All for one , and one for all
Oana Cipca , MECC Maastricht business development manager for exhibitions , sets the welcoming scene for the famous city ’ s hosting of the UFI European Conference in June
O ur headline is a motto traditionally associated with the heroes of the novel The Three Musketeers written by the French writer Alexandre Dumas . The musketeers – Athos , Porthos , Aramis and D ’ Artagnan – stayed loyal to each other through thick and thin . This motto says everything about the way the city of Maastricht approached the organisation and later the welcoming of the 2023 UFI European Conference 13-16 June . It is typically Maastricht that when congresses and exhibitions come , you feel it throughout the city because the venue , MECC Maastricht , and Maastricht partners , act as one for all and all for one . Within one day we were all aligned in Maastricht and ready to prepare the programme for the UFI week . A little sneak preview : the welcoming reception will take place at Government House where the Maastricht Treaty was signed – the treaty that transformed the European Community into the European Union and which laid the foundations for the introduction of the euro currency .
Government House is a truly special location of Maastricht and only by exception opens its doors for events . As we go through the week , there will be a number of surprises for the UFI delegates involving history , culture , special treasures , art , innovation and , importantly , Maastricht cuisine . For the networking dinner we go to
Maastricht the best known Augustine church of the Netherlands , called Rebelle . It is a national monument from the 17th century in the city centre and has been transformed into an event space with high ceilings and excellent acoustics . The rest is a secret .
On the last day of the congress , we have prepared sightseeing both highlighting the Romanesque city as well as an active tour by Segway through the marl caves of Maastricht and their 250 underground corridors , so it ’ s definitely worth staying a few days longer after the conference . You will want to go shopping in Maastricht and take time to experience the beautiful terraces , especially in June .
In June it will also be exactly 350 years since D ’ Artagnan was killed during the siege of Maastricht – the 25th will be a day to commemorate that .
MECC Maastricht has been a member of UFI since 2016 , and has spent years lobbying to bring this international conference to Maastricht . We are thrilled with the opportunity to introduce the 300 international trade fair organisers and venue managers to the many possibilities that MECC Maastricht and the city has to offer .
UFI team , MECC Maastricht team and Maastricht City , we will definitely go , ‘ All for one and one for all ’ during this Global Exhibition Week !
l Registration has opened for UFI ’ s Global Congress in Las Vegas . The event will take place in the ARIA Resort & Casino , which is located on the famous Las Vegas Strip . And UFI ’ s Latam regional conference takes place in San Jose , Costa Rica , 25-27 April . Check out full details of all UFI events at www . ufi . org
22 Issue 2 2023 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk