, Ukraine, Netherlands, India, South Korea and other countries joined the session. Organizers of exhibitions and owners of exhibition centers chatted to share opinions, ask about lockdowns and easing of lockdown restrictions in other countries.

Exhibitions in all economy sectors around the world will have to adapt to doing business in new conditions. This is today’s reality. All agreed that they eagerly await the resumption of public events in order to continue their work by staying in compliance with all required anti-epidemic measures.

And one more positive fact: an international trade show was held at the Korea Exhibition Center last week.