Kai Hattendorf leads UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, as the association’s CEO / Managing Director. In this role, he is responsible for UFI activities and events globally, as well as the operation of its Paris headquarters and the offices and presences around the world.
Serving the wider events industry, Kai sits on the Board of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), the umbrella organisation for of international and global associations serving the Business Events sector. He led JMIC as President from 2019 – 2021.

Prior to his current role, Kai worked in the exhibition industry for numerous years in senior management positions at Messe Frankfurt’s global headquarters, focusing on transformational issues ranging from digitisation to marketing and communications.

Kai’s work in the events industry has been recognized through various awards and recognitions around the world. Most recently he was named “Business Events Strategist of the Year” by PCMA.
His previous career also includes leadership positions in marketing/strategic communications as well as in strategy and product development in the ITC and Media Industry for the Deutsche Telekom Group, the dpa Group (the German Press Agency), and a fintech start-up.

A journalist by education, Kai has internationally reported for broadcasters in Germany, France, the UK, and the US, including the BBC and the Voice of America. Kai holds a Master’s degree from the American University, Washington, DC. He also studied in Dortmund and Edinburgh.

WHERE YOU CAN SEE Kai…

Synopsis

Our industry knows we must act on climate change. We have responded by developing the biggest, most inclusive collaboration ever seen in our industry – the Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) Pledge. The initiative is the events industry’s global campaign to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 – at the latest. Hosted by Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) and supported by the United Nations, NZCE is supported globally by over 600 businesses from across our sector. Join this session to hear from UFI’s CEO, Kai Hattendorf, who will provide an overview of the key elements of the pledge, highlighting the role of the events industry in addressing climate change collectively. Kai will then be joined by a panel of local practitioners who will share their journey as signatories to the pledge, providing tangible tips. The panel will answer questions and address challenges to help audience members along their own emissions reduction journey.

Key Takeaways

“1. An understanding of the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge and what it means to become a signatory
2. How the Net Zero Carbon Events pledge relates to the Asia Pacific
3. The benefits and challenges associated with committing to net zero emissions
4. How to start your net zero emissions journey”

Target Audience

Venues, organisers, service providers, associations, suppliers and destinations