Guide to ITB For Industry and Travel Influencers

Welcome to ITB Berlin!

ITB is the biggest and also one of the most important travel trade fairs in the world. And no, it’s not just for the German market, it’s international!

First-timers will find it simply massive and overwhelming! Others who have been before will find it huge and stressful, especially if you are not organized. Travel Dudes loves attending this event as it is great for networking.

For us, ITB travel is a Must-Go! 7 – 9 March 2023!

The world is represented in 26 halls and many halls provide 3 to 4 levels! There are even 3, 4 different bus lines, bringing people from hall to hall on different routes!

It’s easy to get lost. I’ve used the ITB travel app to find my way along successfully. But you should try to be more organized, especially if you want to meet people. Before making any appointments, take a look on the map and see in which hall which country is located. Keep in mind that it can take up to 30 minutes to reach your next appointment!

So leave time between appointments and do not make too many per day. Or be smart about how you set up the next appointment and try to have the next appointment close to the hall of your first one.

Tip: Take a shortcut through the park to get to your next meeting. The park lies in the center of the exhibition and by using it, you don’t have to push through crowds. It’s also easier to find your way along, as each hall got huge signs on their walls.

ITB travel is not just a must for the industry, but should is also necessary for professional travel bloggers!

It’s the eleventh year of ITB Berlin now, that it is open for this new and uprising industry. In the past ITB provided many very interesting presentations, workshops and discussions. If there are any this year, you will find most of them in the eTravel World (hall 6.1).

There will be two stages, the eTravel Stage (hall 6.1) and eTravel Lab (hall 7.1c). Workshops can be found in the eTravel Lab and the eTravel Stage will have innovative sessions and discussions.

Guide to ITB: Things to watch out for

The Travel Dudes & BudgetTraveller – ITB Travel Tweet-up 2023:

When: Wednesday 8th
Time: 19:00 – 23:55
Location: The Social Hub Berlin Mitte, Alexanderstraße 40, 10179 Berlin
Ticket: .eventbrite.de/e/the-travel-dudes-budgettraveller-itb-travel-tweet-up-2023-tickets

Thanks to our Premier Partner, Costa del Sol

You know where to find me #CostadelSol

Coming to Málaga and Costa del Sol means finding beautiful landscapes, fabulous beaches, delicious food, interesting customs and traditions. It means discovering a rich cultural heritage, amazing coastal areas, and charming white hinterland villages. It is unveiling marvellous secrets that will make your stay unforgettable.

Supporting the event is still possible! Contact us for more info!

MATTA at ITB with iambassador

iambassador and MATTA, along with partners Penang Global Tourism, Tourism Perak, Sabah Tourism Board and Tourism Selangor, invite travel media to visit the MATTA pavilion and meet with Malaysian state tourism boards, travel agents and tour operators. At the Malaysia Travel Media Get Together, MATTA and its partners will briefly introduce themselves. This will be followed by an informal networking event where drinks and snacks will be served.

When: Tuesday 7th
Time: 16:00 – 18:00
Location: MATTA pavilion (Hall 26, 103-104)
Ticket: eventbrite.com/e/matta-travel-media-get-together-itb-berlin-2023-tickets-553469912407

ITB Blogger Base – hub27

The ITB Blogger Base at the new hub27 is THE place for all accredited travel bloggers and influencers to meet, network, blog, vlog or simply recharge their batteries.

Andalusia is hosting a get-together on March 7th at 4 pm at the ITB Blogger Base. You’ll be able to try some delicious Andalusian specialties, like sherry wine from Jerez and Iberian ham. The event will be a great opportunity to learn more about Andalusian culture and cuisine.

When: Tuesday 7th
Time: 16:00 – 18:00
Location: ITB Blogger Base

Travel Massive – ITB Party

When: Tuesday 7th
Time: 20:00 – 02:00
Location: Selina Berlin Mitte, Alte Schönhauser Straße 2, 10119 Berlin
Ticket: eventbrite.com/e/travel-massive-berlin-itb-party-2023-tickets-526496805117

Here you will find the complete overview of exhibitors: itb.com/en/itb-berlin-for-visitors/exhibitor-list/

Tip: Arrive on Monday to meet up with friends and colleagues & on Wednesday our Travel Dudes Tweet-Up, but also to be at ITB from the first day! The first three days it’s not open to the public and you can move from hall to hall much faster. But that’s also when the right people are still at the exhibition.

In the past years many left on Friday before ITB Berlin opened its doors to the public. Then it got mad and you didn’t even need try to have any successful meetings. At the stands, you mainly found hostesses and if you should have organized a meeting upfront, your opponent will be exhausted and tired of the days before… just like you. And you do want to meet them to do business, right?

BUT, this year the trade fair ends on Thursday evening! A good option would be to stay for 1-3 extra days and explore Berlin.

Then there are as well again the ITB convention program.

Come to ITB Berlin to stay ahead of the curve on the latest industry trends!

With keynotes, panel discussions, and expert interviews on cutting-edge topics like travel technology, marketing & distribution, future travel, MICE, sustainability and social responsibility, hospitality, business travel, future work and more – you won’t want to miss out.

Plus, awards will be given for excellence in various fields. Join us at the world’s leading travel industry convention to gain valuable insights and practical advice from some of the brightest minds in the business!

Where to stay: There are many great districts to discover a bit more of Berlin, while you visit the ITB. But expect heavy traffic when going or leaving ITB. There are a few hotels providing an ITB travel shuttle service! Find them here. But there are as well many apartments to rent, hostels, boutique hotels and B&B’s.

For you:

Travel blogging and social media is new to you and your business, but you are interested in working with top travel influencers? Or you already got experience, realize the potential and would like to heave your campaigns and strategies to the next level? Or you are a travel blogger, but are now at a point to take the next steps, looking for a strong partner?

Then contact us and let’s meet, Travel Dudes 

Also read: Understanding Professional Travel Blogging: Explained with a Case Study

THE ITB SPEED NETWORKING GUIDE:

When: 8th March at 9.00 – 10:30 pm
Where: City Cube
Who: Exhibitors of ITB Berlin + buyers
Info: itb.com/en/trade-show-brands/events/itb-speed-networking/

How to Speed Date at ITB

1. Before signing up to participate, know what exhibitors want to achieve from the ITB Speed Dating. Exhibitors want to meet people that might want to communicate content about a destination or their business as well as support for their social media activities.
    
2. Once you receive the Log-In for the matching tool fill out your profile fully. Speed dating is a two-way decision. You need sponsors who are interested in working with what you want to do and provide. Exhibitors want to meet their marketing and promotion needs. The more information you provide about your blog and yourself, the better for both sides.
    
3. Spend some time researching which exhibitors you want to meet with and what your aims and expectations are, before scheduling appointments. The exhibitor profiles in the matching tool will include information about the company, as well as aims of the company at the Speed Dating. You should also take a look at the exhibitor’s website in order to make a decision of whether they are the type of company you want to work with.
    
4. Plan your appointments carefully and cancel meetings in time, in case you can not keep the appointment.
    
5. Register yourself as a buyer at the Virtual Market Place to schedule additional meetings beforehand or to plan follow-up meetings with the industry more easily. itb.com/en/itb-berlin-for-visitors/exhibitor-directory/
    
6. Formulate questions and your interests for the meetings beforehand to use your 8minutes-slots in the most effective way.

ITB Travel Guide: How to Speed Date for exhibitors

1. Before signing up to participate, know what your opponent want to achieve from speed dating. Bloggers want to meet people that they might partner with on future projects. Project types may include: the exchange of travel for content on their blog about the location or company; finding companies that want to purchase photography, video or written content; being hired to assist the company’s social media efforts and types of projects of that nature.
    
2. Once you receive the Log-In for the matching tool, fill out your profile fully. Speed dating is a two-way decision. You need bloggers that meet your marketing and promotion needs, but bloggers are also looking for potential industry sponsors connected to what they want to do and provide. The more information you provide about your business and expectations, the better for both sides.
    
3. Spend some time researching which bloggers you want to meet with and target groups you want to reach, before scheduling appointments. Their profiles on the matching tool will include information about where their readers come from and what types of things they write about. You should also take a look at their websites and possibly also their Facebook Fan pages or Twitter feeds, in order to make a determination of whether they are the type of person you want to work with. 
    
4. Please include a second contact person of your company in your planning. This person could support you during the ITB Blogger Speed Dating or can act in your place if necessary.
    
5. Plan your appointments carefully and cancel meetings in time, in case you can not keep the appointment.
    
6. Register yourself at the Virtual Market Place to schedule additional meetings beforehand or to plan follow-up meetings with the bloggers more easily. Please see itb.com/en/itb-berlin-for-visitors/exhibitor-directory/
    
7. Formulate questions and your interests for the meetings beforehand to use your 8minutes-slots in the most effective way.
    
8. If you have any questions or want more information about any particular blogger, it is perfectly acceptable to contact them directly.