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Mr. GERARD, Vincent
Managing Director, UFI
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Welcome Message:
Colleagues of the trade fair and exhibition industry,
It is with pleasure, and also with conviction and determination,
t that UFI supports CEFCO and the first international event
that it is organizing soon in Beijing. As the global association
of the exhibition industry, UFI will participate, represented
by our top management.
There are a multitude of reasons for this:
The Chinese trade fair and exhibition industry presents
an enormous potential, directly linked to the potential
of its fast grow economy, especially after China entered
into the WTO.
The synergy between all organizing parties, whether Chinese
or international, are a serious guarantee of competence.
The decision to focus all together once a year, at this
major Chinese event, guarantees us an international networking
opportunity superior to all other events and the exchange
of experience in such a context will be top level and will
include, apart from its commercial aspects, the most recent
information on the politics and legislation of our host
country.
UFI encourages you to participate at this event and looks
forward to meeting with you in Beijing from 11 to 13 January
2005.
Mr. GERARD, Vincent
Managing Director, UFI
Vice--Chairman of the CEFCO 2005 Organizing Committee
Curriculum vitae
Vincent GERARD, 54, Belgian, married, four children, is an Architect, with a course in international business.
Mr. GERARD started his career with the United Nations (UNESCO) during 4 years in Rwanda, Africa.
He then worked for six years for Belgian general contractors in Africa and the Middle East.
He joined the fascinating exhibition world in 1986, organizing for 15 years the International Agricultural Fair Agrlbex, in Brussels: 70.000m net and more than 200.000 visitors.
At the same time he also chaired FEBELUX, the trade fair and exhibition association of Belgium and Luxembourg (UFI member) during 6 years, and was Vice Chairman of EURASCO, the European association of the agricultural fairs, for 2 years.
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, recruited Vincent GERARD in 2001, to manage the association and to develop a new strategic plan for the global association.
UFI gathers and represents now the entire exhibition industry: Organizers, Exhibition Centres, Associations, and Partners of the Industry.
Today UFI counts members in 74 countries, organizing more than 4000 exhibitions, and running 120 Exhibition Centres all over the world. UFI is also gathering 40 national and international associations of the Exhibition Industry.
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Mr. GERARD, Vincent
