Exhibition World Issue 3 — 2019 | Page 5

Welcome It’s the economy, stupid Birmingham, once the centre of the UK’s automotive industry, now lays claim to being its events capital, with The NEC thriving under private ownership that has unleashed major investment in the trusty old exhibition complex. UFI was certainly motoring at The Vox, The NEC’s newest conference centre, where its European conference looked into the organisers’ future and at some challenging business models. Debate went into overdrive when Brexit was discussed, with Nick de Bois, the UK’s former Adviser to the Brexit Secretary, trying to see some UK global trading wood for the EU tariff trees. ITV’s Robert Peston gave an opposite viewpoint in between some strangulated dipthongs, while Easyfairs CEO Eric Everard summed up a general feeling in the hall, perhaps, when he said he was “still confused, but at a higher level”. The UFI conference was also a platform for the world’s largest expo centre construction, as China’s Shenzhen World brought delegates up to date on how its giant project of 500,000sqm of event space is shaping up. As AUMA’s MesseTrend 2019 releases new research on the German market, our columnist Matthias Baur also draws some deeper conclusions for the future of that market and from MBB research on what is triggering growth in our industry. Baur asks whether the long-time trusted model for exhibition venues – the German Messe – may need to change if Germany is not to slide further down the profitability rankings for tradeshows. While for those needing help when lobbying politicians on the importance of our sector to our economies, arm yourselves with UFI’s Global Economic Impact of Exhibitions report, which we summarise on p36. If you’ve had enough of Brexit and Europeans, then turn to our major coverage of the Middle East market and take note also of the President of the Indian Exhibition Industry Association’s insights into major opportunities in that country. Last but not least, we salute all those marking Global Exhibitions Day 2019 on 5 June! You still have time to get on board. Paul Colston Managing Editor Twitter: @ExhibitionWorld @paulcolston Publishing Director: Simon Farnfield; Managing Editor: Paul Colston; Global Portfolio Director: Jonathan Gordon; Account Director: Iain Stirling; News Reporter: Stuart Wood; Graphic Designer: Kateryna Smirnova; Production Manager: Elizabeth Nixon. Contact us: Subscriptions:[phone], Editorial: [phone], Advertising: [phone], Production:[phone]. Exhibition World is published by Mash Media, Second floor, Applemarket House, 17 Union Street, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 1RR, UK. Tel: [phone] fax: [phone], Email: [email protected] Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publishers. Printed by Pensord Press Ltd. w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk Issue 3 2019 5