UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibitions Industry, has launched a new UFI-accredited qualification: the UFI Certified Professional (UCP).
The launch of the UCP designation is the next step in UFI’s evolution of its educational offers. In 2017, UFI and the Venue Management Association (VMA) began offering the UFI-VMA Venue Management School in Asia. And in 2020, the association launched the UFI-Exhibition Management School, where the first classes have already taken place for Asia, the Middle East and Africa region.
Both programmes will form the core of the UFI Certified Professional designation, which is available to industry professionals who complete 10 credits’ worth of training across various topics. Participants need to complete either the UFI-VMA Venue Management School or the UFI-Exhibition Management School programmes.
Participants can achieve the remaining credits from specialisation modules. These can be picked from educational offers provided both by UFI and its UCP partners, where the modules vary in topic, allowing the programme to be flexible according to participants’ individual interests and professional goals.
In time for the UCP launch, an initial group of three educational partners have been selected for the programme: MBB-Consulting Group (UK), Virtual Events Institute (US) and Rego (UK).
The UCP is a self-paced programme, meaning there is no time limit or minimum duration. It is fully customisable, allowing participants to choose the timelines, topics and locations that suit them best. Additional benefits beyond the classroom include networking, specialisation and career development.
Kai Hattendorf, UFI CEO and managing director, said in a statement: “Our members have been requesting an UFI endorsement of our education, so they can signal to employers and peers that they have obtained outstanding industry training. Therefore, we are very pleased to introduce the UCP designation, a new, flexible approach in our industry serving different educational needs around the world.”
