Global association of the exhibition industry, UFI has named Grip as the winner of its UFI Digital Innovation Award 2020. The award, which traditionally rewards the best exhibition industry initiatives related to digital innovation, was for Grips project: ‘Taking ITB Berlin Virtual In 2 Days’.
Grip’s was one of three final entries, alongside Superexpo and Swapcard and, for the first time, the three finalists presented their solutions and implementation techniques during an UFI Connects web session.
Participants were asked to vote live and they selected Grip as the winning entry. Grip is an AI-powered event matchmaking solution and first won the UFI Digital Innovation Award back in 2017.
That recognition accelerated the company’s credibility and enabled Grip to become a partner for many leading organisers across the globe, including Reed Exhibitions, Informa, Messe Frankfurt, Hyve, Messe Düsseldorf and Messe Berlin.
A convincing story of powerful technology, close collaboration with event organisers, a firm focus on event success, and a clear vision for the future, convinced the audience to award Grip their second UFI Digital Innovation Award.
“It’s an absolute honour to have won the UFI Digital Innovation Award. 2020 has been an unprecedented year and, while it’s difficult to see many of our clients struggling, we are glad to be able to offer them a virtual experience that is of value not just in the short term but also in the long-term alongside in-person exhibitions. The innovation and competition coming from fellow finalists Swapcard and Superexpo as well as many other event technology suppliers is amazing and makes me confident that Covid-19 will be a catalyst for change resulting in the exhibition industry becoming stronger and more relevant in the years to come,” said Tim Groot, CEO and co-founder of Grip.
“This year was the first time that we have ever voted virtually for the winner of the UFI Digital Innovation Award, and we did so via UFI Connects. We had three finalists that truly demonstrated their visionary digital approach to leading our industry into the future. This is especially important as ‘digital’ and ‘hybrid’ now carry a lot of weight on the strategy agendas of industry players. I was very impressed with each presentation and recommend that everybody has a closer look at the services these three companies have to offer!” said Matthias Tesi Baur, chair of the UFI Digital Innovation Working Group.
Grip will also be invited to present its entry at the 87th UFI Global Congress. For more details on the Congress, visit: www.ufi.org/congress2020.
