Meeting in Malmo, Sweden for its Open Seminar, UFI, a global association of tradeshow organizers and exhibition center operators, selected an incoming president.
During the 81st UFI Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil in November 2014, Andrés Lopez-Valderrama, president of Corferias International Exhibition, will assume his mandate as UFI president for a one-year term.
“It is a great pleasure for me to be the first Latin American member of a UFI presidential trio. I am also honored to be the youngest person chosen to occupy this position,” said Lopez-Valderrama. “This new role will reinforce my commitment to the global exhibition industry.”
At the 80th UFI Congress in Seoul in November 2013, Lopez-Valderrama will become part of the presidential trio, which allows a rapid and geographically varied rotation at the head of UFI. Current UFI president and chairman of the Organizing Committee of China Association, Chen Xianjin and Renaud Hamaide, CEO of Comexposium and Viparis, are also part of the presidential trio.
“This new UFI trio will represent a strong international vision for UFI as it ensures a comprehensive view of the exhibition industry from three very different regions: Asia, Europe and Latin America,” said Xianjin.
As an active member of UFI, Lopez-Valderrama was president of the Associations Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He is the president of two organizations: AFIDA, the International Association of Fairs in Latin America and the Bogota Convention Bureau.
From 2001-2006, Lopez-Valderrama held the position of executive vice president of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce and was a professor at many universities. Thereafter, he was elected president of Corferias International Exhibition Center based in Bogotá, Colombia. He helped transform Corferias into a major exhibition center and exhibition organizer in the Andean, Caribbean and Central American regions.
Lopez-Valderrama holds a law degree from the Universidad del Rosario in Bogota where he graduated with honors. He also completed studies at the Universidad de los Andres where he obtained an MBA in business management with a specialization in financial law.
