The 2022 UFI LATAM Conference reconnected the exhibition industry community from across Latin America over the span of two full days in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Organised by Ana Maria Arango, UFI Regional Director for Latin America, this year’s event offered participants a blend of keynote sessions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities.
The event was hosted by AOCA at Centro de Convenciones de Buenos Aires (CEC), and was part of the larger Buenos Aires’ MICE Week. The conference started with President of AOCA, Fernando Gorbarán, who invited visitors and exhibitors to discuss the local post pandemic status of the industry.
“We were delighted to welcome the UFI community to Buenos Aires, to meet in person once again after such a long time apart. For us it was an extra special occasion as we were also organizing Meet Up, an event that really unites the MICE industry in Argentina and really proved the recovery of the industry in our country. We hope that our guests enjoyed our hospitality and got the change to visit our city while sharing best practices and making new business connections at the conference. We are ready and waiting to welcome you back to Buenos Aires soon!” commented Fernando Gorbarán following the event.
Other speakers included Leonardo Asín, General Manager of Buenos Aires' Convention Center (CEC), where the conference took place, who presented the various strategies implemented to make it an ecologically sustainable and inclusive place. The talent session was one of the most notorious, delivered by industry professionals Andrés Escandón (ICCA), Javier Contreras (GL Events, Chile) and Rico Azeredo (Sao Paulo Wine Expo). UFI CEO Kai Hattendorf discussed advocacy and the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative, and offered the latest insights from UFI’s industry research.
In addition, major venue leaders from Mexico and Colombia discussed organisational strategies in economic recovery. Other notable topics included data, hybrid events, crisis management and leadership.
Ana-Maria Arango says: “I am very pleased to witness the amazing recovery of the Latin American exhibition industry in the testimonies of the delegates attending our event. Industry leaders showed their excitement about meeting face to face, creating new connections and sharing best practices. Delegates were visibly happy and are already looking forward for the next edition. Thanks to all those that came to Buenos Aires and a special thanks to our amazing host AOCA for making us feel at home.”
The UFI LATAM Conference has become one of the exhibition industry’s most important gatherings for learning and networking in the region. This year marked the second time UFI has organised a physical event in the region, following on from the UFI LATAM Conference 2018 in Mexico City, where 125 industry professionals gathered. The 2020 iteration of the conference, originally planned for Buenos Aires, was postponed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, while the 2021 event was held in a digital format.
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