New president for UFI in November 2024

Hugh Jones, CEO of RX, will be part of the UFI Presidential Trio.

Hugh Jones: an exciting time for the exhibitions industry with UFI having a front row seat to it all.
Hugh Jones: an exciting time for the exhibitions industry with UFI having a front row seat to it all. Photo Credit: UFI

The UFI Board of Directors has elected Hugh Jones, CEO of RX, as UFI’s president for the 2024-25 period.

The UFI Presidential Trio for the November 2023 – November 2024 term will be:

· Geoff Dickinson (CEO, dmg events), president

· Hugh Jones (CEO, RX), incoming president

· Michael Duck (EVP – commercial development, Informa Markets), outgoing president

This decision will come into effect at the conclusion of the 90th UFI Global Congress, taking place this 1-4 November 2023, in Las Vegas. Hugh Jones will become UFI president at the 91st UFI Global Congress in Cologne, Germany, in November 2024.

Michael Duck, UFI’s current president, said: “Hugh Jones brings with him a wonderful perspective on our business on a global scale. He has excellent feel as to market sentiment and I am 100% sure he will bring many new ideas especially in digital in the years to come. RX is one of the world’s most important exhibition companies. Having Hugh in the UFI presidential trio and as president of UFI as from November 2024 will bring added experience to UFI’s work and guidance.”

Hugh Jones joined RELX, RX’s mother company, in 2011, following the purchase of Accuity where he was CEO. In addition to leading Accuity, he has also led Fircosoft, NRS, I.C.I.S, Estates Gazette (EG) and Cirium; and before joining RX he was global managing director within the Risk and Business Analytics Division. Hugh’s experience has seen him lead large-scale acquisitions and subsequent integrations of many companies that now reside and prosper within the RELX portfolio. Hugh joined RX as CEO at the start of 2020.

Jones said: “I am delighted and honoured to be joining the UFI Presidential Trio team this November. It’s a really exciting time for the exhibitions industry, with so much innovation in all corners of the world and UFI has a front row seat to it all. I can’t wait to get started and to support the team as we make the magic happen.”

UFI is a global association for the exhibition industry, directly representing more than 50,000 exhibition industry professionals in almost 90 countries around the world.