March 1, 2021

How to ITB Berlin NOW?

It’s new, and it’s certainly different. Welcome to the new world…  

While ITB Berlin has been around for many years, and already last year, the show was forced to “go virtual”, this year’s digital edition of The World’s Leading Tourism Trade Show is anything but the “same old”.

ITB Berlin NOW will take place from Tuesday, 9 to Friday, 12 March for trade visitors only and as an entirely virtual event.

There is a positive mood among the thousands of exhibitors from 120 countries who have registered for this year’s ITB Berlin NOW, the online platform of the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. “Without doubt, the coronavirus crisis has deeply shaken the travel industry. All the same, there is a fighting spirit in the air”, said David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin. “Particularly in these times, ITB Berlin NOW is the world’s most important platform for doing business and exchanging ideas and expert knowledge in tourism.”

Virtual show floor

The interactive marketplace, called Show Floor, is the platform for successful business. With a company’s interactive profile, it has been possible for exhibitors to design their virtual presence perfectly in-line with their resources and brand goals.

Brand Cards

Brand Cards are individual company profiles, corresponding to the exhibition stands at a real-life trade show. It’s possible to arrange audio-video meetings with all platform participants, speakers and exhibitors – whether “one-on-one” or in a group – including screen sharing.

Drop by for a coffee…

At the “cafés” of ITB Berlin NOW, exhibitors and trade visitors can meet in private or public groups to either get together, talk, debate or simply enjoy each other’s company. Entertainment is available too, for instance at the Culture Café, organized by the show’s Official Culture Destination, Saxony,  where visitors can experience an exciting programme with interviews, videos, music and presentations. 

The 13 themed cafés at ITB Berlin NOW are devoted to various topics, including Adventure Travel, Career, Hospitality, LGBT, Medical and Responsible Tourism, Luxury Travel, Travel Tech & Start-ups, Tours & Activities and Youth Travel, and provide an opportunity to meet with like-minded people and potential business partners.

Exhibitor Presentations

Numerous exhibitors have signed-up for a sponsorship and prominent representation on the virtual platform.

Pressing the tourism world’s reboot button – the ITB Berlin LIVE Convention

The most important convention of the global travel industry as a live conference. All participants receive access to keynotes, exhibitor presentations and deep dive sessions with more than 200 top international speakers. Afterwards, it’s a case of “knowledge on demand”: simply go online to view recorded videos after the event, up until 31 May 2021.

Taking as its slogan “Rethink, Regenerate, Restart – Tourism for a Better Normal”, this year’s ITB Berlin NOW Convention is urging both a rethink of the status quo and development of new ideas. Over the four-day event, two parallel video streams broadcasting a full programme of events and featuring the experiences of more than 30 CEOs from around the world, reports from visionary pioneers and studies by recognised experts will underline the convention’s role as the international travel industry’s largest think tank.

The programme of events is available at itb.com/now/program.

Key sponsors

The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) is co-host, Mascontour is the sponsor of the ITB Future Track, Google and Lufthansa are sponsors of the ITB Marketing & Distribution Track, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is the ITB Sustainability Track partner, SIO AG is the sponsor of the eTravel DATA TALKS and Studiosus is the session sponsor.

Home of Luxury

Tourism Ireland is supporting the HOME OF LUXURY, which this year is being organised as a café and Brand Card. Trade visitors, the media and exhibitors are developing new concepts for the future of luxury tourism at ITB Berlin NOW.

 

Media@ITB

This year, numerous press conferences are taking place again for the media. The Italian tourist board (ENIT) and the German National Tourism Board (DZT), the official culture destination Saxony and the UNWTO will be reporting on the latest trends and developments.

And in “300 seconds with…”, ITB Berlin NOW’s Travel Hero Podcast has been interviewing leading industry figures and bringing listeners the latest topics.

Travel tech takes on growing importance… of course

The surge in digitalisation triggered by the coronavirus pandemic is noticeable in the Travel Technology segment and is also a topic at ITB Berlin NOW. Many tech companies have made good use of this difficult period to further develop their products. 

ITB Berlin NOW offers the ideal platform to present them to the world. The eTravelWorld for instance will be looking at everything to do with interfaces, AI and new payment methods. At Startup NOW, company founders and entrepreneurs will be answering three questions and providing an insight into their success stories. A Daily Happy Hour presented by Verband Internet Reisevertrieb e.V. (VIR) will take place at the Travel Tech & Startup Café every day at 5 pm. Innovations and trends will also be discussed at the Travel Tech Café and Hospitality Café, presented by the media partner techtalk.travel.

CSR

ITB Berlin is also aware that to recover from the current crisis ecological and social responsibility will be an essential task. In a series of keynotes, interviews, panels and award sessions, responsible and sustainable tourism will be in the spotlight of many agenda items of this year’s virtual ITB Berlin NOW Convention.

Feeling your way

Exhibitors and trade visitors can already organise their virtual visit and get to know all the platform’s functions. ITB Berlin NOW is offering Tutorials for exhibitors and trade visitors so that users can make the most of the various tools.

Saxony: the official culture destination of ITB Berlin NOW 2021

This year, Saxony is promoting itself as an outstanding destination for culture and city tourism as well as offering unique nature experiences. With its participation in the virtual platform, the German region is offering a foretaste of events next year, when it will be the official host country of ITB Berlin 2022.

Meanwhile, Georgia, which borders Europe and Asia, is this year’s Digital Adventure and Sustainability Partner.


ITB Berlin NOW with Katie…

Why be dry and boring, when you can be… Katie?

The ITB Berlin NOW with Katie series is the very amusing way to learn things about different aspects of this year’s particularly original show. And as the show is highly innovative, it stands to reason that the way it’s presented should be too. Aussie-born Katie gets to answer quiz questions in her own inimitable way before being “pointed in the right direction”. So, if you want to add a smile to your day, and find out more about ITB Berlin NOW at the same time, follow Katie’s exploits on the official website, as well as on YouTube.