UFI MEA Conference 2021

Hosted by the Dubai World Trade Centre, on 26 May, the “UFI MEA Conference” brought together leading players from the region and beyond to network, exchange ideas and forge new partnerships, with participants travelling from as far as the United States.

His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Tourism and Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, and Kai Hattendorf, Managing Director and CEO of UFI, delivered welcome addresses.

Leaders from the regional and international exhibition sector gathered in Dubai – thanks to the city’s well-established measures to safeguard the well-being of all visitors – to have the opportunity to see how it has led the way globally in restarting business events in the wake of the pandemic.

With a mix of speakers from inside and outside the industry, participants enjoyed a world-class programme of content, including economic outlooks, case studies, lessons learnt from the pandemic and plans for the future. There were also multiple networking opportunities to catch up with friends and colleagues, meet new people and enjoy the company of colleagues.

The event is the latest in a series of important shows and conferences taking place in Dubai over recent months, following on from Gitex Technology Week, Gulfood and Arabian Travel Market. In the coming months, Dubai will continue to host major events, including Arab Health and The Hotel Show, as momentum builds towards Expo 2020 Dubai.

This year’s conference was supported by UFI’s Diamond Sponsors: the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Qatar National Tourism Council (Qatar), Shenzhen World and Freeman. A wide range of sponsors also backed the event. Full details of the 2021 UFI Middle East and Africa Conference can be found at: www.ufimea.org

As always, UFI members can listen to talks and watch presentations from the conference online on demand, by visiting the members’ area of the UFI website (www.ufi.org).