UFI’s Board of Directors has elected Michael Duck as future president of UFI for the 2022-23 period.
The UFI Presidential Trio (pictured right) for the 2021-22 term will, therefore, be:
• Michael Duck (EVP – Commercial Development, Informa Markets, and EVP – Commercial Development, Group at Informa Group), incoming president 2022-23
• Monica Lee-Müller (managing director of Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (HML), Hong Kong), president 2021-22
• Anbu Varathan (Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association – IMTMA, India), outgoing president 2020-21
This decision will become effective at the conclusion of the 88th UFI Global Congress, which runs from Nov. 3-6, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Duck is currently EVP commercial development for both Informa Markets and Informa Group. Informa Markets is the world’s largest exhibition organizer, and he has been active in UFI for 25 years, serving in various functions within the association. More than 20 years ago, he was the founding chairperson of UFI’s Asia-Pacific chapter, and, following that, was the founding chairperson of the Sustainability committee. He has also spent many years as the association’s treasurer, a mandate he will now pass on.
Anbu Varathan (pictured left), UFI’s current president, says, “I am pleased to welcome Michael to the UFI leadership team, alongside Monica Lee-Müller. Michael has supported the association’s mission for many years, driving developments especially in the Asia-Pacific region. I look forward to working with him, as he takes on the role of incoming president. I wish him every success in performing all the important duties that are required of this position. I know he will be a wonderful leader for all aspects of our industry.”
Duck says, “I am delighted and honored to have been chosen by the UFI Board of Directors as incoming president for 2022-23. There hasn’t been a more challenging time for our industry, as we work together to revitalize and restart post-COVID-19. UFI has worked tirelessly to support the trade fair industry across the globe, and to support our members—both large and small. Informa Markets has given me their full support to take on this important role.”
As UFI’s incoming president, Duck will work closely with the president and outgoing president as part of the Presidential Trio, managing UFI at the highest level, and helping UFI to continue its global mission to connect, support and promote the exhibition industry around the world.
UFI’s recent presidents have been from the USA (Mary Larkin 2019-20), South Africa (Craig Newman 2018-19), Italy (Corrado Peraboni 2017-18), Germany (Andreas Gruchow 2016-17), Russia (Sergey Alexeev 2015-16), Colombia (Andrés López-Valderrama 2014-15) and France (Renaud Hamaide, 2013-14).
UFI is the global association for the exhibition industry—tradeshow organizers and exhibition center operators, as well as the major national and international exhibition associations, and selected partners of the exhibition industry. Founded in 1925 as a non-profit, non-partisan, international association, UFI’s main goal is to represent, promote and support the business interests of its members and the exhibition industry. UFI directly represents more than 50,000 exhibition industry employees globally, and also works closely with its 60 national and regional association members. More than 800 member organizations in almost 90 countries around the world are presently signed up as members. Around 1,000 international trade fairs proudly bear the UFI approved label, a quality guarantee for visitors and exhibitors alike. UFI members continue to provide the international business community with a unique marketing media aimed at developing outstanding face-to-face business opportunities. UFI operates from four regional offices, in addition to its headquarters in Paris. For more info, visit www.ufi.org or call +33 (0)1 46 39 75 00.
