DEEPENING engagement with China and supporting growth in emerging markets will be central to the leadership agenda of Wolfram Diener – who is waiting in the wings as UFI’s incoming president.
Diener, who is CEO of Messe Düsseldorf and formerly held business event leadership roles in Asia, was speaking to MIX on the sidelines of the recent 92nd UFI Global Congress in Hong Kong.
He emphasised that nearly 30 per cent of UFI’s members were based in mainland China, and that the UFI – the Global Association of the Exhibitions Industry – recognised that intra-Asian trade now exceeded trade between Asia and the rest of the world.
“That alone shows how vital the exhibition business is across Asia,” Diener said, adding that the association could play a key role in fostering collaboration between Asian nations while supporting professional standards across the region.
As UFI’s president from November 2026, Dienar has joined the association’s Presidential Trio along with outgoing president Hugh Jones, CEO of RX, and newly appointed president Panittha Buri, Vice-Chair of Thailand’s Bhiraj Buri Group, the owners of Bangkok’s BITEC.
BURI TAKES UP 2025-26 PRESIDENCY
UFI’s Global Congress in Hong Kong also marked the association’s leadership handover as Panittha Buri took up the association’s presidency for 2025–26. In her acceptance speech, Buri called for a future where exhibitions are more than transactional meeting points, emphasising sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation.Buri’s priorities include advancing green practices, leveraging technology for smarter events, and fostering collaboration across global markets. She said that while technology enabled progress, “it is the human connection that gives exhibitions their true value.”
Hugh Jones, CEO of RX and outgoing UFI president, was praised for steering the association through a period of recovery and digital transformation. During his term, UFI strengthened its voice globally, advanced sustainability initiatives, and championed next-generation talent. “Exhibitions are more than events; they are engines of innovation, hubs for human connection, and vital to communities and economies worldwide,” Jones wrote in his farewell message
Looking ahead, Diener said: “We need to engage our Chinese members more effectively than in recent years,” adding that geopolitical tensions had created distance. “As a global association, we must embrace all our members.”
When asked to compare the business events landscape in China – where he worked in Shanghai and UBM Asia (now Informa Markets Asia) – Diener said operations at venues had advanced considerably, but added: “Hardware alone isn’t enough; knowledge and expertise are essential to meet international standards, and we’re seeing real progress.”
Diener’s roles in Asia between 2007 and 2018 included senior roles at Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre, Marina Bay Sands Singapore, and Sands China.
More… Event silver lining in tariff-war clouds
One of the most drastic developments since he left Asia to work in Germany has been the imposition of trade tariffs by the US government. Diener said the effect has been felt at trade shows in Europe.
“We’re seeing fewer buyers at trade shows in Europe because many products have become unaffordable,” he said. While manufacturers often pass tariff costs on to buyers, some were unable to absorb the increases. Diener said he doubted lobbying by the industry would sway Washington, but felt the US policy might backfire: “Low-income consumers in the US are paying the price, and that could prompt a rethink.”
Main image: Incoming UFI President Wolfram Diener… Picture courtesy of Messe Düsseldorf; photographer, Andreas Wiese
