ITB Berlin Expands to Asia

ITB Asia will have its first run at Suntec Singapore from the 22nd
till the 24th of October 2008 as was announced by Raimund Hosch, CEO
of Messe Berlin GmbH, the show organizer of ITB Berlin. The B2B trade
show and convention will be designed to become the primary event for
the Asia Pacific travel industry, much like its parent event, the ITB
Berlin itself.

It will be targetted at creating new and cost-effective networking
and business opportunities for the outbound buyers from the Asia -
Pacific, the small & medium enterprises as well as the vast numbers of
suppliers of products and services to the industry at large.

"The show is intended to ride the wave of the generational
transition taking place across the Asia - Pacific, clearly the most
important travel market of this century," said Mr Hosch. Many of the
doing-business structures upon which the industry was founded in the
1960s and 1970s are giving way to new ways.

Harald Wolf, Berlin's Senator for Economics, Technology and
Women's Issues, said: "Thus people all over the world will get to know
the brand which the ITB Berlin represents, and this will increase the
opportunities for Messe Berlin's customers who operate on the
international stage, an aspect which not least will benefit Berlin as
a business venue. Even large-scale trade shows such as the ITB Berlin
cannot cater for the entire world market. By committing itself in this
way Berlin is responding to increasing economic globalisation."

Meeting the needs of the buyers and sellers will remain the
primary focus of attention, especially buyers from the Asian travel
source markets looking for new products to sell across Asia and also
worldwide. This includes not just buyers of leisure products but also
meetings, business travel and conventions.

At the same time, ITB Asia will reach out to the small and medium
size enterprises from the Asian travel industry who could not afford
to participate in global shows and did not find the regional shows
useful to make the right contacts.

"This is of utmost importance for emerging market players - e.g.
small hotels, online travel agents, incoming agencies -- that very
often have the most attractive and innovative products but so far
lacked the opportunity to present themselves to the right buyers for
their products," said Mr Hosch.

Another feature that will differentiate ITB Asia will be the
convention to be organised alongside.

Patterned along the lines of the highly successful event that is
organised alongside the ITB Berlin, the Asian event will be designed
to provide a high level of intellectual value for the new generation
of young Asian travel entrepreneurs. The needs and concerns of this
new generation will be targeted - particularly those from the
incoming, online travel, hospitality and aviation sectors.

Besides ITB Asia will not only act as a "horizontal" market place
for travel products but also as a "vertical" one for suppliers of the
travel industry. Hence, it will feature the full range of travel
products, services and goods from the supply side of the industry
especially in the hospitality and technology sectors.

Said Mr Hosch, "Naturally, we will use the full power of our
global databases to market this show and help participants find useful
contacts. The fact that there will no fixed appointments will leave
all participants free to find their own opportunities, of which there
will be plenty."

The show is being organised upon the initiative of the Singapore
government which approached Messe Berlin, organisers of the ITB
Berlin, as part of a package deal to organise Asian versions of the
entire suite of trade events held at the Messe Berlin.

Mr Hosch said Messe Berlin was happy to accept the initiative but
has made clear that it would like to position it as an "Asian" show
and work with all sectors of the industry region-wide, including
national tourism organisations, associations, airlines, hotel groups,
tour operators, to ensure maximum attendance and the best possible
exposure.

"We will do everything possible to ensure that the costs are kept
to a basic minimum. When the industry finds the show useful, both will
grow together," said Hosch.