Exhibition Place GM Laura Purdy to Chair New North American Chapter of UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry

November 7, 2023

Exhibition Place GM Laura Purdy to Chair New North American Chapter of UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry

Exhibition Place’s Laura Purdy has been appointed as the inaugural Chair of the newly established North American chapter of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) together with vice chairs Kim Carcone from the Toy Association (U.S.A) and Pepe Navarro from Tarsus/Informa (Mexico). This announcement was made during the 90th UFI Global Congress in Las Vegas, the largest annual gathering in the exhibition industry.  

UFI will work with MAD Event Management, a trade show management company led by President Martha Donato and CEO Marty Glynn, to manage the activities for the new North America chapter.  

“I am proud to serve on the newly established UFI North America Chapter and to be representing Canada alongside my esteemed peers from the USA and Mexico. Together, we will harness the collective expertise and resources of the industry in our regions to help shape the future of the exhibition industry, fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth. I am honoured to embark on this endeavor and contribute to the success of the exhibition industry on a global scale,” said Purdy. 

“As a long standing UFI member, Exhibition Place and Laura Purdy have been involved in many UFI activities over the years, especially with a focus around sustainability. We are thrilled to welcome her to our global volunteer leadership as Chair of the North America chapter and look forward to working together closely”, says Kai Hattendorf, UFI CEO. 

As Chapter Chair, Purdy will represent the region on both the UFI Board of Directors and the Executive Committee for the term from 2023 to 2026. 

CONTACT: Alexandra Serrano, Exhibition Place, Manager, Marketing and Communications, aserrano@explace.on.ca.  

 

About Laura Purdy 

Laura Purdy is an accomplished leader in Canada’s exhibition and event management industry. With over 35 years of experience, she has been a part of the leadership team at Exhibition Place throughout some of its most high-profile events including the Pan American Games, the Papal World Youth Days and the G20 Summit. Today, Laura brings her wealth of expertise to her role as Exhibition Place’s General Manager where she provides strategic leadership to venue event operations in all aspects of Event Management, Sales, Production, Security and Transportation.   

Laura is strong believer in giving back and making a positive impact on the exhibitions, meetings, and conventions industry. She sits on the board of various industry Associations including the Canadian Association of Exposition Management (CAEM), Convention Centres of Canada and Meetings Mean Business Canada. She is also a passionate advocate for sustainability, DEI, and women’s empowerment, having co-founded the Women in Exhibitions North America Chapter.  

 

About Exhibition Place 

Established in 1879 and located on the shores of Lake Ontario, Toronto, the award-winning Exhibition Place is Canada’s largest entertainment venue, hosting 1,260 events and attracting over 5.5 million visitors a year. The 192-acre site is an integral component of Toronto and Ontario’s economy, particularly with respect to conventions, sports, festivals, recreation, culture, and tourism. Exhibition Place boasts the award-winning, LEED Platinum Enercare Centre; Canada’s largest exhibition and convention centre, and the Beanfield Centre LEED Silver conference venue. Since 2004, Exhibition Place has undertaken an environmental stewardship initiative, entitled GREENSmart; which includes the promotion of sustainable development, environmental initiatives and leading-edge green technologies and practices across the site.  

 

About UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry 

UFI is the global trade association of the world’s tradeshow organisers and exhibition centre operators, as well as the major national and international exhibition associations, and selected partners of the exhibition industry. UFI’s main goal is to represent, promote and support the business interests of its members and the exhibition industry. UFI directly represents more than 50,000 exhibition industry employees globally, and also works closely with its 60 national and regional association members. More than 820 member organisations in 85+ countries around the world are presently signed up as members. Over 900 international trade fairs proudly bear the UFIapproved label, a quality guarantee for visitors and exhibitors alike. 

UFI members continue to provide the international business community with a unique marketing media aimed at developing outstanding face-to-face business opportunities.