UFI celebrates 100 years of the trade fair industry

Review, outlook and international activities

18/07/2025

A century of the exhibition industry, globally connected since 1925. In 2025, the World Association of the Exhibition Industry will look back on 100 years of association history. The anniversary will be celebrated worldwide with events, projects and impulses for the future of the exhibition industry.

What is the UFI?

The UFI (Union des Foires Internationales) is the leading global association for the exhibition industry. Founded in 1925, it now has over 900 members from around 90 countries. UFI sets international standards for trade fair quality, promotes the transfer of knowledge and strengthens the importance of trade fairs as sustainable business platforms.

Anniversary with a vision

The anniversary year has a motto that focuses on the triad of past, present and future. Conferences, special formats and social media campaigns with the hashtag #ufi100 are planned around the world. A traveling exhibition and digital retrospectives will show the development of the trade fair industry over the decades.

Competitions and awards: Making best practices visible

International award and competition programs, with which the association recognizes outstanding achievements within the trade fair industry, are a fixed component. The UFI Awards have been established and internationally recognized for over a decade and in the anniversary year 2025, awards will again be presented in various categories of the industry. In the areas of:

Digital Innovation
Human Resources Management (HR Award)
Industry partners, marketing
Operations and services
Sustainable development

Focus on promoting young talent and digital services

With the Next Generation Leadership (NGL) program, UFI specifically supports young professionals in the trade fair industry. The focus is on innovative event formats and strategic development. A new UFI website and additional digital tools are designed to offer members more service, knowledge and networking.

92nd UFI World Congress in Hong Kong as the highlight

The 92nd UFI World Congress in Hong Kong will bring the anniversary year to a festive close. International experts from the trade fair industry will meet there to celebrate what has been achieved and actively shape the future of the industry.

EuroShop 2026: 60 years of expo marketing and trade fair innovation

A bustling trade fair with colorful, illuminated stands and visitors chatting in groups or walking around; Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf / A. Wiese

EuroShop is also celebrating a milestone: from February 22 to 26, 2026, EuroShop – the Global Retail Festival – will be celebrating its 60th anniversary. Since its premiere in 1966, it has developed into an international platform for future-oriented retail solutions and has shown how closely trade fairs and markets are linked. It also demonstrates how the trade fair and event industry is constantly reinventing itself at the intersection of technology, design and communication. In the “Expo & Event Marketing” dimension, EuroShop presents how companies use creative trade fair appearances, live communication and temporary architecture to showcase their brands emotionally. For many exhibitors and service providers in the trade fair industry, this presentation area is a central showcase for their innovative strength.

EuroShop also looks back on several decades: you can find the milestones of EuroShop in our timeline.

Since 1966 – history and highlights of EuroShop

Source: UFI Press release

Portrait of Sandra Katzenberger, member of the EuroShop editorial team, with long, wavy, dark blonde hair and a friendly look; copyright: beta-web GmbH

The portrait was AI-generated.

Author: Sandra Katzenberger | EuroShop.mag

As part of the EuroShop editorial team, Sandra Katzenberger contributes her many years of experience in the retail sector and looks at current developments and future trends in the retail world with a trained eye. Whether it's smart technologies, sustainable store concepts or innovative shopping experiences – her goal: to provide up-to-date, relevant and inspiring content for the global retail community.