On November 12, 2016, the last day of 83. UFI (the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) Congress in Shanghai, Andreas Gruchow, (Deutsche Messe AG, Niemcy). assumed the position of President of UFI, played in 2016 by Sergey Alexeev (ExpoForum-International Ltd., Russian Federation). The UFI Board of Directors elected Mr. Gruchow as the President of UFI for 2017 during its meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, in June 2015. UFI President 2017 Andreas Gruchow will work closely with the Outgoing President and the Incoming President, as part of the UFI Presidential Trio, managing the association at the highest level and making important decisions for the benefit of all the members of UFI. The UFI Presidential Trio for the new term comprises: Andreas Gruchow, (Deutsche Messe AG), UFI President 2017, Corrado Peraboni (Fiera Milano, Italy), Incoming President, Sergey Alexeev (ExpoForum-International Ltd., Russian Federation), Outgoing President. Dr. Andreas Gruchow has been a member of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe AG, Hannover, since 1 April 2008. He started his working career in 1994 as Head of Deutsche Messe’s “EXPO 2000” department. After EXPO 2000, he became a member of the Deutsche Messe AG management team and appointed Senior Vice President, International Trade Fairs, in which capacity he was in charge of DOMOTEX, LIGNA, BIOTECHNICA and several other Hannover-based capital-goods trade fairs. From 2002 until 2016, Gruchow was also Managing Director of Deutsche Messe’s subsidiary “Fachausstellungen Heckmann”, which organizes consumer-goods trade fairs in Hannover and at other locations in Germany as well. Dr. Gruchow was appointed to the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe in April of 2008 with a focus on all overseas activities of the company. Gruchow also holds external board memberships and honorary posts (Member of the Board, Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC); Vice President Treasurer, EMECA (European Major Exhibition Centres Association); Member of Board of Directors and Executive Committee and President, UFI (Global Association of the Exhibition Industry). The UFI Board of Directors elected Mr. Perraboni as the President of UFI for 2018 during its meeting in Basel, Switzerland, in June 2016. Corrado Peraboni has been Chief Executive Officer of Fiera Milano Spa since April 2015. With a degree in Law from the University of Milan in 1989, he boasts extensive experience in the trade fair sector. He is currently Secretary of the Executive Committee and Vice-President of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, that represents more than 690 members from the trade fair sector in 85 countries worldwide. From 2001 to 2014 he served as Deputy Chairman of the European Chapter of UFI, and as Chairman from 2004 – 2008. From 2000 to 2015, he was the Managing Director of Fondazione Fiera Milano. He was on the General Board and Executive Committee of Ente Autonomo Fiera Internazionale di Milano (1996-1999). In the Fiera Milano group he covered the role of President and CEO of Edizioni Fiera Milano Spa, owned by Fiera Milano and Elemond (1997-2000). He was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rassegne Spa, a company operating in the trade fair organisation sector (1998-2000). He was on the Board of Directors of Villa Erba Spa (2001-2014). He held the office of Sole Managing Director of Quartiere Fiera Srl (2003-2012). He served on the Board of Directors of Fiera Milano International Spa, owned by Fieramilano and Reed Exhibitions (2003-2007). He was CEO of Expo CTS (2007-2009). “I am honoured by this appointment,” said Corrado Peraboni. „UFI is a true global brand of quality in the trade fair sector and I will do everything I can to strengthen it even further. The exhibition sector is seeing continual, rapid change. The current transition deserves great attention because our future depends on it, and I think this future holds at least one constant: physical fairs will continue to be an irreplaceable channel for promotion and internationalisation, especially for SMEs, because they guarantee maximum advantages in terms of cost benefits. Together with my colleagues and the UFI team, we will do our best to launch this message to the business community and public institutions”. Source: UFI www.ufi.org