Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) is participating in the 82^nd Congress of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) that opened today in Milan, Italy.

UFI comprises 650 members from 85 countries and is the association of trade show organisers, fairground owners, national and international associations of the exhibition industry, key partners and stakeholders.

Returning to Milan after a gap of 67 years, the 82^nd UFI Congress seeks to predict the major changes in the exhibition industry in the next 15 years and to understand their implications on the existing business patterns in the industry.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Acting Group CEO, at ADNEC said: “The primary objective of our participation in the UFI Congress is to gain insights into the future of the exhibition industry by joining discussions, debates, and networking sessions that will help us identify key opportunities and challenges in the exhibition industry in the years to come.”

He added: “The annual congress is an important occasion for us to keep updated with the latest developments, and identify best practices in an increasingly competitive exhibition industry. Our presence at the UFI Congress will also help us forge strategic partnerships with key local and international organisers and associations to attract more high calibre global events to Abu Dhabi and position the UAE capital as a world-class business tourism hub.

The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry was founded in Milan in 1925 to promote cooperation between exhibition organisers in order to revitalise the exhibition sector at the end of the First World War.

ADNEC offers 133,000 sq m of inter-connected floor space to match the expectations of a wide variety of events and exhibitions. Equipped with modern facilities and built to international standards, the venue attracted 1.6 million people across 327 events in 2014.