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. Applications for UFI's #nglgrant 2018 end 27 February – read on to find out more information & learn top tips from UFI’s NGL Grant 2017 winner, Diana Salman, HR strategic change manager, IFP Expo (Lebanon).
"I’ve never won a competition because I had never applied to any prior to entering UFI’s NGL Grant 2017, an initiative rewarding exhibition industry professionals driving change and innovation in their fields," said Salman.
“Applying to the NGL Grant 2018 is a great opportunity to advance your career in the exhibitions industry, be part of multicultural team of industry professionals, share your thoughts about the industry’s future, and be an active advocate for the value of face-to-face meetings,” added 2017's NGL Grant winner.
Salman (pictured left) gives tips on applying for the hotly fought competition:
Show your value: UFI lists application requirements on their website, including an application to present your ideas or activities which are making an innovative impact on the industry. Applications were diverse, written by grantees from business development, sustainability, entrepreneurial, and HR backgrounds. However, each submission answered key points for selection: your understanding of the exhibition industry and your reason for choosing it, the value you can bring to this industry, and the actions or ideas that make a positive impact in your area of work.
Build relations: Congratulations, you were selected among the five winners! Now get to know your team mates. You will be working, debating, and trying to present the best UFI congress session in November. Share your application with them and read theirs. Oh, and add them on LinkedIn, and create a WhatsApp group.
Dedicate time for online meetings: For great results, invest 1.5 hours per week. Conference and Skype call your team and UFI throughout. UFI provided advice on our presentation, and connected us with industry professionals and helped distribute surveys to gather facts that fueled our research and supported our presentation.
Rehearse, Rehearse, then rehearse some more: You’ll present your session at the 85th UFI Global Congress in front of hundreds of delegates, so that’s a great effort on the public speaking front. Relax, when you verbalise the material and do several runs with your team. You can also learn from previous grantees’ presentations by checking videos of their session featured on UFI’s YouTube.
Network: Face to face interactions are the core of our industry, so network as much as possible during congress sessions, lunches, dinners, and parties. Follow UFI’s social media accounts and participate in their expo chats on Twitter. This is one of the best opportunities to advance your career and gain insights on the current industry trends and challenges that other industry professionals are facing. I was lucky to meet my mentor at the UFI Congress and I hope that you will benefit too.
Applications end 27 February 2018. Do it!
2017 NGL Grant
The winners of the 2017 UFI Next Generation Leadership grant are: Selin Cakici, vice-chair of the board, HKF TRADE FAIRS (Turkey); Katharina Keupp, project xonsultant, Messe Munich (Germany); Neo Mohlatlole, business development director, Seven Colours Communications (South Africa); Thomas Revell, sustainability manager, GES (UK) and Diana Salman, HR strategic change manager, IFP Expo (Lebanon). Sponsored by UBM.
UFI NGL grant 2018
The programme is spread over a period of 12 months, allowing you to continue to fulfil your daily work obligations.
1–4 May 2018: Workshop & participation UFI European Conference, Verona, Italy *
May–October: 1.5 hours per week to prepare your session for the Global Congress
30 October–3 November: Presentation at UFI Global Congress, St. Petersburg, Russia *
November 2018–April 2019: 1.5 hours every six weeks – mentoring programme
To find out more information, including how to apply, click here.
