PARIS The Asia Pacific exhibition industry’s economic recovery will occur in the second half of 2010, compared to 2011 for its European and Middle Eastern/African counterparts. This is according to respondents of UFI’s latest Global Barometer survey into the impact of the economic downturn.

UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, surveyed members across 82 countries in the fourth paper of its kind. 

Asia Pacific is noted as faring better than most other regions. For example, only 29% of Asia Pacific respondents felt a decrease of more than 10% in their 2008 operating profit, compared to 54% in the Americas.

UFI managing director Vincent Gérard said: “Ours is a resilient industry. We’ve taken this economic challenge as an opportunity to ‘clean house’ and implement new strategies and programmes for the future.”