Hosted Buyers Program registration for ITB Asia 2013 opens
SINGAPORE – Messe Berlin (Singapore), organizer of ITB Asia, “The Trade Show for the Asian Travel Market,” has announced that registration for this year’s Hosted Buyers program is open. Buyers who are keen to attend ITB Asia 2013 may submit their application online at www.itb-asia.com .
Recommended buyers registering under the “Group” category can apply for both partial and full hosting from tomorrow. New buyers interested in joining this year’s program can register for partial hosting status under the “Individual” category from tomorrow and full hosting from July 1, 2013.
Buyer registration closes August 1, 2013, with those looking to be partially hosted receiving a 50% early-bird discount if they register before April 30, 2013.
The sixth edition of ITB Asia is set to be even bigger and better as plans are underway to expand the show even further. Organizers are planning to take up 2 floors of exhibition space this year (across level 6 and level 4) when it returns to the newly-refurbished Suntec Singapore Convention Centre from October 23-25, 2013.
“As part of our commitment to enhance the quality of buyers at the show year-on-year, we’ll be investing in a new IT partner to help us improve the match-making algorithms for even higher-quality meetings. Our program has consistently attracted top quality buyers, and we hope to take it to an even higher level as the show enters its sixth year,” said Nino Gruettke, Executive Director of ITB Asia.
Constantly looking at ways to adapt and improve each show, ITB Asia has absorbed feedback provided by exhibitors and buyers in previous years, and put together an even more comprehensive program for 2013.
All potential buyers will undergo a stringent screening process and will be evaluated based on their caliber and experience as well as referrals from exhibitors to ensure only the best will enter the pre-scheduled appointment system.
In an independent post-ITB Asia 2012 survey, over 85% of buyers were satisfied with the quality and quantity of their appointments. Over 95% also indicated they were keen to revisit ITB Asia with over 97% willing to recommend the Buyer Program to professional colleagues or business partners. Almost 74% of buyers surveyed were from the Asia Pacific region.
Conference sessions will also be tailored for corporate and MICE buyers, with all partners from 2012 returning for another year with the addition of CEI, one of Asia-Pacific’s key corporate events publications. There will also be an increased focus on recommended “Group” buyers, who are experts in key markets and segments related to the travel industry.
Last year, ITB Asia recorded almost 8,500 attendees, a 12% increase from 2011, representing 92 countries, making it one of the region’s most international travel trade events. ITB Asia is also a partner event of TravelRave, Asia’s most influential travel trade festival organized by the Singapore Tourism Board.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Messe Berlin, Michael T. Hofer, Spokesman, Director Press & Public Relations for the Messe Berlin group of companies; ITB Asia and ITB Berlin, Astrid Zand, Press Officer Email: Zand@messe-berlin.de, Web: www.messe-berlin.com ; ITB Asia PR Contact for the Asian Region, Soon Lishan/Brenda Yeo, ICON International Communications Emails: lsoon@iconinternational.com.sg , byeo@iconinternational.com.sg , Web: www.iconinternational.com.sg
