As the issue of sustainable development continues to gain momentum worldwide, it has become increasingly important for businesses and industries to play their part in contributing to the global Sustainable Development Goals.
To support this, UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, has announced a new range of assets, initiatives and activities to support and guide the sustainable development efforts of its members and the exhibition industry globally. These initiatives were presented at the recent 86th UFI Global Congress in Bangkok (Thailand).
“Making our industry sustainable in all aspects of the word is vital to not only our future but it is a moral obligation to the sustainability of our planet, too”, said Mary Larkin, President Diversified Communications USA and UFI’s new President.
UFI is launching assets and activities over the coming 12 months in all the areas of its activities: from education to research, from advocacy to events.
A new guiding mission statement on sustainable development reads: “UFI represents and serves an industry built on connecting markets and fostering trade for the greater good - an industry built on sustainable development principles. As such, UFI is committed to driving and supporting sustainable development among our global membership and the exhibition industry at large. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, UFI has integrated sustainable development initiatives in all of our activities - from events to education, from research to advocacy. Our engagement in providing tangible solutions for sustainable development makes UFI a trusted and viable partner for governments, markets and non-profits.”
UFI will hold a dedicated UFI Forum on Sustainable Development in May 2020, and is integrating sustainable development themes across many of its other 2020 events, including the UFI European Conference and Global Exhibition Day, which will promote sustainable development as one of its three key themes.
The UFI Awards, open for entries until 6 March 2020, will feature a dedicated Sustainable Development Award, recognising best practices in waste management.
Two key pieces of UFI research on sustainable development will also be updated in the coming year, including a report on the exhibition industry and the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Compendium on Sustainable Development in the Global Exhibitions Industry. To facilitate identification of these elements for UFI members and the industry at large, UFI is also introducing a designated visual for SD driven activities, based on the iconic UFI mercury.
More information about UFI’s commitment to sustainable development can be found at www.ufi.org/susdev
