PARIS / LAS VEGAS – UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, yesterday announced that the 90th UFI Global Congress will be held in Las Vegas, Nov. 1 – 4, 2023. It will be the first time the largest annual gathering of exhibition leaders will take place in the U.S. 

The announcement came during the 2021 UFI Global Congress this week in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The 2023 UFI Global Congress will take place at ARIA Resort and Casino and will be hosted by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), exposing Las Vegas to key decision makers in the global exhibition industry and poising the destination for future convention business. 

“We are delighted to hold a UFI Congress in the United-States for the first time. This country is of great importance to UFI, and this is the message we wish to communicate,” said UFI President Anbu Varathan.

Kai Hattendorf, CEO & managing director of UFI, said, “What a wonderful win-win. Congratulations to Las Vegas. We look forward to this Congress, gathering the global exhibition industry in the U.S. for the UFI Global Congress in 2023. As the global trade association for our industry, this will allow us to connect our colleagues from across the US markets even better with their global peers.”

UFI is the leading global association of international tradeshow organizers and exhibition center operators. Open to more than 50,000 industry professionals who work for UFI member companies worldwide, the Congress creates an opportunity for exhibition leaders to network, develop strategy, and discuss the challenges facing the exhibition industry. The announcement comes as the U.S. prepares to open international borders to vaccinated travellers on Nov. 8, 2021. 

“We are honored to have been selected as the host city for UFI Global Congress’ inaugural U.S. show, which further demonstrates the destination’s appeal as a global destination for business and leisure travel,” said Brian Yost, chief operating officer for the LVCVA. “We are excited to welcome the Congress’ delegates from around the world and look forward to providing them with an experience that can only be found in Las Vegas.”

Las Vegas pairs meetings and conventions with world-class resorts, entertainment and sports offerings. It has remained the country’s No. 1 trade show destination for 26 consecutive years, according to the Trade Show News Network (TSNN).

“On behalf of MGM Resorts and Aria, we are very excited to be chosen as the host the 2023 UFI Global Congress,” said Stephanie Glanzer, SVP and chief sales officer for MGM Resorts International.

The UFI Global Congress takes place in October or November each year in trade show destinations around the world. In 2019, the event was hosted in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2020, due to pandemic related global travel restrictions, the Congress went digital, with programming from Hong Kong, Dubai, London, and Bogota. The Congress will take place in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman in 2022.

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About UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry – UFI is the global trade association of the world’s tradeshow organizers and exhibition center operators, as well as the major national and international exhibition associations, and selected partners of the exhibition industry. UFI’s main goal is to represent, promote and support the business interests of its members and the exhibition industry. UFI directly represents more than 50,000 exhibition industry employees globally, and also works closely with its 60 national and regional association members. More than 750 member organisations in 83 countries around the world are presently signed up as members. Over 900 international trade fairs proudly bear the UFI approved label, a quality guarantee for visitors and exhibitors alike. UFI members continue to provide the international business community with a unique marketing media aimed at developing outstanding face-to-face business opportunities. For more information, visit www.ufi.org.

About the LVCVA – The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide and with operating the 4.6 million square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). With nearly 150,000 hotel rooms and 14 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space in Las Vegas alone, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting leisure and business visitors to the area. The LVCVA also owns the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop, an underground tunnel designed by The Boring Company and also owns the Las Vegas Monorail, an elevated 3.9-mile system with seven stops throughout the resort corridor. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com, www.visitlasvegas.com or www.vegasmeansbusiness.com.