SHANGHAI Mayor Yang Xiong met Sergey Alexeev, president of UFI (the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry), who led a delegation to attend the Global Exhibition CEOs Shanghai Summit on Monday.

　　Yang thanked Alexeev and senior executives of foreign exhibition companies for their acting as advisors for Shanghai’s exhibition and convention industry.

　　The mayor said the convention and exhibition industry is crucial to Shanghai and has expanded at a rate of 10 percent in recent years. He attributed the fast growth to the support and cooperation from the UFI and renowned international companies.

　　Yang said the city still has untapped potentials. It will increase investment in convention and exhibition infrastructure and increase cooperation with the UFI and foreign companies to improve the city’s software and services for conventions and exhibitions.

　　Alexeev and other members of his delegation spoke highly of Shanghai’s plan to develop into an international convention and exhibition center. They said Shanghai has splendid infrastructure and related policies and has successfully hosted many international conventions and exhibitions.

　　They promised to bring more projects to Shanghai to help the city realize its goal.

　　UFI was founded in 1925 in Paris. It is the world’s most influential association in the exhibition and convention industry with 676 member organizations in 82 countries and regions.