ITB Berlin

Exclusive preview at ITB Berlin – an interactive exhibition and a stimulating programme of events at the Marshall-Haus will provide an insight into the first Berlin Travel Festival in March 2018 – admission is free for trade visitors

One year before its official launch in March 2018, the Berlin Travel Festival invites trade visitors and media to a preview at ITB Berlin, the world's largest travel show. This innovative format, part concept store for end-consumers and part niche trade fair for the industry, will be a new platform to connect, be inspired, explore and learn. The exclusive preview will take place from 8 to 11 March 2017 at the fairground's Marshall-Haus, The highlight of the interactive exhibition will be a stage programme under the motto 'People, Places and Memories'. A bar and lounge area invite further one-on-one conversations.

"Messe Berlin is a partner and sponsor of the Berlin Travel Festival, a complementary event to Messe Berlin. It is an extension of the Travel & Logistics concept, to which ITB Berlin, ITB Asia and ITB China also belong", said Dr. Martin Buck, senior vice president of Travel & Logistics at Messe Berlin GmbH, adding: "Innovation is at the heart of ITB Berlin. That is why Messe Berlin is always in search of trendsetters and trends that push boundaries and stimulate progress. With its unconventional format and targeted approach, Berlin Travel Festival will also act as a kind of incubator, where valuable learnings can be adopted and adapted for ITB Berlin."

The first Berlin Travel Festival will debut from 9 to 11 March 2018 in the Arena, a large industrial complex and event venue in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Like a cabinet of curiosities, there will be much to discover. The Experience Floor groups destinations by type, such as urban, beach, mountain and jungle.. Every section will present a range of gadgets, accommodation types, trends and hotspots. The festival, which primarily targets consumers, will also provide a stage for musicians, influencers, authors and entrepreneurs. The focus is on direct dialogue and authentic experiences. Thus, the Community Area invites visitors to relax, read, sample food and try things out. In line with the 'offline is the new online trend', the festival gives the digital world a forum to come to life..

The Berlin Travel Festival brings together consumers and travel industry trendsetters. The target audiences: a new generation of globetrotting travellers interested in new forms of networking, as well as travel retailers who are ready to innovate. The exhibitors are visionary and creative minds from the travel industry such as specialised travel agencies, hotels, guest houses, as well as inventors of cool travel gadgets and smart services.

The preview event at the film theatre in the Marshall-Haus is open to all ITB Berlin visitors during the trade-only days: 8 to 10 March 2017. Stage presentations will take place twice daily, at 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. For more information please visit www.berlintravelfestival.com.

About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention

ITB Berlin 2024 will take place from Tuesday, 5 to Thursday, 7 March. Since 1966, ITB Berlin has been the World's Leading Travel Trade Show. As in previous years, the internationally acclaimed ITB Berlin Convention will take place parallel with the show as a live event on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Under the heading "Pioneer the Transition in Travel & Tourism. Together.", leading speakers from business, science and politics will discuss the industry's current and future challenges on 4 stages with a total of 17 themed tracks and more than 24,000 attendees. Additional information is available at www.itb.com and from the ITB Newsroom and social media.

Emanuel Höger
Press Spokesman and Press and Public Relations Director, Corporate Communication - Messe Berlin Group
+49 30 3038-2270
Messe Berlin GmbH