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International Summer University for Trade Fair Management
an event of
the Institute of Trade Fair Management, University of Cologne and UFI
5th ISU - 26-28 June 2013
"From Innovative Ideas to Successful Products"
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From 13th to 15th June 2012, 35 trade fair managers from 14 countries (including Japan, Thailand and the USA) attended the International Summer University for Trade Fair Management in Cologne, where they discussed the challenges and opportunities facing sales and marketing departments in the trade fair sector.
In line with the event’s slogan, “Excellence in Sales – Selling Excellence”, the participants were treated to an in-depth programme of presentations, discussions, workshops and case studies, while still having plenty of time for networking. The participants were thrilled with the event’s concept. “ISU is a perfect mixture between exchanging experiences, high-level-discussions, networking with trade fair managers from all over the world and intense lectures and workshops,” said Exhibition Director Edith Rápolthy from Hungexpo C.Co. Ltd. in Budapest. Markku Kosonen, Sales Team Manager from the Finnish Fair Corporation in Helsinki, added, “ISU is a unique platform for exchanging strategic and operational knowledge as well as experiences with international trade fair managers. We look at developments in the trade fair industry from different points of view and can learn from each other.”
The participants and speakers held lively discussions on a number of topics, focusing especially on the challenges and future prospects that the new media are bringing to the trade fair industry.
However, the participants all agreed that the social media cannot replace trade fairs as communication platforms, although they have great potential for use as a supplementary tool.
This year’s ISU was held at the Koelnmesse exhibition centre, where it was organized by Cologne University’s Institute of Trade Fair Management and the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI). “The participants’ positive feedback shows that our choice of topic and our new concept were both right on target,” resumes Professor Dr. Werner Delfmann.