ITB (Internationale Tourismus Börse) is the world’s leading travel trade show. This year ITB Berlin celebrated its 50th anniversary. After 5 decades, the show remains the pivotal industry event.
It opens its arms widely to the world every year in the beginning of March, for 3 professional days and 2 public days. Over the past half-century ITB Berlin has had a decisive impact on tourism. This year around 10,000 exhibitors from 187 countries and territories were exhibiting the latest products and trends of the global tourism industry on over 1,070 stands. Over two-thirds of the exhibitors were from abroad. The organizers counted around 115,000 trade visitors who gained overview of the industry’s wide range of products spread across 160,000 square meters.
The second week of March – a fixed date for me for many years, at first as a student and then later representing one company or another. After all those years working in tourism and being responsible for Marketing and Business Development for a large international tour operator, the trade shows became my ‚home’. London, Milano, Madrid, Paris…
Often when friends asked me where I was going to be on day x, I didn’t know what to say. Often I didn’t know where my travels would take me next and often I was not able to plan, but those days of the tourism trade shows were always sacred and untouchable.
I love the trade shows. The familiar chaos, the sounds and smells, the meetings, parties and events in the evening. All those networking venues where you make the best connections for your business over a glass of wine or a salsa dance (for a long while I was representing a tour operator specialized in trips to Cuba). Everyone is in a good mood and the atmosphere is cheerful and a little bit flirtatious.
Last year I missed the ITB for the first time in years because I was traveling. Last March I was lying on a sun bed in Bali. This year I attended the ITB for the first time on my own account – as a blogger! Yeah! A new challenge and a new adventure.
I headed off to Berlin with an inflamed airway and a two-hour train-delay. I directed my steps towards the show with a slight feeling of maybe not ‚belonging’ there anymore but as soon as I entered the halls, making my way through the very well-known booths with familiar faces I knew I was ‚at home’. Such an amazing feeling to hear your own name being called from all sides, sharing hugs and air-kisses. The travel industry is very informal. We are all on first name terms, not necessarily wearing suits, having the best ideas over a beer and sealing off business deals over lunch or dinner.
In my former position, in business development, over time many of my clients and potential clients became my friends. Some people changed companies, colleagues left and new ones came on board, but at the end everyone seems to know each other in the tourism business. You wouldn’t believe it but the travel industry is a ‚village’. A large, world-wide village. A big family. A happy one. We don’t earn as much money as people in other industries but we love our jobs! We get to travel and to see the world and we are paid for it! What else would you wish from life?
I loved my previous job. The company is specialised in language school business, a German tour operator owned by two brothers originating from Italy. Sprachcaffe owns over 30 schools world-wide, many offices and help-desks, some hotels and travel agencies. My ‚baby’ was Cuba – an important niche under the umbrella study tours. Since my boss was based in Cuba he became a specialist on this, let’s say ‚special’ and often difficult market. The company offered not only the language school in Havana but also themed roundtrips around Cuba (dancing-, cycling-, trekking-tours etc.). My mission was to bring their Cuba products into the catalogs of all the tour operators around Europe and in Canada. My workplace was not really the office but the trade shows, the terminals, the hotels, the restaurants and sometimes even the bars (I even remember having one meeting at Starbucks). The most important factor of my role was the networking and so over time I became the face of Sprachcaffe Cuba; traveling, going out and spreading the word about the amazing country and the great products we were offering. It was an amazing time, but as they say, ‚you should leave when it is the best’, so eventually I left. My memories, connections and friendships stayed. And guess what? Once per year I can find all the people from that time combined in one place – the ITB.
During the month of March every year the whole city of Berlin turns into a huge ITB playground. Restaurants, bars and lounges are hosting big events and the taxi drivers are happy. After the meetings around 17h the booths turn into a little party with music, cocktails and some nibbles. Sometimes there is a band, a show or a tombola. From there everyone heads off to the diverse venues outside the trade halls, spread around the city. Usually after the ‚obligatory’ events most of the people end the evening (or rather the night) in Marlene bar at the Hotel Intercontinental – THE ITB after-party venue! This place starts to get crowded around midnight and reaches the peak of fun around 2am. Every time I’m amazed how the people (including myself) manage to get up the next morning, go through meetings and still look good, although to be honest towards Friday, we don’t look as fresh as we did on Wednesday – the trade show always goes from Wednesday to Sunday, the weekend being the days open to public.
This years official partner country was the Maldives. With its glistening white beaches, turquoise lagoons and unrivalled diving opportunities this island nation is a natural paradise. A paradise I didn’t visit yet. Time to change that? Maybe as a blogger I will have an opportunity to go (especially since I know the guy who runs the luxurious resort Gili Lankanfushi ;)).
Over many years ITB Berlin has helped the global tourism industry to grow. While ITB was blowing 50 candles, for me it was the 15th show. For the first time (except for the years when I was a student) I was not sitting in meetings, stuck in one particular booth – I was able to walk around the grounds making new connections, having nice chats with people I knew and with people I didn’t know, trying local products and wine, listening to talks and presentations… As a blogger who recently started to write I let myself ‚go with the flow’, and get inspired. My mission for this years show was bringing my business card and my story to people. I realized that even if I’m new in the blogging business its a bonus to come from the travel industry.
One more thing motivated me even more – this years speakers were proclaiming Influencer Marketing and in many talks I heard the magic words ‚authenticity’, ‚storytelling’, ‚real people with true stories’ and my opinion was confirmed that the blogging business is becoming popular (as the new journalism) and also that I don’t have to be afraid to tell you my personal stories… Basically what I like doing the most;) Wish me luck and… READ ME !
