The Grand Award winner was Messe Düsseldorf with an outstanding presentation of its programme which is designed to improve site logistics and system reliability, increase on-site safety and stabilise logistic costs for exhibitors while improving site turn-around times between events.
What particularly impressed the jury was the adaptation of off-the-shelf technology to significantly facilitate traffic management. The system sends an SMS message directly to service provider and delivery drivers advising them when they are permitted to enter the exhibition venue.
Andreas Winckler – Chairman of UFI Operations Committee & General and Manager Frankfurt Medien und Service GmbH – Messe Frankfurt GmbH; Werner Arnold – Team Leader Logistics / Department Site Services and Logistics – Messe Düsseldorf GmbH;
Ian Hume – Director of the Department Site Services and Logistics – Messe Düsseldorf GmbH; Rowena Arzt – UFI Director of Business Development and Secretary of the UFI Operations Committee
Rowena Arzt, UFI Business Development Director and Secretary of the UFI Operations Committee, summed up the selection of Messe Düsseldorf as the winner of the 2009 UFI Operations Award, saying, “As all involved in exhibition management are aware, one of the keys to a speedy and efficient exhibition set-up period is timely, smooth venue access. The adaptation of existing technology by Messe Düsseldorf ’s team created a customized solution to this problem.”
