UFI Congress
UFI celebrates its centenary and begins‘ shaping the future’ in Hong Kong
FI, The Global Association
U of the Exhibition Industry, made history at its four-day 92nd UFI Global Congress in Hong Kong SAR which concluded on 22 November. The event coincided with two significant milestones: UFI ' s centennial anniversary and AsiaWorld-Expo ' s 20th year of operations, creating a unique convergence that underscored Hong Kong ' s enduring position as a premier business events destination.
Hosted by AsiaWorld-Expo, the event welcomed over 600 delegates from 47 countries and centred on the theme‘ Shaping the future’.
“ As we celebrate this centenary milestone in partnership with UFI, I am immensely proud of AsiaWorld-
Expo’ s role as a world-class venue hosting this exceptional congress, which also coincides with our 20th anniversary,” said Irene Chan, CEO of AsiaWorld-Expo, in her official welcome.
The event reaffirmed Hong Kong’ s pivotal role as a gateway to global markets and the Greater Bay Area. HKTB chairman Peter Lam e mphasised Hong Kong ' s enduring position as the“ World’ s Meeting Place,” noting how business-friendly policies, world-class infrastructure, professional services, and unique GBA opportunities continue to attract international business events.
For Michael Duck, former UFI president and Informa executive vice-president, who received
“ We need to draw attention to embracing Chinese members of UFI in a better way in the future. Against the backdrop of the geopolitical changes, the Chinese members got a little bit disengaged with UFI”
UFI’ s Medal of Honour during the Congress, the return to Hong Kong felt“ momentous”, as the Congress 25 years ago was“ a different kettle of fish when it came to the venues and the businesses here. So it ' s been wonderful to see it grow and be part of that growth,” he reflected.“ You can feel the vibe with the people who are here in this excellent centre.”
The Congress highlighted impressive economic impact: the global exhibition industry generated $ 95bn in direct GDP and $ 162bn in direct spending in 2024. Hong Kong’ s performance proved equally strong, with flagship venues hosting more than 350 exhibitions and 9.17m participants in 2024.
Duck confirmed this momentum:“ The shows that we hold here as Informa Markets, are doing really well. We just had in this centre and at the exhibition centre in Wan Chai doublefigure growth in exhibitors and also visitors over last year.”
Experience and trust Under the‘ Shaping the future’ theme, two major trends emerged as critical for the industry’ s future: experience and trust, according to UFI managing director and CEO Chris Skeith.
The Congress keynote by Silicon Valley strategist Dex Hunter- Torricke explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and how exhibitions could reconnect people during this technological transformation.
The Main Stage delivered a futurefocused programme, spotlighting the forces that are reshaping the global exhibitions industry.
Venue leaders from Hong Kong, New York and Bahrain revealed how they are reinventing event spaces through sustainable operations, immersive design and a destination approach.
Service providers unveiled breakthroughs in AI and carbonpositive solutions that are transforming operations and customer experience.
40 Issue 6 2025 www. exhibitionworld. co. uk