UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and the Virtual Events Institute (VEI) have announced a strategic partnership.
The partnership will see VEI appointed as an official UFI Education Partner to provide education and training on digital and hybrid events to help upskill UFI members.
The VEI online training and certification program comprises 11 on-demand modules, providing a step-by-step guide for all event disciplines, across sales, marketing, content, and operations. Since launching in June 2020, more than 1,000 event professionals have registered for the VEI Certification Programme.
This partnership follows global strategic agreements with Informa, Soundings, EVCOM and the Event Marketing Association.
Speaking about the partnership, Kai Hattendorf, chief executive officer of UFI, said: “Building skills and developing talent are crucial to the successful global development of the exhibition industry. Within this context, continuous training and high-quality education are of utmost importance, and providing timely and targeted education for mid- to senior-level exhibition professionals is an integral part of UFI’s mission.
"This partnership will help UFI to deliver on this purpose and ensure our sector has the skills and knowledge to grow their businesses and deliver the very best virtual and hybrid events for their clients.”
Sophie Ahmed, chief executive officer of VEI, said: “VEI was founded on the strong belief that the future of events is year-round communities connected through a blend of digital and physical experiences. And education and talent will be key to achieving event excellence now and in the future.
"We are delighted to be working with UFI on this important educational initiative for the global events industry."