UFI - Union de Foires Internationales

UFI Annual Congresses - 28. do 31.10.2009.

76th UFI Congress - BACK TO THE FUTURE!

UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, a non-profit and non-political organization , comprises 256 valid members in 2004, including 195 fair organizers, 120 exhibition centers and 39 exhibition associations.

UFI was founded on 15 Ap ril 1925 in Milan by 20 leading European fair establishments: Bordeaux, Brussels, Budapest, Cologne,Danzig, Frankfurt/Main, Leipzig, Ljubljana, Lvov, Lyon, Milan, Nizhny Novgorod, Padua, Paris, Prague, Reichenberg, Utrecht, Valencia, Vienna and Zagreb.

At the beginning the Association brought together the general samples fairs only; not earlier than by the mid-1960s the specialized exhibitions joined the association too. Since 1994 the Fair associations and the organizations for the statistical control started joining the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry as its associated members.

The rising importance of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry provided the opportunity for the privileged linking with a number of international bodies.

UFI has become the UN member with an advisory status, regional economic commissions of UN, UNIDO, UNCTAD, WTO and ICC (International Chamber of Trade).

The high level position and repute of the Global association of exhibition industry is deriving from the fact that already the membership itself is justifying the quality. The members are offered the opportunity of getting the UFI approval for international exhibitions for the period they are meeting the conditions been fixed by the strong UFI statutes.

UFI comprises a number of working groups, committees and advisory bodies, and the annual assembly. The committee for cooperation and technical committee organize educational seminars, which are open to members as well as to non-members.

In spite of the work outside Europe, 70 percent of the total UFI membership comes from Europe, as well as 80 percent of the overall recognized fairs.

UFI Summer Seminar, Zagreb

From 14 to 16 June 2004 Zagreb Fair was host after 25 years to a large meeting of the world exhibition industry and registered the attendance of about 200 – 250 participants from all over the world.

It was a special acknowledgement for the Zagreb Fair in a year when the Zagreb Fair is marking the 95th anniversary of activities, and a good opportunity to show the city of Zagreb and the business partners that the Zagreb Fair is a part of the world exhibition industry, which is considered to be an important partner for every marketplace and its economy.