UFI NGL grant to award next generation leadership

NGL Winners 2023

UFI has named the recipients of this year’s UFI Next Generation Leadership (NGL) Grant.

The 2023 winners were selected from an overwhelming number of diverse entries by an international jury of exhibition industry leaders that was chaired by UFI President, Michael Duck.

The UFI NGL Grant is aimed at promoting the next generation of professionals trying to establish their place in the exhibition industry. Mentorship and networking with the leading exhibition executives make NGL the most prestigious talent accelerator programme in the industry.

The 2023 NGL Grant winners are:

• Otero Finiti – Business Development Executive, Expo Stars Interactive, UK

• Elizabeth George – Sr. Lead, Content & Programming, HIMSS, US

• Tehchad Kittiboonya – International Sales Manager, VNU Asia Pacific, Thailand

• Aya Moatamed – Data Analyst, Informa Markets, Egypt

• Amy Saleh – Operations Director, Hannover Fairs, Australia

The mission for the 2023 NGL project is to write a new blueprint on how to plan and operate events that help industries to evolve, help businesses to trade and learn and help every participant to benefit personally from their participation.

Spread over a period of 6 months, the grant winners are given the opportunity to develop their project under the guidance of UFI team, NGL alumni and industry leaders. The 2023 winners will kick off their project at the UFI European Conference in Maastricht this 13-16 June 2023. They will also be able to present their project at the UFI Global Congress in Las Vegas this 1-4 November 2023.

For more information read our media release here.

2023 NGL Grant sponsors:

2022

The UFI NGL Grant promotes next generation leadership in the exhibition industry — rewarding professionals who show clear initiatives in driving change and innovation in their area of activity.

UFI has named the winners of this year’s UFI Next Generation Leadership Grant (NGL), following expert deliberation by a jury of exhibitions industry leaders.

The jury, chaired by UFI President Monica Lee-Müller, met earlier this month to evaluate all qualifying entries submitted from all around the world. The UFI NGL Grant promotes next generation leadership in the exhibition industry, rewarding professionals who show clear initiatives in driving change and innovation in their area of activity. This year, the focus of the NGL project is to develop a new talent narrative for the exhibition industry, a topic of critical importance to the future of our sector.

The 2022 NGL winners are:

Monika Baro – Project Manager at VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. (Thailand)
Daniella Galante – Digital Marketing & Creative Manager at RX Africa (South Africa)
Joseph (Joe) Kowalsky – Show Director at Emerald X LLC (USA)
Justine Rabel – Key Account Manager at Eventmaker (France)
Maria Victoria Piñeres – Operations Manager at Costa Rica Convention Center / Grupo Heroica Volio & Trejos S.A (Costa Rica)
Jon Yahirun – Customer Success Manager at Clarion Events (USA)

Mentions:

Articles on the UFI Blog:

Lou Kiwanuka, The Shaper Group, The Ops Nest, mentor 2020/2021, Mentoring within the UFI programme link
Stephanie Selesnick, International Trade Information, Inc, Interview with the NGL grant winners 2019/2020 part 1 & part 2
Cinzia Zanin and J. Alexis Zamudio, former NGL winner, The Next Generation to do list for 2022

What the participants say:

“The NGL mentorship program is important as a support network to groom the intelligence. Especially during the tough time at the pandemics, the mentor-mentee conversations keep the ideas flowing and guild the vision towards a better industry’s future. The value is immense.” –Eddie Choi, Managing Partner at Mills Design, Singapore, mentor 2020/2021

“UFI Next Generation Leadership grant successfully offers an opportunity to complement one’s lifelong learning passion. Additionally, connecting with a like-minded mentor – sometimes from a different discipline – just accentuates the whole experience.” –Vijay Sharma, Head: Partnership & Business Development, Koelnmesse, Singapore, mentee 2020/2021

Previous years’ participants

2022 NGL GRANT

Winners: Monika Baro – Project Manager at VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. (Thailand); Daniella Galante – Senior Digital Marketing Executive at RX Africa (South Africa); Joseph (Joe) Kowalsky – Show Director at Emerald X LLC (USA); Justine Rabel – Key Account Manager at Eventmaker (France); Maria Victoria Piñeres – Operations Manager at Costa Rica Convention Center / Grupo Heroica Volio & Trejos S.A (Costa Rica) and Jon Yahirun – Customer Success Manager at Clarion Events (USA)

2020 NGL GRANT

Winners: Alexis Zamudio, Event Manager, Finnovista/Facebook (Mexico); Christina Rabl, Project Manager, Messe München GmbH (Germany), Erika Karlsson, Project Manager, ELMIA (Sweden), Matthew Funge, Managing Director & Founder, You Stand Builder Ltd. (UK); Vijay Sharma, Head: Partnership & Business Developpment, Koelnmesse Pte. Ltd. ( Singapore)

Mentors: Chris Preston, Managing Director EMEA, Freeman (UK); Eddie Choi, Managing Partner, Mills (Singapore); Garcia Newell, Regional Business Development Director – Fairs & Events Europe, Agility (UK); Laura Barrera, Group Show Director, Tarsus México (Mexico); Lou Kiwanuka, Director, The Shaper Group (UK).

UFI thanks the mentors for their support the 2020 NGL GRANT.

2019 NGL Grant