UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry has announced it will take its annual Global Congress to the USA for the first time, 1-4 November 2023.
The 90th UFI Global Congress will be held in Las Vegas, and will be hosted by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).
The UFI Board of Directors made the decision during their meeting on 3 November in Rotterdam.
UFI President, Anbu Varathan, said: “We are delighted to hold a UFI Congress in the United-States for the first time. This country is of great importance to UFI, and this is the message we wish to communicate”.
Kai Hattendorf, UFI CEO and managing director, commented: “What a wonderful win-win! Congratulations to Las Vegas! We look forward to this Congress... As the global trade association for our industry, this will allow us to connect our colleagues from across the US markets even better with their global peers.”
The announcement comes as the US prepares to open international borders to vaccinated travellers on 8 November, 2021.
“We are honoured to have been selected as the host city for UFI Global Congress’ inaugural US show, which further demonstrates the destination’s appeal as a global destination for business and leisure travel,” said Brian Yost, chief operating officer for the LVCVA. “We are excited to welcome the Congress’ delegates from around the world and look forward to providing them with an experience that can only be found in Las Vegas.”
The 2023 UFI Global Congress will take place at Aria Resort and Casino on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. “On behalf of MGM Resorts and Aria, we are very excited to be chosen as the host the 2023 UFI Global Congress,” said Stephanie Glanzer, SVP and chief sales officer for MGM Resorts International.
In 2020, due to Covid-19 related global travel restrictions, the UFI Global Congress went digital, with programming from Hong Kong, Dubai, London, and Bogota. In 2022, the event will be hosted in Oman. The 2021 Global Congress runs until 6 November in Rotterdam.
