As chair of UFI’s associations committee, Andres Lopez Valderama already has experience of bringing AFIDA and UFI members together. As the global exhibition association’s new president, his role will be instrumental in ensuring activities in Latin America are brought up to speed with the world’s leading exhibition markets. EW caught up with Valderrama to find out about his plans for the future.
What is your background and how did you get into the industry?
I studied law. I was a very devoted student; in fact, I obtained the distinction of graduating with honours from my university and also from my two masters. At the beginning of my professional career I combined the legal practice with my role in the academic activity where I was recognised as one of the best law professors at my university.
In the year 2000, a head hunter company selected me for the position of legal vice president at the Chamber of Commerce of Bogota and a few years later I was named their executive vice president. While in this position I started to learn about the exhibition industry, as the Chamber of Commerce is the parent company of Corferias. After eight years in the chamber, back in 2008, I was elected president of Corferias.
Can you tell me a little about Corferias?
Over the past 60 years, Corferias, the Bogotá International Business and Exhibition Centre, has positioned itself as a great business platform offering entrepreneurs worldwide the tools and instruments to successfully participate in local and foreign markets.
Corferias has consolidated itself as a generator of trade opportunities, projecting itself as a modern and innovative institution with a world-class portfolio of national and international exhibitions and integrated services. Over its 153,150sqm of surface and 53,150sqm of indoor hall space, our company organises an average yearly portfolio of 35 exhibitions and hosts another 20 trade shows and 100 events. Corferias is at the same time an exhibition organiser and venue owner, roles where we have acquired a recognised leadership in the region.
While large-scale global events provide the bulk of Corferias’ business, in which other business divisions are you looking to expand?
One of the main priorities is to provide both physical and technological infrastructure of the highest quality standards, which is why Corferias is currently building Ágora Bogota, a mega-project and an International Convention Centre for the capital city, which will have a total additional area of 64,800sqm.
A new hotel and a business centre will complement the services offered by the convention centre, providing a marvellous business hub. Our investment plan in the infrastructure side for the next three years accounts for US$250m.
Innovation is another priority of our company. New and improved exhibitions with a specialised and professional approach have been created in the last decade. Our portfolio includes 35 annual and biannual exhibitions and we will carry on developing exhibitions that fulfill the new needs of the market, and assist the most important business sectors of our region.
In the short term we will be announcing a set of partnerships with some of the most important exhibition organisers in the world, agreements that will help us to offer added values to our clients and strengthen our position in the global field.
What are the current issues facing the exhibition industry in Colombia?
Colombia has certainly gained an important status and position in the Latin American exhibition industry. Our country ranks fourth in terms of the number of events held in the region. The exhibition activity has increased in the last years and there is a great acceptance of this business among exhibitors and visitors. We can also predict a stable situation in the coming year as our country is enjoying a very positive economic outlook.
In fact, we are one of the countries with the highest growth expectation for the coming years. Most economic indicators are booming; foreign investment, employment, productivity, and there is also a better control of inflation and debt. The peace process which is expected to be finished in the next year would definitely bring even better expectations to our country.
What are the main campaigns at AFIDA – the association’s primary goals?
We have three major business objectives: The promotion of the exhibition industry in Latin America and the events of our members; the delivery of great education programmes and the delivery of the latest information; and the provision of relevant face-to-face and online networking tools. We work hard ensuring that our products and services respond to these goals and that our members find value in them.
How are these helping the Latin American exhibitions community and what exhibition industry programmes or standards would you like to see instituted throughout Latin America to help facilitate the growth of the industry?
Based on these tools, we are committed to helping our members face the major challenges of the exhibition industry in our region. More recognition and stronger support from the local governments in terms of the economic impact of the industry in the economy; improving the quality of statistics; education opportunities and certified training programmes; exhibitions; certifications for industry service providers; more use of technology; more inclusion of international standards that contribute to the success of a trade show; like content, innovation, networking tools, adequate locations, infrastructure services, and special services to visitors and exhibitors.
Can you outline any of your plans for your presidency at UFI? Perhaps the direction or areas in which you’d like to see greater international focus?
Coming from an emerging market gives me the opportunity to understand the reality of a market that operates under different circumstances to those of the more developed countries. Considering the above, I would like the global exhibition industry to have a better understanding of the different local realities and great impact of culture and social conditions in the development of our industry in each region.
We are living in a globalised time where the local realities play a very important role in society, thus UFI needs to face this new condition and become a ‘glocal’ association; a global association that is committed and thinks about the local realities.
Alongside this I will also work in favour of the most dynamic and consolidated regions and help them to face the new and more major challenges of our industry: digitalisation and serving new generations, communities´ management and sustainability.
Finally, I commit myself to improving the networking opportunities within the association.
I am convinced of the great benefits of very active networking activity with our peers, this is a networking where we commit ourselves to give and share with UFI and not only to take from the association. If all UFI members really commit to delivering value to the association, we will reinforce the benefits of what we can get.
What do you do to relax when you’re not at work?
I love to read. I usually read several books at the same time that cover the latest trends and developments in the economic, social and cultural fields. I also enjoy spending time with my wife and two kids either in the city or in a village two hours from Bogotá.
This article was first published in issue 4/4 of EW. Any comments? Email Antony Reeve-Crook
