UFI president Corrado Peraboni talks to EW about his past, his future, and the moves being made by the association in light of an ever more demanding audience - Interview by Antony Reeve-Crook
The president of UFI, Corrado Peraboni, began his career as a representative of Italian foreign ministry in the former Fiera Milano public body in 1996, while working as a consultant in Latin America. After successfully guiding a co-operation agreement between Fiera Milano and the main exhibition centre in Havana, he began working on a regular basis with the group in the year 2000.
In the 18 years that have passed, in which he has been involved with many sectors, from fashion to machinery, to the catering industry, leading to his current tenure as UFI president he has made many observations about the way our industry is adapting and expanding.
“There has always been consolidation in our industry, there is even more of it today. Events such as the recent IEIA open seminar in India show that we still have space for start-ups of family companies,” he says.
“Ours is becoming an industry where multinational companies and small businesses are able to thrive together.”
And they are doing so in more and more parts of the world and sectors of industry now officially represented by UFI. Two new UFI events take place this year, a human resources event that preceded the Asia Seminar in Malaysia, and the first Latin American regional conference. But are there plans for more?
“In addition to these two events the next efforts for UFI will be dedicated to the implementation of the existing ones. New tools for Global Exhibitions Day, an increased digital element in our Barometer survey, double the VMS education we recently launched in Mandarin in China, and so on,” he says. “The staff guided by Kai and Sonia are doing a great job in integrating the new Latin American offices in UFI activities.”
Representing an industry on a truly global scale is not a simple task due to the regional nature of the industry. Since its foundation in 1925 UFI has grown into the role of global association with four regional offices in addition to its headquarters in Paris, serving a membership in almost 90 countries and regions around the world.
“We are currently seeing fast growth in Latin America, where we recently opened a regional office, and we are still welcoming many new members every year in Asia as well,” says Peraboni.
“The exhibition industry, in my opinion, reflects changes within our society more closely than any other. And throughout UFI’s long history the association has shown not only that it knows how to adapt to the various challenges being set around the world, but it is also taking measures to always serve its membership,” he says.
One such area in which education is key is that of the continual evolution of exhibition formats.
Peraboni refers to this evolution as “influence, interference and merging”. Events such as tech show CeBIT in Hannover and the furniture and interior design show iSaloni in Milan demonstrate the ways in which the lines are blurring between trade and consumer events, with each type taking style points from the other.
“Their formats and audiences are mixing and sometimes, they even merge together,” he says.
Elsewhere the ways in which shows are scheduled are changing. The Shanghai event Pet Fair Asia is opening its doors to professionals during the week, and to the public over the weekend. “Back home in Milan we have EICMA, the leading exhibition for the motorcycle industry, which offers separate days for consumers and professionals within the same week. Other B2C shows, such as Salon du Chocolat in Paris, are creating professional, protected areas inside pavilions.” And then, of course, there is the digital evolution – a tide that far from being competitive, is adding another huge layer to the events we know and love.
“Physical events are in good health across all sectors from B2B to B2C shows, both in mature and emerging markets. However, today, all industries are going digital, and to ensure the success of their events, exhibitors need to integrate digitalisation into their business models,” he says. “The more digital the world becomes, the more people seek out physical events in the exhibition industry.”
Achieving that goal requires fresh talent and this is one area Peraboni singles out as crucial to the future of the industry. UFI initiatives such as the NGL Grant scheme, which gives voice to the next generation of leaders in our industry, are doing good work here.
“To ensure the success of our industry in the future, we need to attract bright people to work in exhibitions, who will bring their talents and their dreams to our industry, and who will ultimately shape its future,” he comments.
“Our industry is a place where markets meet, and it has its own principles that are very much aligned with millennial principles.”
“Exhibitions are flexible, international events that bring together people with similar values You work in diverse teams, you can travel, meet new people from all over the world, and use the latest digital tools. And on the top of that, you can be very well paid. I don’t really see any other industry offering more ‘millennial principles’ on a daily basis.”
And while Paris-based UFI is working hard to unite the world under one association umbrella, Peraboni is witnessing significant changes back home in Italy. “After many years of great difficulties our industry is finally experiencing stable growth. Some venues decided to join forces (IEG) and other destinations like Milan have become much more attractive for big events – Milan specifically on the back of hosting the World Expo 2015.”
As to how he plans to be involved once his tenure is up at UFI, Peraboni says he has a lot of choice. “Until the next UFI Congress in St Petersburg, my engagement will be for UFI and Fiera Milano Cipa. After that I have in mind many options and one certainty: I will remain in the exhibition industry because this is my world,” he says.
Corrado Peraboni – A brief history
• Law Degree from the University of Milan in 1989
• Italian foreign ministry representative in the former Fiera Milano public body in 1996
• CEO of Fiera Milano Spa since April 2015
• Secretary of UFI’s governing bodies
• Elected president of UFI in 2017 following a year as incoming president, representing members in almost 90 countries
Read The Big Interview in Exhibition World (Issue 3 | 2018), online here: http://joom.ag/hgwY/p24
