UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has named CES®, organised by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, as the winner of the 2026 UFI Marketing Award.
The UFI Marketing Award recognises marketing professionals and teams whose targeted strategies build a sustainable model for engaging younger generations.
This year’s UFI Marketing Award topic was “Excellence in AI-Driven Marketing: Enhancing exhibition value and innovation through AI in marketing”. The topic aimed to celebrate the strategic use of AI to strengthen business outcomes and reinforce the long-term relevance of face-to-face events.
Michael Brown, VP, Marketing, Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, comments: “CES has always been where technology shapes what’s next, and our marketing should reflect that same spirit of innovation.
We’re honored that UFI recognized our work and proud to have shown how AI can enhance creativity, improve efficiency and ultimately help more people discover the value of CES. This award is a testament to an extraordinary team that’s never afraid to try new ideas.”
Prof. Dr. Christian Glasmacher, Chair of the UFI Marketing Working Group, adds: “CES impressed the jury with its comprehensive and practical approach to AI-driven marketing, using AI across audience engagement, campaign optimisation and the onsite experience – from personalised audience journeys to onsite navigation and logistics.
With strong, measurable results, the CES entry demonstrates the tangible value AI can bring to event marketing and provides an inspiring example for the exhibition industry.”
The jury also congratulates this year’s Finalists: Dubai Airshow by Informa andSparkative AI by EventX.
Each year, the UFI Awards celebrate excellence in digital innovation, marketing, sustainable development, operations & services, people & culture, and industry partners. Selected projects from the UFI Awards are shared through UFI’s Best Practices Library, supporting knowledge sharing and helping exhibition professionals worldwide learn from the industry’s leading initiatives. Discover more at www.ufi.org/awards.
The 2026 UFI Award winners will be recognised at the 93rd UFI Global Congress, taking place from 2–5 November 2026 in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Further details on the recognition programme will be shared in due course. To learn more about the UFI Global Congress, please visit www.uficongress.org.
