7 JUNE 2017: SECOND “GLOBAL EXHIBITIONS DAY”
After the success of the first edition, which involved thousands of sector professionals from 60 countries, Global Exhibitions Day has already become an international annual event.
This year it will be on 7 June, in observance of an intended custom linked to the first Wednesday of June each year.
Global Exhibitions Day – which came into existence last year following a proposal from UFI, The Global Association for the Exhibition Industry – is an occasion to celebrate the trade fair sector and highlight its positive impact on employment, businesses, innovations and local investment.
Exhibition and event organisers, trade fair organisations, associations and service providers from countries all over the world come together on this day to promote the sector with one, unique and unified voice.
“Think Global, Act Local” is the title of the next date, which to date has already met with the support of 38 associations – also including AEFI – representing the same number of countries. On 7 June 2017, the exhibition sector will be in the global spotlight, with a focus on the associated business generated by fairs, the business and marketing opportunities and also on the many jobs.
Last year AEFI prepared an intensive programme that culminated with a big conference in Rome, at the Temple of Hadrian, to illustrate the importance of trade fairs to the country’s economy and the central role of the trade fair system in the internationalisation of business to the opinion leaders of the whole world.
This year, to celebrate the most important event in the trade fair sector, AEFI is planning a new event in Rome that will be supported by many initiatives organised at the individual trade fairs, with the aim of amplifying the message, proliferating attention to the sector.
Our fairs are a unique showcase for Italian excellence and Global Exhibitions Day represents a great opportunity to present them to the world.
At a global level, the sector boasts significant figures: UFI estimates more than 260 million visitors a year (and 4.4 million exhibiting companies); visitors and companies spend around 98 billion euros each year to take part in fairs (about half the money goes directly to the trade fair sector and the rest to local tourism-related businesses); the trade fair sector accounts for 680,000 jobs.
Beyond UFI, the member associations in the task force to date are: AAXO (South Africa), AEFI (Italy), AEO (UK), AFE (Spain), AFECA (Asia), AFIDA (Central and South America), AMPROFEC (Mexico), AOCA (Argentina), AUMA (Germany), CAEM (Canada), CEFA (Central Europe), CENTREX (Central Europe), CFI (Italy), EEAA (Australasia), EEIA (EU), EFU (Ukraine), EMECA (Europe), EXSA (South Africa), FAIRLINK (Sweden), FAMAB (Germany), HKECIA (Hong Kong), IAEE (USA), IDFA (Germany), IECA (Indonesia), IEIA (India), IELA (Global), LECA (Lebanon), MACEOS (Malaysia), MFTA (Macao), PCEI (Poland), RUEF (Russia), SACEOS (Singapore), SECB (Singapore), SISO (USA), TEA (Thailand), TFOA (Turkey), UBRAFE (Brazil) and UNIMEV (France).
AEFI – the Italian Exhibition and Trade Fair Association – was set up in 1983 with a view to generating synergies between the most significant Italian exhibition districts. Specifically, AEFI would like to be seen as a privileged partner for operators and institutions alike, and its role is to support members through the development of activities and programmes in the sphere of training, marketing, promotion and research, as well as to provide services for trade fairs through the activities of its Committees: Exhibition Hub Technical Committee, Legal-Administrative Committee, Internationalisation Committee and Trade Fairs Network Committee.
On an international scale, AEFI represents Italian trade fairs in UFI – Union of International Fairs. Chaired by Ettore Riello, AEFI includes 35 member exhibition districts, which organise over 1,000 events a year over an overall exhibition area of 4.2 million square metres. Most international trade fairs, and 95% of all trade fairs, which take place each year in Italy, are held in AEFI-member exhibition districts.
For further information: www.aefi.it/Aefi/site/en/index
UFI – Global Exhibition Association
UFI is the global association of exhibition organisers and operators, in addition to bringing together the main national and international associations and selected partners of the trade fair sector. UFI’s main goal is to represent, promote and support the interests of its members and of the trade fair sector in general. UFI represents approximately 700 organisations in 84 countries all over the world. More than 900 international fairs use the UFI logo as a guarantee of quality for visitors and exhibitors. UFI members continue to provide the business community with unique marketing support, with the aim of developing the most important business opportunities.
For more information: www.ufi.org