UFI has announced the results of the recent elections to the Board of Directors of UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry – for the term of office 2014 – 2017. Andrzej Byrt, PhD., the President of Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry and Poznań International Fair, has been nominated to this Decision-Making Body already for the second time. The newly selected Members of the UFI Board of Directors received mandates for a 3-year term of office which will start right after the UFI General Assembly held in Bogota on October 30, 2014. The Board, which actually governs UFI association between the annual general assemblies, consists of 47 Members. The Body is responsible for defining the directions of the organization’s actions, as well as supervises and manages its operations. It is in charge of approving the annual UFI budget and its achievement, as well as modifying the provisions of UFI Internal Rules. The Board also sets the value of membership fees. Due to the UFI regional division, the distribution of seats is as follows: Europe – 11 seats, Asia – Pacific – 2 seats, the Middle East – 5 seats, North America – 2 seats, South America – 2 seats. Experience acknowledged The exhibition community associated in PCEI is satisfied with the election of Andrzej Byrt, PhD. He is an exceptional personality, with extensive experience as an economist, diplomat, international negotiator, writer and a person for many years actively involved in the development of the exhibition market. His professional career at Poznań International Fair started in 1978. He moved from managerial positions in the PIF Press and Advertising Department, through the Commercial Director and the Deputy Executive Director, to the Executive Director and the President of the Board, which he assumed in June 1982 and held until 1987. He initiated organization of new exhibitions in Poznań and other Polish cities and intensified the participation of the Polish industry organized by PIF in exhibitions abroad. After almost 20 years of work on state posts connected with international economic cooperation (e.g. commercial and trade attaché of the Polish embassy in Brussels, the ambassador of Poland in Germany), in 2006 he again connected his professional career with Poznań International Fair and in 2009 he was again appointed the President of the Board of PIF. In 2011 he was elected the President of the Board of Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry for the term of office 2011-2015. In the same year he was nominated to the UFI Board of Directors for a 3-year term of office for the first time. Congratulations to Andrzej Byrt and we wish him success in his work in the UFI Board of Directors. Source: Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry, October 2014