– The 87th UFI Congress will take place on 9 to 12 November
– The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC) will be the venue
– Post-Congress option for participants to attend the World Expo 2020 in Dubai
– Pre-registration opens on the UFI website
Paris, 12 December 2019: UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, is pleased to announce the official launch of preparations for the 87th UFI Global Congress in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. This week on Monday, 9 December in Paris and Muscat, the core planning teams for the 87th UFI Global Congress met to lay the groundwork for the Congress. UFI members are invited to pre-register on the UFI website and receive congress updates.
The Congress will take place at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC) on 9 to 12 November 2020. It will coincide with the World Expo that is due to commence in Dubai on 20 October 2020. Participants of the UFI Congress will be able to benefit from the opening of the World Expo Dubai 2020. Preparations are underway to offer delegates a visit to the Expo following the Congress.
The OCEC opened in June 2016 and is located in its own fully integrated precinct just four kilometres from Muscat International Airport. Architecturally advanced in design and capability, this world-class venue was amongst the first to be built to meet the rigorous LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, making it one of the most sustainable exhibition venues in the world.
With the Muscat Congress, UFI’s flagship event returns to the Middle East, where the association has been operating a regional office since 2006, serving its growing membership in the region. The last UFI Global Congress to take place in the region took place in Abu Dhabi and was hosted by ADNEC in 2012. In recent years, the Congress took place in Shanghai (China), Johannesburg (South Africa), St. Petersburg (Russia) and, most recently, in Bangkok (Thailand).
Oman is strategically located on the Arabian Peninsula and has been a major trading route for over 5,000 years. It is for these reasons that Oman and the region will continue to be an essential meeting place for people to exchange ideas and do business.
OCEC’s CEO, Mr Said Salim Said Al-Shanfari, says: “The national economy needs to put Oman on the map again, so this Congress is an important event for us. And as a country and a nation, we look forward to showcasing our country’s culture, legacy and immense beauty. We also look forward to showing the global exhibition industry OCEC’s capacity to host this world-class event”.
Kai Hattendorf, UFI’s Managing Director / CEO, says: “We are thrilled to bring the Congress to the Middle East again in 2020, and the collaboration with our hosts is wonderful right from the start. As always at the Congress, we want to make sure attendees can take in the highlights and culture of the destination as well. And with the World Expo around the corner in Dubai, we can add another unique experience after the Congress for those interested.”
About the UFI Global Congress
Since the association’s creation in 1925, the UFI Global Congress has taken place all over the world, and the 2020 edition will be the 87th Congress. Open to UFI members only, the event counts an average of 450 to 550 delegates, all senior industry representatives from more than 50 countries worldwide. Known as the annual global gathering of the exhibition industry, the Congress combines international networking with unique content. It is an ideal opportunity for members to gain insight into topics of strategic interest, on current industry trends and challenges that the exhibition industry is facing.
The Global Congress provides a unique opportunity to take the pulse of the exhibition industry that generates, in terms of business sales, €275 billion ($325 billion) in 2018, with more than 3.2 million jobs around the world. Hosting a UFI Global Congress is also an excellent opportunity to showcase a destination and raise awareness of its importance to local stakeholders but also to potential international exhibition organisers looking to expand their business.
Those interested in attending Muscat can pre-register online at www.ufi.org/ufievent/87th-ufi-global-congress/
Attachments: Visuals – Key visual of the OCEC
