Anbu Varathan, Director General & CEO, Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers' Association (IMTMA) and Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) formally assumed office as the President of UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, for 2020 - 21. It's a historic occasion for the Indian exhibition industry as Anbu is the first Indian ever to occupy the top post of UFI in its 95 years of existence.
During his tenure, Anbu would focus on UFI initiatives to revive the exhibition industry and extend all possible support to industry leaders besides urging stakeholders to be resilient to face future contingencies, adopt technology that would enhance the value of face-to-face exhibitions in future and enhance a stronger connection with communities in the exhibition space.
"I'm extremely happy to assume the Presidency of UFI and feel privileged to be the first Indian to get elected to this role in more than 9 decades of UFI's history. I wish to thank the UFI board for giving this opportunity to work with the global exhibition industry. It is a daunting task but also an opportunity for me to enable the Indian exhibition industry to be vibrant and stronger and get its due recognition at the global level. I also look back with pride IMTMA's journey in transforming IMTEX into a great international show, an ecosystem in itself and enabling BIEC as the best green venue and an industry infrastructure," said V. Anbu, on his first day as UFI President.
Anbu is taking over the reins of UFI at a time when the global exhibitions industry is passing through an unprecedented time and is recovering well from the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. On a brighter note, Anbu's elevation as UFI President provides significant opportunities for third world countries to uplift their exhibition industries and narrow the gaps with industries in developed nations. As governments create a well-structured exhibition industry ecosystem, trade and economy in these countries will flourish.
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