Spring in the events step
H ello , Every year , March marks the beginning of spring in the Northern hemisphere . A time filled with the promise of things to come , with new beginnings and ideas blossoming .
That ’ s pretty much what is happening right now at UFI , with things taking shape for the coming
Kai Hattendorf UFI managing director / CEO
Kai Hattendorf , UFI managing director / CEO
months . The application periods for our awards just ended , and the working groups are reviewing the entries they received . Our Next Generation Leadership Grant Programme is still open for applications until 9 April . If you have not already done so , please encourage your best and brightest developing leaders to have a go for one of the
NGL Grants ( www . ufi . org / ngl ).
Spring is also the time when we are producing and preparing UFI ’ s Regional Conferences around the world . I am back from Kuala Lumpur , where we welcomed more than 220 colleagues for the first Asia-Pacific Regional Conference since 2019 . Oh , the energy in the rooms ! Next up : Costa Rica , Doha , and Maastricht .
As always , we are looking to evolve and develop these events so that they can serve the changing needs and priorities from you , our members . One of the new projects this year is the ‘ Event Directors Summit ’ – an additional , by invitation only , programme for 50 show directors that we run just before the European Conference in June in Maastricht to give a platform for new connections and exchanges for this core group in our industry .
Also , we have already opened registration for this year ’ s UFI Congress , 1 – 4 November , in Las Vegas , USA at www . uficongress . org . If you need a visa , please sign up early so that we can support you . Also , we have locked in ‘ pre-inflation ’ room prices , tied to booking dates , so there is another value in registering now . Just like our industry , we will ‘ Go Beyond !’ in the States , and I am thrilled by the wide support and backing we are experiencing for this Congress from so many of our colleagues across North America .
In the UFI team , there are new beginnings as well . We have welcomed a few new colleagues to the team . They bring new ideas , new impulses , and fresh voices to our work . We have decided to add additional positions to the team to bolster our ranks especially around advocacy , collaborations and content .
This is all in line with the recently passed updated UFI strategy that will guide us through the year until 2025 – UFI ’ s grand jubilee year , as it will mark 100 years of the association . Spring – always a special time !
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