Tag Archives: UFI

Visit Qatar and the World Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) have signed an agreement to renew their diamond sponsorship. The agreement is part of Visit Qatar’s efforts to promote and support Qatar’s business events industry, which is of great importance within Qatar’s tourism sector. Under the agreement, Visit Qatar will promote Qatar as a destination for business events and allow partners to create more opportunities for collaboration across all of the Association’s events and activities throughout the year. Commenting on the signing of the agreement, Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi said, Head of Sector Marketing & Promotion Tourism at Qatar Tourism: “Visit Qatar and the World Association of the Exhibition Industry have a long-term strategic partnership with the common goal of promoting and developing the exhibitions, conferences and incentives industry. Qatar is an ideal destination for hosting business events, thanks to the construction of modern facilities, innovative public transport networks, easy travel policies, as well as its geographical location and world-class tourist destinations, providing business people with tourism experiences that meet all their expectations.” Michael Duck, QBA President for 2022/2023, said: “We are delighted to continue working with Visit Qatar as one of the World Association of Exhibition Industry Diamond Sponsors in the coming years. Supporting this Global Association programme allows additional products and services to be offered to our global membership holders and ultimately to further grow their events and exhibitions industry.” Qatar is a major home and destination for major global events, thanks to the country’s highest security standards, in addition to hosting 128 meeting and conference corners, spanning 70,000 square meters. Qatar is strategically located between east and west, with an award-winning national carrier and international airport. …

Qatar Tourism hosted the World Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) conference for the Middle East and Africa region, which came to Doha for the first time from 9 to 11 May. This year’s edition of the prestigious conference, the Middle East’s largest gathering of business events experts, attracts representatives of business events stakeholders including government entities, conference promotion bureaus and some of the region’s leading tourism industry oversights. Hosting the conference is a key step for Qatar’s tourism sector, where specialized tourism sectors such as conferences, travel incentives, exhibitions and meetings are of vital importance, as part of efforts to achieve the ambitious goal of the Qatari tourism industry of increasing the number of arrivals to Qatar. His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, President of Qatar Tourism and Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, said: “We are delighted to host this prestigious conference in Qatar for the first time. We have a great ambition to become a leading global destination for hosting business events that is a key pillar of Qatar’s Tourism Strategy 2030. Qatar’s strategic location, award-winning airline and airport, the country’s visa facilities and state-of-the-art exhibition and conference facilities make it an ideal choice for business visitors who want productive, enjoyable and seamless journeys.” Held under the theme ‘Towards Sustainable Growth’, this year’s edition of the conference presents actionable strategiesand solutions that can help business leaders achieve their goals in terms of combating climate change. During its sessions, the conference is expected to present a variety of interviews and meetings and lively discussions involving prominent figures and representatives from the business events industry.

Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and UFI (The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) have partnered to launch a white paper titled ‘Reimagining Business Events – Through COVID-19 and Beyond’. Launched at the first hybrid Singapore MICE Forum x IBTM Wired at Marina Bay Sands on 28 June 2021, the white paper is the first such collaboration between a destination and leading associations representing the exhibitions, conventions and meetings industry. It takes stock of how various sectors within the industry have transformed in response to COVID-19, and consolidates ideas from around the world to help business event organisers rethink their offerings and operations. The business events sector supported nearly 26 million jobs and contributed US$1.5 trillion to global GDP in 20171, which would rank it as the 13th largest economy globally, surpassing those of Australia, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. In Singapore, the MICE sector supported more than 34,000 direct and indirect jobs, with a value-add of S$3.8 billion, or close to 1 per cent of Singapore’s GDP. COVID-19 changed all that. In 2020, the global travel and hospitality suffered a staggering loss of US$935 billion, with the business events industry among the worst hit. The onset of the pandemic was a wake-up call for the industry, heavily dependent on physical interaction, to reinvent itself. According to PCMA’s COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard survey (January 2021)2, the overall willingness to travel remains mixed, with 44 per cent of planners and 23 per cent of suppliers unwilling to travel. However, there is cause for optimism. The same survey showed that 25 per cent of planners and 31 per cent of suppliers were willing to travel any distance necessary if the …