MIDDLE EAST - UFI’s 79th Annual Congress takes place in Abu Dhabi next week, tackling the big issues affecting the international exhibition industry. EW spoke to business development director Rowena Arzt about her hopes for the three-day event.
The theme for this year’s congress: ‘Where is the growth coming from?’, was conceived, ultimately, on the back of the new landscape created by the global financial crisis. This year’s speakers include economists, thought leaders, technology developers and a various consultants and representatives of organisers and venues.
The event will be moderated by Rashid Toefy, CEO of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), South Africa. It’s an appropriate role for Toefy, who is overseeing the growth and redevelopment of a major new exhibition destination in Cape Town to be known as Convention City.
“The only way to get out of crisis is through growth. But we need to address the big issues first,” said Arzt. “The international markets still want to know where they will see opportunities, and know where to take risks. What are the indicators?
“Where in the world is there recession? Where is there growth? Where is there stagnation?” she added.
Helping her and the assembled delegates to answer these questions will be Hamish McRae, chief economics commentator at UK national newspaper The Independent, who will discuss the long-term shift of power towards the emerging economies, and the recovery from one of the most difficult recessions of the developed world. His discussion will also take continue with a look at the potential bumps that lie in wait in the Eurozone.
Continuing the Eurozone theme, Barry Siskind will be moderating a workshop at the congress on the present challenges that accompany working in Europe.
Thursday will feature a presentation by Dr Peter Cochrane OBE, CEO and chairman of Cochrane Associates on the new industrial world we are heading towards. His view is that we are entering the next industrial revolution; ‘Industry 2.0’ as he calls it. Cochrane will guide us through the impact of moving from centralised to distributed manufacturing, total re-use of materials and local and global supply, as well as tackling the issue of open source networks, and the need to embrace hardware, creativity and the supply chain.
“The need has never been stronger to look at technology trends and production processes,” commented Arzt.
And forecasting the shape of the industry in 10 or 20 years time will ultimately prepare today’s organisers for not just the industry of tomorrow, but help them optimise their businesses for the evolution of the sectors they serve.
“We’ve always said the exhibition industry reflects the individual markets it serves. But this industry is also a business facilitator. It creates opportunities,” said Arzt.
The closing plenary sessions will be provided by two former UFI presidents; John Shaw, bringing delegates up-to-speed with UFI’s research projects and Jochen Witt, providing his always unmissable global industry roundup.
And for the first time this year there will be a special interest group on China, in addition to those on large venues and family business.
With luck, claimed Arzt, UFI’s 79th Annual Congress will do much to prepare delegates for the bright and ever-changing and difficult to predict future of the international exhibition industry.
“I was talking to one CEO who put it nicely,” summarised Arzt. “We were used to managing risks, but now we have to deal with uncertainty.”
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