Bigger ITB Asia closes with diverse events

SINGAPORE – The third ITB Asia closed today in Singapore with 6,605 attendees, a 7.4 percent increase on last year.

SINGAPORE – The third ITB Asia closed today in Singapore with 6,605 attendees, a 7.4 percent increase on last year. Organizers, Messe Berlin (Singapore), attributed growth to three forces: the diversity of specialist travel forums within ITB Asia, resurgent Asian outbound demand, and enhanced buyer quality.

“The feedback on Association Day, Web in Travel, the Luxury Meetings Forum, and the Responsible Tourism Forum at ITB Asia shows that ITB Asia has created unstoppable momentum through diversity,” said Dr. Martin Buck, director of Messe Berlin (Singapore).

Some 580 buyers attended the three-day event, many of them joining the inaugural Association Day interactive forum, which aimed to expand the quality and quantity of large association events in Asia.

“ITB Asia and Association Day provided excellent networking to make new contacts and to clarify issues – all in a very friendly atmosphere,” said Mr. Manojit Das Gupta, secretary general, the Indian Tea Association.

Ms. Sharyati Datuk Shuaib, director destination management, World Gas Conference 2012, said, “Association Day was an eye opener on how associations manage their membership and run events – a fascinating exhibition with many networking opportunities.”

Association Day, a first of its kind in Asia, attracted over 100 attendees. “We created a new platform based on the exchange of high-quality information that never existed before,” said Buck.

Innovative formatting characterized Web in Travel (WIT), which attracted nearly 400 attendees. Two WIT Clinics were created to let travel industry “doctors” consult with IT Asia attendees on how to make money from their website and how they should better use social media.

Successful formats geared to the exchange of rich content characterized specialist sectors such as luxury meetings. The ITB Asia Luxury Meetings Forum attracted leaders from brands such as Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, the Event Company, and Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

Egypt was the official partner country of ITB Asia 2010. It held a travel agent workshop just prior to ITB Asia and organized an exotic Egypt Night extravaganza on the opening day of the show.

“Our activities in and around ITB Asia were excellent,” said Mr. Hisham Zaazou, first assistant minister in the Ministry of Tourism in Egypt. “We want to build on the success of this year with increased space next year. I will report to the industry in Egypt to ensure even greater participation in 2011.”

Other exhibitors had similar sentiments: Peter Blumengstel, director of the German National Tourist Office – Japan, said, “Our schedule has been very busy from day one, and there’s hardly time in between meetings with buyers from all over Asia.”

Momentum and specialist forums have induced a high number of early bookings for ITB Asia 2011. “We have received a higher than usual number of super-early bird bookings for ITB Asia next year,” said Mr. Nino Gruettke, executive director, ITB Asia. “With exciting new branding for ITB Asia 2011 about to be announced, we are looking forward to building on the momentum, quality, and specialist success of this year in 2011,” he said.

ABOUT ITB ASIA 2010

ITB Asia took place at the Suntec Singapore Exhibition & Convention Centre, October 20-22, 2010. It was organized by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd. and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. Egypt was the official partner country of ITB Asia 2010. The event featured hundreds of exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel. ITB Asia 2010 included exhibition pavilions and tabletop presence for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) providing travel services. Exhibitors from every sector of the industry, including destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts, theme parks and attractions, inbound tour operators, inbound DMCs, cruise lines, spas, venues, other meeting facilities, and travel technology companies attended.

www.itb-asia.com

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Linda Hohnholz

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