Recognizing Emerging Leaders Driving Innovation:
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has unveiled the five recipients of the prestigious 2025 Next Generation Leadership (NGL) Grant. The winners were selected through a competitive process, with an international jury led by UFI President Hugh Jones. This marks the ninth edition of the NGL Grant programme.
About the Next Generation Leadership Grant:
The NGL Grant aims to recognize and support rising professionals in the exhibition industry with less than ten years of experience. Candidates are evaluated based on their commitment to innovation and their potential for contributing to positive change within the industry. The grant is sponsored by Clarion Events, dmg events, Informa Markets, and RX and provides mentorship and guidance from global industry leaders.
Meet the 2025 NGL Grant Winners:
The five exceptional individuals awarded the 2025 UFI Next Generation Leadership Grant are:
- Anida D’Costa – Senior Conference Producer, Informa Markets (UAE)
- Diana Maria Salman – Senior Sales Manager, FEXPOCRUZ (Bolivia)
- Ilaria Basile – Event Operations Manager, Clarion Events (UK)
- Sarah Jung – Sales Manager, Messe München (Germany)
- Taher Hakami – Riyadh Business Events Manager, SCEGA (Saudi Arabia)
Focus for 2025: Rethinking Event Formats
The 2025 cohort will focus on exploring innovative ways to rethink exhibition formats to meet the evolving needs and expectations of audiences, organisers, and exhibitors. Their aim is to challenge traditional models and propose new, dynamic approaches to event design and execution.
Program Timeline and Key Milestones:
The 2025 cohort’s program will commence with an in-person workshop scheduled to take place in June during UFI European Events Week in Thessaloniki, Greece. Following this initial meeting, the grantees will collaborate virtually over a period of seven months. The culmination of their work will be the presentation of their final project at the 92nd UFI Global Congress, which will be held in Hong Kong SAR in November.
The NGL Grant Jury:
The distinguished international jury responsible for selecting the 2025 NGL Grant recipients was chaired by Hugh Jones (CEO of RX and UFI President) and comprised the following esteemed industry leaders:
- Celia Hidalgo Calvo, IFEMA Madrid
- Hala Dean, Clarion Events
- Sean Ongers, Informa Markets
- Beatrice Vedovato, Italian Exhibition Group
- Fanny Chavaux, GL Events
- Premila Braganza, dmg events
- Chris Skeith OBE, UFI