History
Continued from p5 , Sergey Alexeev greeting :
“ The RUEF became a member of UFI in 1994 , and many of our companies have also joined since ,” he continues , adding that membership had helped develop new standards in work with statistics and auditing and to increase international participation in members ’ shows . The membership of UFI has also been important , Alexeev adds , “ in facilitating joint work and co-operation with the exhibition industry market leaders in 80 countries of the world ”.
Alexeev admits the pandemic has caused big losses in Russia , as elsewhere , but says the industry can play an important role in balancing the economy from its reliance on raw materials and help promote the ‘ Made in Russia ’ brands – a key to renaissance in production .
A great achievement of RUEF was working out the concept , accepted by the government , for the organsiation and development of the congress-exhibition sector as a modern strategy for developing Russian industry .
“ Jochen Witt noted at the recent UFI 88th
Congress in Roterdam that we are entering a 10-year period of unprecenented transformation ,” Alexeev adds .
Issues to be faced , he says , will include fewer visitors to our trade shows , and smaller stands , as well as cardinal step changes in the way technology is used to produce our events . “ One consequence of fewer large international events will be the localisation of shows and the development of global IT platforms ,” Alexeev says , agreeing with Witt ’ s highlighting of trends including the speeding up of digitalisation and the hybridisation of physical events and the development of multichannel contacts with clients 365 and 24 / 7 .
“ Yes , new tasks await us in the search for new paths for their development and in the creation of new teams of exhibition professionals ,” Alexeev adds .
He concludes his anniversary greeting with a message of congratulations and support . “ We wish our professionals every success , including in preserving the tradition of friendly relations with colleagues and the promotion of mutual help and support , on the occasion of our 30th anniversary .
“ We also wish the RUEF President Sergey Voronkov , our Executive Director Elena Ublieva and the whole RUEF team , as well as all our dear colleagues in the many-thousand strong army of Russian exhibtion industry professionals , fresh creative successes and the strength and means to overcome all challenges as we move towards new horizons in our incredible work in creating and realising the great business of exhibitions and congresses .”
EXHIBITION WORLD / RUSSIA SUPPLEMENT / 19