Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, UFI’s European Conference, hosted by İZFAŞ in İzmir, Türkiye, 3-5 June 2026, was the association’s largest regional conference to date. It welcomed over 400 delegates from across Europe and beyond.
Tuğçe Cumalıoğlu, CEO of İZFAŞ, commented: “Welcoming the global exhibition community back to our city after many years was particularly meaningful. This conference once again demonstrates İzmir’s strong position within the global exhibition network and its organisational expertise.”
Nick Dugdale-Moore, head of regions and regional director Europe, said UFI was happy to welcome such a large audience again this year, “But far more important than the number is the quality of the delegates present, and the quality of the connections and conversations they had. We hope they enjoyed their stay in beautiful Izmir and they took away valuable insights, new contacts and friendships and lifelong memories.”
Programme highlights
World record-holding open-water swimmer and İzmir-native, Bengisu Avcı, shared her story of resilience, failure, and determination as the first Turkish person to complete the Oceans Seven challenge.
Jonathan Weiner, the event entrepreneur behind HLTH, HumanX, Money20/20, and Shoptalk, offered a masterclass in event brand building, sharing the strategy and lessons learned from launching and scaling some of the world’s most influential events.
Returning for the second consecutive year, the Insight Series Workshops brought delegates together for four interactive sessions designed to confront the most pressing challenges facing the exhibition industry today. Covering visitor experience, exhibitor relationships, the future of event formats, and inclusive and accessible experiences, each session brought the community together not just to discuss the future of exhibitions but to help shape it.
Recordings of all sessions will soon be made available on demand to UFI members and conference participants.
4th edition of Event Directors Summit
The Event Directors Summit returned for its fourth consecutive year as one of the UFI European Conference’s most anticipated programmes. The exclusive two-day summit, led by Oscar Cerezales (MCI Group), brought together exhibition, portfolio, and event directors for hands-on workshops and interactive learning, including coastal bike rides and boat trips that made the most of İzmir’s spectacular setting.
From the networking dinner at the ancient Agora to the post-conference tours of the ruins of Ephesus and the beaches of Çeşme, the city provided an extraordinary backdrop for the conference.
Delegates also marked Global Exhibitions Day on 3 June, under this year’s theme, ‘Exhibitions drive opportunities for people, for the planet, and for performance’.
The 2027 UFI European Conference will take place, 2-4 June, in Rimini, Italy, and will be hosted by the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG).
Full details about the UFI European Conference can be found on the event website: www.ufieurope.org
UFI has also announced the election results for leadership positions in its five Regional Chapters worldwide. The elected industry leaders will begin their three-year mandate after the 93rd UFI Global Congress in November 2026.
The future Regional Chapter chairs are:
- For Asia-Pacific: Rita Chu, Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd, Hong Kong
- For Europe: Stefan Rummel, Messe München GmbH, Germany
- For North America: Joyce Leveston, Javits Center, USA
- For Central & South America: Fernando Gorbarán, Messe Frankfurt Argentina
- For the Middle East & Africa: Mohammed Al Hussaini, Riyadh Exhibitions Company, Saudi Arabia.
Source: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk
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