2024 will go into the history books as the best year the global exhibition industry has ever recorded, measured by revenues—topping out an astonishing comeback after the global pandemic. Investors remain eager to put money into our industry’s core business model of connecting people for trade and innovation, but the future will see challenges escalate, existing developments pick up speed, and complexities grow.  So, what lies in store for 2025? Once again, the UFI team has been listening to and talking with UFI members and industry leaders worldwide to get their views on what lies ahead next year. Here, short but not always sweet, is our view on the trends that will shape the next 12 to 18 months. Better – but good enough? Customer focus has been – well – in focus, driven by additional data insights into exhibitors’ and visitors’ needs and wants. Post-pandemic average NPS scores for events remain stable and well above earlier levels, showing that we have made progress. Advances in technology speed up additional opportunities. As an industry, we benefit from the skills many managers have brought from other industries to drive this evolution. It changes how we think and work. To anyone looking […]

Globally Acclaimed Lawyer and Human Rights Advocate to Share Insights into How Individuals, Organizations, and Businesses Can Leverage a Platform to Influence Positive Change Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President & CEO has announced Amal Clooney, internationally acclaimed lawyer and human rights advocate will join the speaker line up at Convening Leaders 2025 (CL25). Clooney will share the personal and professional path that led her to pursue a career focused on human rights advocacy and the pursuit of social justice. She will offer insights on how individuals, organizations, and businesses can transform their platforms to drive positive change and support the fight against injustice. “Business events are about driving economic and social transformation. CL25 is the platform for experiments, pushing boundaries, expanding horizons, and inspiration while taking us out of our own comfort zones,” said Karamat. “Ms. Clooney’s participation will encapsulate this theme, by focusing on social transformation, leaving us with actionable insights and the inspiration to leverage our own platforms—whether large or small—as agents of positive social change”. Clooney has spent her career defending the defenseless, from minorities to victims of mass atrocities, using her platform to shine a light on human rights abuses around the globe. Her […]

UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, today introduces a fresh logo and revamped brand identity, marking the association’s journey into its second century. Founded in 1925, UFI went many years without a formal logo, eventually adopting its first in 1947: the head of Hermes, Greek god of trade, symbolizing swift communication and commerce. This was followed by a new look in 2003, reflecting UFI’s transition to a global organization with locations in Paris and Hong Kong, featuring an abstract Hermes head. Now, UFI’s new logo distills Hermes’ wing into four distinct feathers, representing the four pillars central to UFI’s mission: Events, Research, Education, and Advocacy. The logo’s green hue symbolizes UFI’s commitment to sustainability and the positive, enduring impact of exhibitions worldwide. Designed with a clean, modern font, the logo is optimized for both digital and physical platforms. UFI President Geoff Dickinson explains, “UFI’s new identity mirrors the growing role and responsibility we hold in today’s industry. It underscores our evolution and acknowledges the expanded scope of our mission.” UFI CEO Kai Hattendorf adds, “Our previous branding served us well for nearly 25 years, but as we approach UFI’s 100th anniversary, we recognized the need to reimagine our […]

Destination Reveal Follows Record Attendance At Convening Emea 2024 In Barcelona Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President and CEO, today announced Rotterdam, a city focused on urban and societal transformation to achieve a resilient future, as the host city for Convening EMEA 2025. Convening EMEA is an omnichannel event created for business events professionals and creatives to share learnings and collaborate to build a stronger future for the global business events community.  The annual conference will be held 15th – 17th October 2025 at the Postillion Hotel & Convention Centre WTC in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Convening EMEA 2024 drew a record 636 participants from 46 countries who engaged in a newly designed programme architecture which brought to life themes across future, trust and strategy allowing participants to build their own learning journey. The future will continue to be a theme with others developed based on our communities insights. “This partnership with Rotterdam, a city of resilience is the perfect backdrop for the next step in our journey within the EMEA region and Convening EMEA as we will continue to challenge mindsets and approaches to the business events industry. Convening EMEA will continue to showcase the exceptional cities across the region in years […]

Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President and CEO today announced he has received the 2025 Board of Directors and Trustees Slate from Immediate Past Chair and Nominating Committee Chair, Desirée Knight, CAE, CMP, DES.  The PCMA Board includes Directors and Trustees for PCMA and the PCMA Foundation. Board members represent a globally diverse community who support the association’s mission to drive global economic and social transformation through business events.  Karamat is honored to recognize one of the most globally diverse Boards in PCMA’s history, including representation from the CEMA Advisory Board.   “PCMA is the platform for the global business events community,” said Karamat. “The proposed Board slate embodies diversity of thought and range of experience essential to our work to lead significant and positive change throughout the world.”   The following leaders will begin serving a one-year Executive Officer term (2025): Chair: Neil Brownlee, Head of Business Events, VisitScotland Chair-Elect: Kelly Ricker, Chief Learning Officer, American Academy of Neurology Immediate Past Chair: Leonard Hoops, President and CEO, Visit Indy  Upon PCMA membership approval, the following leader will begin serving a one-year Executive Officer term (2025): Secretary-Treasurer: Robin Preston, CEM, DES, Managing Director, Events, The American Institute of Architects  The incoming CEMA Advisory Board Chair will begin serving a one-year Director and Trustee term (2025): Gary Murakami, GTP, GLP, CMP Fellow, CMM, DES, Vice […]

Date: October 6, 2024 (before IMEX America)Location: Las Vegas, USAlink: https://siteglobal.com/event/site-classic250 incentive travel professionals gather for “re-imagined” incentive eventThe 17th annual SITE Classic concluded today at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, with more than 250 incentive travel professionals gathering in-person to connect, learn and discover a dazzling destination that blends urban sophistication with natural coastal beauty. “In response to the evolving needs of our industry and invaluable feedback from our loyal attendees, SITE Classic has undergone a thoughtful and strategic re-imagination,” said Annette Gregg, CMM, MBA, SITE CEO. “Our goal is for SITE Classic to transcend being just an event, becoming a catalyst for collaborative innovation and long-term impact within the industry.” “This year, we introduced “shape” as a new event design pillar, giving incentive travel professionals a platform to actively influence the future direction of our industry. A key outcome of SITE Classic will be a legacy white paper, channelling the collective wisdom, knowledge, and expertise of our attendees. This document will offer valuable insights to guide the purpose and trajectory of incentive travel for years to come,” Gregg concluded. “We are immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to host SITE Classic at Fontainebleau Miami Beach this past week. Welcoming 250 leading incentive travel professionals to experience our […]

Link: www.iccaworld.org  Link: www.iccaworld.org  FRANKFURT, GERMANY, 16 MAY 2024 — ICCA, the International Congress and Convention Association, is thrilled to announce that the 2024 Global Influencer Award was presented last night to Marie Hunter, Managing Director of Conferences, Events & Experiences (IEEE).   Each year at the IMEX Gala Dinner, ICCA announces the winner of the Global Influencer Award, which recognises an individual’s outstanding contribution to — and influence on — the global meetings industry. On the evening of 15 May at the Sheraton Frankfurt, ICCA President Marta Gomes and CEO Senthil Gopinath were delighted to present the 2024 award to Ms. Hunter. Marie Hunter is a passionate advocate for event technology and professional development. As a business strategist, executive producer, and global events leader at IEEE, Marie’s transformative initiatives have significantly expanded the organisation’s virtual event product line. Her leadership in driving cross-cultural business development and emergency response has set new standards in the industry.  Marie’s role as the executive producer and founder of the annual premier event IEEE Convene highlights her innovative approach to creating platforms that foster engagement and disseminate knowledge globally. Her work extends beyond event management to influencing IEEE’s strategic direction and enhancing its mission through […]

Sakhir, Bahrain – 24 June 2024: The Kingdom of Bahrain has won the prestigious bid to host the 93rd Global Association of the Exhibition Industry UFI Global Congress, marking a significant milestone for the country’s burgeoning Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry. UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry Board voted in Bahrain’s favour at the recent UFI European Conference 2024 held in Zurich, Switzerland. This will be the first time the annual gathering, recognised as the largest event in the exhibition industry, will be held in Bahrain.  The UFI Global Congress is scheduled for November 2026, at the award-winning Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB) in Sakhir. EWB, the current World’s Leading New Exhibition and Convention Centre 2023, and the Middle East’s Leading Large-Scale Wedding Venue 2024, boasts state-of-the-art facilities and has already hosted numerous successful global events.   “We are honoured to have been selected as the host destination for the UFI Global Congress,” said H.E. Fatima bint Jaffar Al Sairafi, the Minister of Tourism and Chairman of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA). “This is a testament to Bahrain’s commitment to the MICE industry and our ongoing efforts to drive innovation in this promising sector. We look forward […]

ICCA, the International Congress and Convention Association, announced today that it is expanding its strategic presence in Latin America and the Caribbean with the establishment of a new office within the Panama Association Hub (PAH).

Annual UFI LATAM Conference to be held 17-19 September in Monterrey. Conference hosted by the Monterrey Convention & Visitors Bureau. UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, will hold its UFI Latin American (LATAM) Conference in Monterrey, Mexico, from 17-19 September 2024. The event will be hosted by the Monterrey Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) [in Spanish: Oficina de Convenciones y Visitantes Monterrey (OCV)] and will take place at Cintermex. UFI has been operating and growing a regional presence in LATAM since 2017, and this will be the second time that the LATAM Conference will be organised in Mexico. The first-ever UFI LATAM Conference was held in Mexico City in 2018, gathering 125 attendees from 15 countries. The UFI LATAM Conference has been an important annual gathering that has grown to become an important event for the region since its launch in 2018. Earlier this year, over 100 industry leaders attended the 2023 LATAM Conference in Costa Rica, and the 2024 conference will build on successful previous editions in Buenos Aires (2022) and Mexico City (2018). “I am really happy to see that the UFI LATAM Conference has become a must-attend event for exhibition industry professionals in Latin America. […]

At Convening Leaders 2024, speakers delved into the landscape of generative AI, followed by the announcement of a new feature in PCMA and Gevme’s AI Spark. Nina Schick asserted that AI can surpass the Turing test, convincingly mimicking human behaviors with advanced cognition.

capacity is an important element for the exhibition industry and the resulting economic development it generates.

On December 11, 2023, at an inaugural signing at the Panama Convention Center in Panama City, Panama, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Board Members and Chief Executive Officer, Yannis Apostolopoulos with SCA Board President, Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos, joined a welcoming crowd alongside

We are pleased to announce that the 63rd ICCA Congress on 20-23 October 2024 will take our members to one the world’s most modern and vibrant capitals, a destination renowned for its hospitality, courtesy, and excellent state-of-the-art facilities: Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 September 2023: The region’s leading professional triathletes are set to descend on Langkawi, Malaysia for the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship on Saturday 7 October 2023. Langkawi, a stunning tropical paradise known for its pristine beaches and lush landscapes, will become the epicentre of endurance sports in the Asia-Pacific region as it welcomes the return of IRONMAN Malaysia alongside the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship in Langkawi. This event will mark a significant milestone for triathlon in the region as Malaysia plays host to the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship for the very first time with the support of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB). The picturesque Langkawi Island, with its breathtaking vistas and challenging terrain, will provide the perfect backdrop for the event.  After a hiatus of several years, Langkawi will once again welcome professional athletes, marking their return to Malaysian shores since 2019. The event has already garnered interest from athletes, with more than 1,200 triathletes already committed, representing a wide spectrum of global talent and enthusiasts eager to take on the challenge.  Professional athletes will go head-to-head for a prize purse of USD $75,000, with some of the top triathletes from across the region to take on […]

The 63rd ICCA Congress on 20-23 October 2024 will take our members to one the world’s most modern and vibrant capitals, a destination renowned for its hospitality, courtesy, and excellent state-of-the-art facilities: Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Each year at the Gala Dinner at IMEX, ICCA announces the winner of the Global Influencer Award. This award recognises an individual’s outstanding contribution to – and influence on – the global meetings industry

Destinations International, the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), today announced that registration is open for the 2023 Annual Convention.

Panama’s aerial connectivity has become more relevant for the region and the world thanks to the “Hub of the Americas” –one of our main fortes when choosing us as a destination for your upcoming event.

Sofitel Legend, the modern French luxury brand with iconic properties around the world, will unveil its first hotel in North & Central America, bringing its quintessential art de vivre to the historic city of Casco Viejo, Panama, A UNESCO World Heritage Site

TravelMart LatinAmerica is returning to this popular Central America tourism destination after a 16-year absence.

Panama has been selected to host the third edition of the Sustainability Research and Innovation (SRI) Congress, the world’s largest transdisciplinary meeting for the global sustainability community, to be held in June 2023.

IMEX in Frankfurt takes places 31 May – 2 June, with a dedicated day of tailored education on Monday 30 May for specialist groups such as corporate, association and agency buyers.

In the context of a fully-reopened economy and featuring an important ranking with regards to regional biosafety programs, Panama’s MICE industry backed the re-emergence of its meetings sector earlier this week through a hybrid-formated forum organized by the Meetings Panama platform and the National Tourism Chamber of Panama (CAMTUR).

Panama Convention Center to open in 2021 with four international events

Created five years ago by the Global Associations of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), World Exhibitions Day (GED) is an annual series of activities designed to promote the visibility of this major pillar of the MICE industry, and the year 2020 will certainly not be an exception.

Attention, MICE-industry members! This year, FIEXPO will host two major international trade events in Chile. They are the Workshop & Technical Visit (March 23-26) and the 2020 Motivation Luxury Summit 2020, which has been scheduled for October 11-15, 2020.

Things are moving smoothly for The Santa María, a Luxury Collection Hotel& Golf Resort, Panama City, and it seems that its extraordinary location on the eastern sprawl of the Panamanian capital has a lot to do with its success, according to Fidel Reyes, its general manager. “We are referring to a different concept that fills in what the city requires.This is a resort located within city limits that conveys the feeling of being elsewhere, despite its closeness to the downtown area”.

Panama’s med students will have a great challenge ahead of them during the course of the next eight months: the organization of the “2020 August Meeting” –the second and most important annual assembly of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, which will be held in Panama City August 2-8, with ‘pre-assembly’ activities starting on July 30.

With over 40 years of service in the tourism industry, Las Américas hotel chain is now officially a single international hospitality group with properties in its country of origin (Colombia), as well as in neighboring Panama, where the chain’s most recent property, Las Américas Golden Tower, operates in the exclusive Paitilla district, in Panama City.

The organizing committee of the 2022 FIATA World Congress in Panama is already working on the details of the event, which is considered the most important of the freight forwarding industry at the global level.

The management and promotion of the new Amador Convention Center is now the official responsibility of the U.S.-based company, SMG World –this is, through an ‘order to proceed’, which was recently signed by company executives and the Panamanian government, the latter of which was represented by Iván Eskildsen, Administrator of the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP).

SAHIC, one of Latin America’s most important conferences specialized in hospitality/real-estate investments, will host its 13th version in Panama City next year. The event was announced in the 12th version of the conference, which took place in Quito, Ecuador last month.

With regards to tourism, Panama is like a sleeping giant, but although the subject of this article (Antonio Alfaro, president of Panama’s National Tourism Chamber –CAMTUR,) did not actually say so, readers will be able to confirm this statement as they follow through.

Panama’s Tourism Marketing Fund (PROMTUR) and the Spanish airline, Iberia, recently signed a marketing agreement with the purpose of strengthening Panama’s visibility as a tourist destination in Europe.

Due to its privileged geographical position, Panama attracts many world-class professionals who, with their knowledge and experience, strengthen the various sectors that comprise the country’s tourism industry. One of such professionals is Idu Ribeiro, General Manager of the Marriott Panama Hotel. A native of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Ribeiro engaged in his most recent professional transition in December of 2018, by being transferred to his current position after managing the Marriott Executive Apartments, which are also located in downtown Panama City. Commenting on the experience, Ribeiro stated, “Although both properties belong to the same chain, they cater to different markets. The Executive Apartments are a long-stay establishment featuring, as their name suggests, apartments equipped with kitchen, living/dining rooms, etc. –in other words, a residential experience complemented by a hotel-style service. The Marriott Panama, on the other hand, is a full-service hotel designed for conventional travelers. One of its main fortes is its catering service –and most especially our ‘outside catering’ service which is unique in Panama.  His expectations on Panama’s tourism industry Ribeiro believes that the challenges a hotel manager faces are the ‘micro’ version of those faced by the tourism industry as a whole, and therefore sees the […]

Several major international organizations related to the aviation sector (IATA, ACI, AAC, ALAP & ALTA) have joined forces to host the Aviation Day Panama –a top-level discussion on the opportunities and challenges of the field in Panama. Featuring industry experts, senior airline and airport executives, and government authorities as keynote speakers, the event will take place on September 10 at the Hilton Panama City Hotel.

The Panamanian Association of Professionals in Conferences, Exhibits, and Events (APPCE) recently elected its Board of Directors for the 2019-2021 period.

The eighth version of the ICCA Latin America and Caribbean Meeting, an event that will coincide with the 13th edition of the Client Supplier Business Workshop, will take place in the city of Salta, Argentina, August 5-8.

The most influential congress and meetings tourism trade show in America and The Caribbean will bring you in its 23rd edition a MICE specialization program aimed at professionals

Good news for Panama’s MICE industry! The signed contract between the government of Panama and the firm, SMG Latin America for the management and promotion of the new Amador Convention Center (CCA) was recently approved by the former.

Coinciding with the celebration of its 500th anniversary, the city of Havana will host the 23rd edition of MITM Americas. Scheduled October 14-17 at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, the event is sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba, Gran Caribe Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

The Chilean capital is getting ready for the 12th version of FIEXPO Latin America, the largest MICE-industry trade fair in Latin America and the Caribbean, which will take place June 10-12.

Although there certainly can be no life on this planet without water, for Panama, the abundance of H2O represents a universal contribution, not only because it sustains one of the most diverse biological corners of the globe, also because it has forged Panama into an important link in international trade.

The adoption of international standards and the accreditation of professionals are two of the main objectives of the 34th Congress of the Union of Pan American Valuation Associations (UPAV), scheduled October 16-18 at Panama City’s Megapolis Convention Center.

The promotion of secondary and main destinations, the responsibility of destination management, and the difference between tourism and meeting-industry services are some of the topics to be addressed during the 6th Latin American Political Forum on the Meetings Industry, which will take place June 10 in Santiago, Chile.

Thousands of passengers from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala will soon enjoy better air connectivity to Europe, thanks to a recently-signed code-share agreement between Copa Airlines and Air Europa, the latter of which will start flying between Panama City and Madrid on June 3.

They constitute a fundamental element in virtually every major international congress, conference, or meeting, yet there are still many people out there who refer to them by the wrong term as they perform their duties –microphone in hand—inside a booth.

The third version of the Global Business Form successfully concluded today in Panama, gathering public and private-sector leaders from throughout the Latin American and the Persian Gulf regions. The event, the theme of which was “New Hubs, New Regions”, sought to explore the perspectives of amplifying economic cooperation and the forging new alliances between both parts of the world.

Each year at the Gala Dinner at IMEX, ICCA announces the winner of the Global Influencer Award. This award recognises an individual’s outstanding contribution to – and influence on – the global meetings industry

The adoption of international standards and the accreditation of professionals are two of the main objectives of the 34th Congress of the Union of Pan American Valuation Associations (UPAV), scheduled October 16-18 at Panama City’s Megapolis Convention Center.

Panama City’s Hacienda Country Club recently hosted the 12th annual Panama Polo Open, an exclusive event that attracts expert polo players from throughout Central America.