We focus on the recent award-winning UFI Industry Partners 2024 and hear their stories of innovative success
UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, recently announced Fiera Milano as the winner of its 2024 Industry Partners Award. It is an award that recognises the best initiatives demonstrating collaboration and synergy among the association’s industry partners, leading to successful exhibitions. The 2024 Award focused on ‘Synergy in Action: Honouring Collaborative Excellence’. Fiera Milano, in partnership with exhibition product recycling experts Montecolino, won with their joint research and development approach in green stand design.
Sebastian Witt, chair of the UFI Industry Partners Working Group and jury, said: “The Group commits to driving partnership and fostering innovation across the exhibition industry. We had a record number of entries this year which showcase the entire spectrum of our industry working together. Congratulations to Fiera Milano and their partner Montecolino for winning the 2024 Award. They demonstrated effective and positive stakeholder engagement across our diverse industry ecosystem to drive greater collaboration and excellence of exhibitions.”
Francesco Conci, chief executive officer at Fiera Milano, said the recognition “demonstrated how joint efforts in R&D can lead to innovative solutions that significantly reduce the environmental impact of exhibitions while enhancing exhibition success. Winning the Industry Partners Award not only reinforces our corporate purpose of ‘becoming the best partner for growth’, but also inspires us to continue pioneering services that promote circular economy principles within the industry”.
The other finalist, ADITUS (Germany), and its partners were also commended for their strong submission, ‘Building Digital Bridges for Trade Shows: The ADITUS x LinkedIn Community Builder v2.0’. Additionally, the UFI jury acknowledged several entries as best practices: Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (Malaysia), Kuehne + Nagel (Germany), Taiwan International Trade Administration TITA (Taiwan), and VM Consulting & Busan Technology Park (South Korea).
Winning partners
Let’s take a closer look at the winning partnership: Fiera Milano is an Italian market leader in the exhibition and congress industry, managing over 400,000sqm of space, welcoming approximately four million visitors annually, and generating €280m in revenue in 2023. With a portfolio of more than 80 exhibitions organised and hosted in Italy, approximately 30 abroad (China, Brazil, South Africa, and Singapore), and over 160 congresses, Fiera Milano operates the sixth largest trade venue worldwide. Services provided include, among others, construction set-ups (Nolostand), logistics, catering, and digital solutions.
A KPMG social impact assessment revealed that in a pre-pandemic year, Fiera Milano generated direct, indirect, and induced impacts valued at €8.1bn, including €4.3bn in Lombardy, accounting for 1.1% of the Milan metropolitan area’s GDP. Montecolino is a long-lasting and high-standing stakeholder of Fiera Milano. A European top-tier producer of flooring and textile coverings, Montecolino specialises in innovative recycling methods, particularly in repurposing carpets used in Fiera Milano’s exhibitions.
Clear benchmarking
The UFI project facilitated greater collaboration with Fiera Milano and engaged the wider ecosystem. Leveraging Fiera Milano’s expertise through Nolostand and the innovative spirit of Montecolino, R&D efforts have been united to revolutionise the stand-fittings offering with a focus on sustainability. Furniture can now be crafted from recycled carpets used during exhibitions, and sustainable, customised stand-fittings with certified CO2 emission reduction measurements are provided.
This initiative represents a groundbreaking and sustainable proposal within the stand-fitting sector, resulting from a robust partnership between a venue manager and a key stakeholder, focused on minimising the environmental impact of stand-fittings. The project’s scope is significant, as Montecolino, one of Fiera Milano’s top five partners, is involved in all phases of the exhibition value chain. The project’s tangible impact is evident, with measurable metrics such as the square metres of carpet recycled and CO2 emissions saved from each panel created, demonstrating progress towards sustainability and setting a clear benchmark for others.
Scalability is another key aspect, benefiting not only Fiera Milano exhibitions but also engaging exhibitors and third-party organisers. This project bridges the gap between venue management and partners, promoting environmental stewardship and enhancing the success of exhibitions by offering sustainable booth options that appeal to eco-conscious visitors and exhibitors.
The partners’ collaboration also highlights the importance of involving suppliers in sustainability initiatives. It not only strengthens the exhibition industry’s sustainable value chain but also encourages exhibitors and organisers to adopt more sustainable stand-fitting choices. By setting a powerful example, the partners inspire others to adopt similar practices, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future for the industry.
ADITUS
Runner-up for the UFI Award, ADITUS, has, for 26 years, been a premier EMEA region #eventtech supplier and industry pioneer, unifying registration, admission control, and event marketing for trade shows and conferences. The company is headquartered in Hannover, Germany, with subsidiaries in Dubai and its most recent addition in 2023, located in the UK. Annually, 50 million attendees access events worldwide through ADITUS’s comprehensive ticketing and admission control solutions. The company’s focus on #visitorgrowth, #exhibitorvalue, and #digitalrevenue drives exponential organic growth, community engagement, and much-welcome digital revenue streams.
ADITUS says it has transformed registration from a ‘necessary evil’ into a powerful driver of sustainable growth and brand awareness, with added registration technology value that enables organic growth, content, and community engagement. Such an approach maximises organic reach, enhances return-on-time, encourages early registrations, activates exhibitors and speakers, and empowers brand ambassadors.
Integrating LinkedIn
ADITUS’s entry for the 2024 UFI Industry Partners Award, in collaboration with LinkedIn and the VDA, highlights a project that has significantly enhanced collaboration among industry partners, fostering impactful engagement across the ecosystem. The integration of LinkedIn into the registration process has enabled organisers to cultivate lasting connections with their audience beyond events. This initiative not only supports community maintenance but also aims to expand and energise it over time.
From the outset, the joint initiative aimed to maximise the untapped potential of registration to drive visitor growth, enhance organic reach, and elevate brand visibility for organisers and exhibitors. The ADITUS x LinkedIn Community Builder v2.0 sets out to address key industry challenges, such as limited engagement options on event websites, late registrations impacting sustainability, the need for strategies to boost ticket sales, and the demand for better attendee insights.
By integrating LinkedIn Events into the registration process, ADITUS became LinkedIn’s first development partner, creating a game-changing tool that enhances organic reach, visitor growth, and community engagement. In its adoption, VDA, organisers of the IAA Mobility, experienced remarkable efficiency and results, transforming their approach from a ticket shop to a vibrant community hub.
This collaboration has yielded more benefits than initially anticipated. The tool empowers brand ambassadors and elevates organisers to thought leaders, achieving a set-up time of under two minutes at no cost for ADITUS clients. Tim Benedict Wegner from VDA summarised the impact: “Even if you don’t do anything at all, your ROI is positive,” highlighting the transformative potential of this partnership. One simple tool has resulted in many more benefits than initially anticipated, emerging as a game-changing registration marketing solution – free of charge or, if you so want: ORGANIC.
This article is taken from EW Issue 4, to get the digital magazine bi-monthly to your inbox, subscribe here: https://www.exhibitionworld.co.uk/subscribe
