The event attracts nearly 300 UFI members and eminent figures of the international exhibition community
The Union of International Fairs (UFI) held the 2018 UFI Asia Pacific Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 1st and 2nd. The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) participated in the conference together with the representatives of Macao's exhibition and convention (also known as MICE) industry so as to jointly promote the advantages of exhibitions in Macao as well as to strengthen the exchange and co-operation between Macao and overseas MICE industries. It was widely believed among the representatives of Macao's exhibition industry that their participation in the conference helped the community learn about the latest trends in various aspects of this sector. Meanwhile, sitting in the same room with leaders of globally known exhibition enterprises and elites presented an opportunity for internationalising Macao's MICE industry, which could spur its development and attract more international event organisers to hold activities in Macao. Clearly the participation had a positive impact in many respects.
As one of the most representative associations in the exhibition industry, UFI is comprised of exhibition managers and professional exhibition organisers from all over the world, aiming at promoting the regional and global development of the exhibition community. Held annually in different Asian regions, the UFI Asia Pacific Conference seeks to encourage the Asian exhibition sector to keep up with the latest trends in the regional and international exhibition communities, and to exchange ideas with institutions dedicated to international exhibitions while promoting the image of the exhibition industry and increasing opportunities for commercial interaction. This year's conference was held in Kuala Lumpur, featuring the theme "New Methods, New Perspectives."
During the conference, the delegation from the Macao MICE industry took the opportunities to network with nearly 300 influential UFI members from Asia and elites in the international exhibition industry. While learning about the latest information of the international exhibition industry, the delegation also introduced the advantages of Macao's MICE software and hardware facilities and the "One-stop Service" for MICE Bidding and Support provided by IPIM, which energetically facilitated Macao's exhibition industry and promoted its global presence.
According to Ho Hoi Ming, President of Board of Directors of Macao Conference and Exhibition Association (MCEA), the conference gathered together famous exhibition enterprises such as Expo Stars from the U.K., Talk2Media from Australia and UBM Asia, whose successful experience in exhibition planning, operation and innovative technology application were valuable inspirations for Macao. Kuan Vai Lam, Vice President of MCEA, indicated that the participation in the UFI Asia Pacific Conference enhanced the connection with Asian-Pacific members of the association and enabled them to discuss on the opportunities for co-operation.
Wu Kam Hon, President of Macau Federal Commercial Association of Convention & Exhibition Industry, stated that participating in the conference helped the association members learn about the latest trends in the planning, execution and management of conferences and exhibitions, specifically in regard to exhibitor recruitment, command of information technology and management of visitor flow. He added that UFI, the organiser of the conference, surprised the attendees with its considerate arrangements in all aspects and that gaining such a good experience could motivate Macao’s upcoming events to show a brand-new image to visitors. Paul Wong, Vice President of Board of Directors of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, attended the UFI Asia Pacific Conference for the first time and remarked that this participation could reinforce the exchange and co-operation among the Asian-Pacific elites of the international exhibition industry and help the participants learn about the latest development in the regional exhibition industry. Moreover, the conference enabled the attendees to have better understanding of the characteristics of Macao's leisure tourism and hotel industry, so that they could explore the feasibility of hosting international conferences and exhibitions in Macao.
According to Cheang Mio Han, Secretary-General of Macao Polytechnic Institute, the purpose of her participation in the conference was to draw wisdom from the neighbouring regions in respect of fostering exhibition talents and broadening the professional exchange with experts of related sectors, in the hope of providing constructive suggestions for improving the quality of local MICE manpower. Chan Si Nga, President of Board of Directors ofMacau Fair & Trade Association and a speaker at previous editions of the UFI Asia Pacific Conference, pointed out that joining in the conference was rewarding as it introduced the latest trends and topics related to the global exhibition industry.
