Chris Skeith has served in the exhibition industry for over 30 years, and is Managing Director & CEO of UFI – the Global Association for the Exhibition Industry, which represents over 900 organisations in over 90 countries who build, maintain, and support the world’s market places: trade show organisers, venue owners and operators, service providers, and national as well as international associations of our industry.

Chris has built a career in the not for profit sector, starting his exhibition career in media auditing at the Audit Bureau of Circulations, where he later led on the development of their auditing products for the event sector.

In 2006 Chris started work in the associations sector in the UK, merging two event associations in the service supplier sector to form ESSA (Event Supplier & Services Association), and in 2010, he also became Director of ESSA’s sister association, AEV (Association of Event Venues). In 2014, he took the role of CEO of their sister association AEO (Association of Event Organisers), which represents UK based organisers who operate across the world.

During this time, AEO created groups and events which connected the community which grew to over 100 members via special interest groups, and class leading events. He also held several voluntary positions to help raise the profile of the sector to Government and regulators, including Chair of the UK Government’s Events Industry Board for the Department of Culture Media and Sport, member of the Department for Business and Trades Professional Business Services Committee, and Chair of UKEVENTS a partnership of all leading associations in the UK event industry. He has previously served as an UFI Board Member and chair of their associations committee.

In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021, he was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen, for services to the Events Industry.