The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (MCCNO) Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is progressing. Immersive interventions are under consideration, including the addition of a third level with flexible, multi-purpose space that has a view of the Mississippi River. The CIP has already delivered a 7.5-acre pedestrian park, the renovation of all thirty-five sets of the facility's restrooms, installation of New Orleans neighbourhood-themed charging stations, the upgrade to all new energy efficient LED exhibit hall lighting, internal infrastructure improvements such as an informational technology overhaul, and physical plant renovations including four new chillers, two new cooling towers, 6 boilers, and a new systems monitoring station. The Convention Center is projected to begin the $40 million roof replacement project in Q3 2022. "It is encouraging to see our vision coming to life", said Exhibition Hall Authority president, Jerry Reyes. "These improvements and enhanced amenities will be beneficial for visitors and residents alike and make New Orleans more competitive in the national event and meeting marketplace." (kf)
mccno.com/new-orleans-ernest-n-morial-convention-center-557-million-capital-improvement-plan-progresses

The UFI LATAM Conference will take place from May 11 to 12, 2022 in Buenos Aires and is open to all industry professionals! This year offers a wonderful programme with more than ten academic sessions packed with valuable content. Experts from the region and beyond will come together to deliver world-class content. The conference will start with an industry overview with discussions on trends, challenges and success stories, followed by trending subjects such as data, sustainability, climate change, and crisis management, among others that have become increasingly important. All sessions will be in Spanish with translations into English. The early bird discount applies for registrations until April 11. (ufi) 

Register here: https://www.ufilatam.org/registration-fee

MEX Exhibitions and India Exposition Mart are jointly launching Leather Asia Expo and Shoe Technology Expo. The new platform aims to bring together the entire leather and footwear technology industry from November 10 to 12, 2022. MEX Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd. has a history of conducting B2B exhibitions for niche industry verticals. Mr. Gaurav Juneja, director, MEX Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd said, "I am delighted to announce the Leather Asia Expo & Shoe Technology Expo launch. Through this expo, we will provide a platform to both big and small players to come forth and showcase their products and technology for the benefit of the industry and to boost further exports. We are happy to be collaborating with IEML for this venture." The event is scheduled to take place at India Expo Centre and Mart (IEML), Greater Noida, Delhi – NCR. Mr. Sudeep Sarcar, CEO of India Expo Centre, added: "The venue will be proud to host Leather Asia Expo and Shoe Technology Expo 2022. This is a B2B Expo, and business visitors are expected to visit the show." (kf) 
www.pr.com/press-release

The UFI Asia-Pacific Week has taken place the last week of March. UFI ambassadors in ten different markets organised activities, including:

• In Australia, a panel discussion named ‘The Bumpy Road to Recovery’ was organised by the Exhibition & Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) and the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney). Click here
• In Japan, an enjoyable networking and socialising gathering of industry friends and colleagues was organised by the Japan Exhibition Association (JEXA) in Tokyo. Click here
• In Macau, an exciting afternoon of bungee jumping was organised by the Macau Fair & Trade Association (MFTA) on 1 April followed by a networking event. Click here
• In Malaysia, a charity food donation drive was organised by Noor Ahmad Bin Hamid and his team the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB). Click here
• In Myanmar, April is the start of a new year. A joyful morning gathering took place on 1 April, organised by Myanmar Exhibition and Conference Association (MECA), allowing local industry participants to meet, networking and enjoy some traditional food. Click here
• In Pakistan, a networking event was hosted by UFI Ambassador, Mr. Saleem Khan Tanoli who is CEO of FAKT Exhibitions. The gathering brought together many key players from the Pakistani exhibition industry in Lahore. Click here
• In the Philippines, the Philippine MICE Academy organised multiple events including a nature walk, a fun race at a motorcycle exhibition and a gathering at a key exhibition venue in Manila! Click here
• In Singapore, there was a waterfront walk around the iconic Marina Bay organised by SACEOS to help celebrate the reopening of the country and removal of most restrictions. Click here
• In South Korea, UFI Ambassador Steven Kim helpfully organised a meeting of UFI members at COEX’s new studio159 to discuss and celebrate the future of Korea’s exhibition industry. Click here
• In Thailand, the industry came out to enthusiastically support UFI Week in Asia-Pacific. There was a golf day, a meeting of the Thai Exhibition Association's (TEA’s) leadership, and a one-day seminar focused on the role of technology at events. Thanks to both UFI Diamond sponsor, TCEB and TEA for their strong support. Click here and here

Mark Cochrane, UFI’s Asia-Pacific Regional Director, remarked “In Asia, the pandemic is finally receding, so UFI wanted to bring our members together for a bit of fun and networking. The result was more than a dozen member-led gatherings across the region from Tokyo to Sydney to Singapore. This week, UFI members organised networking cocktails, one-day conferences, golf outings, waterfront walks, food donation drives and more. UFI Asia-Pacific Week was a great success – and all because of the energy and creativeness of our members.”
Kai Hattendorf, UFI’s CEO & Managing Director added, “Keeping communities engaged and connected through the pandemic has been a challenge, for sure. But as the activities around UFI Asia-Pacific week show, we are coming out of this difficult time – eager to re-connect as colleagues, and now with our customers as shows across the region reopen!” (ufi)
www.ufi.org/UFIs-Asia-Pacific-Week-reunited-the-industry_5April2022.pdf

The 28th edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will take place at Fira de Barcelona from April 26 to 28. Coming from Brussels, it will be held for the first time at Fira de Barcelona, bringing together more than 1,500 exhibiting companies from 76 countries. Organised by Diversified Communications, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will host 59 national and regional pavilions, occupying more than 39,500 m2 of net exhibition space at the Gran Via venue. It will showcase the latest innovations in seafood products, such as fresh, frozen and canned products, as well as processing and packaging materials and equipment, supplies and quality control, as well as hygiene and sanitary services. Constantí Serrallonga, general manager of Fira de Barcelona, emphasised: "we are very excited to host the first edition of the largest seafood industry show in Barcelona. The addition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global to Fira's portfolio places our institution at the epicentre of the food industry's trade show calendar, joining other major events such as Alimentaria&Hostelco, Barcelona Wine Week and the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona". 
Liz Plizga, vice president of Diversified Communications Group, said: "After 27 years in Brussels, we hope that our first fair in this fantastic city will be a success. We chose Barcelona because of its size and experience in hosting international trade events, the variety of hotel options and its eminent position within the maritime industry." In addition to the exhibition area, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will include an extensive conference program to analyse the industry's main challenges and showcase its latest innovations with the participation of more than 60 international experts. (kf) 
www.firabarcelona.com/en/press-release/uncategorized

All four upcoming MamaMagic Expos in 2022 across South Africa will feature Baby City, powered by Dis-Chem, as the official retail and headline sponsor. Dis-Chem Baby City's sponsorship of the MamaMagic Baby Expo, organised by Exposure Marketing, has been refreshed to include an even wider range of products and services, including a Baby Clinic within their pop-up store at the expo. The Dis-Chem Baby City store will comprise a wide range of exhibitors from clothing, travel systems and baby monitors to breast pumps. The Baby Clinic will be an added benefit to visitors at the expo. "Dis-Chem strives to offer its consumer a service that meets their needs; a full in-store experience. With Baby City now part of our group offering, we will do the same both in-store and at the expos. The partnership with the MamaMagic Baby Expo is a crucial platform for engaging with our consumers and giving them a refreshed experience of our pop-up store nationally," said Ronald Govender, head of FMCG at Dis-Chem. Since 2005, MamaMagic has been a trusted facilitator and guide for moms and dads in their parenting journey. The next editions of the show are scheduled to take place from April 7 to 10 at Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from July 29 to 31 at Durban Expo Centre, Durban, from October 28 to 30 at Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town, and from December 1 to 4, 2022 at Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg. (kf) 
www.exposuremarketing.co.za/dis-chem-baby-city-announced-as-headline-sponsor-at-mamamagic-baby-expo-2022

Let’s demonstrate our passion, purpose, and power, and make sure everyone knows what our industry has to offer! 

Get creative and celebrate whichever aspects of the industry speak to you and your organisation:

• Join a local GED2022 initiative or be inspired to set up your own
• Follow #GED2022 on social media via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WeChat and LinkedIn
• Share photos of you and your colleagues with the GED logo – available here
• Share stories from an exhibition, a product launch, a notable person who attended your show, a quote from an exhibitor, or your ROI statistics
• Create your own “voices of the exhibition industry” design and share your thoughts on the future of the industry - click here
• Ask your government officials for endorsement and recognition of the exhibition industry 
• Need more inspiration? Have a look at the GED 2021 report
• Come up with your own idea and celebrate your day how you want!

More information here.

The UFI Novel Coronavirus page is updated weekly. Please click here to view most recent updates on the reopening/closing of markets across the globe. Please contact us on reopen@ufi.org, should you wish to report the safe reopening or any changes to the market in your region. (ufi)
www.ufi.org/coronavirus

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and Urbanice Malaysia have signed the first public-private sector Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) memorandum of understanding (MOU), which will contribute towards the SDGs of the nation and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) efforts to create a sustainable city. As part of the MOU, Urbanice Malaysia will provide strategic counsel and advice to help KLCC to further align its corporate responsibilities to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, enhance and execute its SDG roadmap, develop an SDG business events guideline and expand SDG reporting. Norliza Binti Hashim, chief executive, Urbanice Malaysia, shared, "This collaboration demonstrates a high level of commitment from the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre to align its activities towards achieving their sustainable development goals and targets. The effort sets a great example and we hope it will drive more businesses and corporations in Malaysia towards adopting Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks to help accelerate the localisation and implementation of the country's SDGs in line with the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, Malaysia SDG Cities and Kuala Lumpur's vision as a 'City for All'." Alan Pryor, general manager, the centre, added, "This marks an important step for the centre and Malaysia's business events industry in contributing to and supporting the country's adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development." KLCC has retained its EarthCheck Silver certification for the third consecutive year. The venue also recently designed and installed a zero-energy rainwater harvesting system, with 80% less cost. KLCC has also partnered with Food Aid Foundation and has fed thousands of people in need during the Movement Control Order (MCO) and recent flash floods in the Klang Valley. (kf) 
www.klccconventioncentre.com/urbanice-malaysia-collaborate-to-drive-malaysias-sustainability

The fifth edition of the UFI Exhibition Management School (EMS), in partnership with MBB Consulting, will take place in June 2022. The courses are run by industry experts and offer cutting-edge interactive content. It comprises ten sessions including Presentations, Group Work and Networking, and can be attended all from the comfort of your own home or office. The upcoming session will cover cross-sales strategies, cross-channel exhibition marketing, digital innovation, and more. (ufi) 

More information here: www.ufi-ems.com