U.A.E.'s Al Midfa elected First Vice-Chairman of UFI's Middle East/African Chapter

Sharjah (WAM): Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of U.A.E.'s Expo Centre Sharjah, has been elected as the First Vice-Chairman for the Middle East/African Chapter of Paris-based Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, UFI. UFI is the association of the world's leading tradeshow organisers, fairground owners and major national and international exhibition associations, and selected partners of the exhibition industry. Mr. Midfa will have a three-year mandate, which will commence from the UFI Congress in Bogota (29 October- 1 November, 2014). "After serving the UFI regional chapter as one of the chairmen, the election as the First Vice-Chairman is both a recognition of the good work done during the past three years as well as an added responsibility and commitment to serve the interests of its members and the entire exhibition industry," said Mr. Midfa. The UFI Middle East/African Chapter currently has 61 members and its list of approved shows runs into several hundreds of B2B and B2C exhibitions. Globally, UFI represents 641 member organisations in 83 countries and more than 907 trade fairs and exhibitions organised by its members carry the UFI-approved tag. "I also see this selection as a sign of confidence the UFI and its members have placed on me to work for the continued success of our members and their initiatives. The fact that the UFI Middle East/Africa regional office is at Expo Centre Sharjah also helps in improving coordination among the regional members," said Mr. Midfa. "We need to add more value to our events, improve our facilities and enhance our offerings... given the enormous challenges and opportunities that are set to come our way on the back of mega events like the World Expo 2020, FIFA World Cup 2022 and growing economies" he added. Mr. Midfa is a seasoned finance and marketing professional, an effective thinker with practical hands-on approach to solving problems. He has been instrumental in expanding the business horizon and profitability of Expo Centre Sharjah, which became a member of UFI in 2009. The main objectives of the UFI regional chapters are to discuss specific problems and ideas concerning their region, to encourage cooperation between members within their region, and to promote UFI in their region and encourage additional membership. – Emirates News Agency, WAM