UFI report shows drive towards improved event formats

Welcome to the Week in Events. Your top story is that more than a third of eventprofs believe shows need format improvements, according to a new UFI study.

The latest Global Exhibition Barometer highlights how the exhibition industry is witnessing increased activity and profits, rising AI adoption and a strong desire for enhanced formats.

A total of 37% of event organizations indicate that improvements to existing formats overall are necessary.

Your other main industry stories include:

• Messe Stuttgart expands its international portfolio with R+T South-East Asia
• New Meeting Formats survey launched
• IMEX Frankfurt reveals positive results from sustainability initiatives

Read on for your full Week in Event news.

UFI report indicates a need for enhanced event formats

More than a third of industry professional have highlighted a need for improved formats across events, according to new UFI research.

Findings from the latest Global Exhibition Barometer show some positive trends as well as a strong desire for change in certain areas.

The bi-annual report from the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry reveals 37% believe events need format improvements overall, while a further 58% think it depends on the type of show.

Chris Skeith OBE, CEO at UFI, said: “This edition of the Global Exhibition Barometer confirms what we are seeing across the industry: strong, steady growth and a sector that continues to adapt at pace.

“At the same time, the call for more engaging and interactive event formats highlights the industry’s ongoing focus on enhancing value for participants.”

The report is based on data gathered across 57 countries from 378 organizations. 

Almost a third of these companies indicated 10% annual growth for 2025.

A total of 87% of respondents claimed to have adopted AI – a steady increase since the previous report.

Messe Stuttgart expands its international portfolio with R+T South-East Asia

Messe Stuttgart is strengthening its global presence by launching a new subsidiary under the R+T brand.

The R+T Alliance delivers leading world trade fairs for roller shutters, doors, gates and sun shading systems globally.

This new development brings it to South-East Asia, with this latest edition taking place in October at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre.

Sebastian Esswein, vice president of Messe Stuttgart, said: “With R+T South-East Asia, we are continuing to pursue our policy of strategic expansion.

“As a gateway to the ASEAN region, Thailand provides the perfect opportunity to meet the requirements of these key growth markets.”

R+T South-East Asia will focus on three core areas – sun protection systems, interior and exterior design and doors and gates.

The show will run parallel to DOMOTEX South East Asia and FutureBuild Asia.

These three will form a platform for construction, design and building technologies in the region.

New Meeting Formats survey launched

A new survey has been launched to gather important insights on new meeting formats.

Event professionals will be able to highlight which setups they want to drive engagement and revenue.

These insights will indicate how attendees, exhibitors and sponsors interact to drive high-value results in the future.

This latest survey follows recent ExpoPlatform research suggesting eventprofs want more ways to build new connections.

Contribute your insights – join the meeting format survey here.

IMEX Frankfurt reveals positive results from sustainability initiatives

More than two thirds of food served at the last IMEX Frankfurt was vegan, according to a new findings.

The group has released its latest Event Sustainability Report to provide details on initiatives put in place for the show and how successful they have been.

A key highlight of the show is that 67% of food served from IMEX-operated food outlets was vegan – a 23% increase from 2024 and above isla’s industry average of 56%.

Carina Bauer, CEO at IMEX, said: “Gaining this level of visibility has been invaluable, but the data also raises new questions and highlights where we need to dig deeper—measuring exhibitor impact; collecting data across our entire supply chain and championing sustainable travel methods, among other areas.”

The report has been compiled by sustainability consultants isla and aims to deliver actionable insights to industry professionals.

That was your full Week in Events, thanks for reading. Bring emerging tech solutions to your event by booking a free demo with ExpoPlatform today.