How to Prepare for ITB Berlin

The world’s leading travel trade show ITB Berlin is just one week away and this year it is expected to be the biggest show yet.

On March 4-8 travel professionals will have an opportunity to learn from industry experts and make key connections but with over 10,000 exhibitors this year showcasing to travel media and professionals the week-long event can get a little overwhelming. If you’re new to ITB don’t worry we’ve got you covered. We reached out to some of ITB’s veteran members to help you plan for the event make the most of your attendance at the show.

Plan your time. Schedule meetings and plan what events and presentations you want to attend ahead of time. ITB venue is huge – keep in mind the distance between the Halls when planning your schedule.

Download the ITB app. This year, for the first time ever, ITB will have public and free wifi. There will be no printed catalogues, so it makes sense to download the ITB app to get around the venue.

Don’t forget to print your badge. There is possibility to do it on site but you don’t want to be wasting time by standing in the queue.

Confirm your appointments. Send a reminder email to people about meetings they scheduled with you a day or two before.

Take notes. Write down all the ideas, names, brands and whatever else comes to your mind during ITB. There are too many things happening to remember them all after ITB finishes. Also, add comments on business cards. After receiving tons of them, you won’t remember who is who and how to follow up.

Follow up. After you come back from the ITB, follow up on the meetings and conversations you had. Even if there’s no particular business, saying “it was nice talking to you” will be helpful in maintaining the contact, especially if it’s a valuable one in the future.

Attend presentations. There are many valuable sessions and presentations run by experts. From industry trends to niche topics – you’ll find something that interests you.

Attend networking events. There are dedicated events for bloggers, speed networking sessions and simple networking events, usually at the end of the day, run by various exhibitors.

Rest. Take time to rest and eat well. Keep some fresh fruit and nuts in your bag, to avoid fast food and unhealthy snacks. Don’t overload yourself with coffee or energy drinks. Be moderate with drinking and staying out late, especially if you have important meetings the next day.

Tips from Anula Galewska, Sustainable Tourism Consultant at ExloRussia and Berlin resident. Connect with Anula on Twitter or follow her on Travel Massive.   

Wear comfy shoes as you are going to walk your ass off!

Dress professionally. It’s a very business-like show so dress accordingly.

Use the Virtual Market to find new potential business partners and make appointments. Some exhibitors won’t even let you in the stand without an appointment.

Be specific and clear about what you want so that people and companies will grant you an appointment.

Get social. If you are looking for some random networking and don’t have an invite to a function head to the Irish Pub at The Europa Centre for late night networking as a lot of people head there after dinner or a networking event.

Tips from Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder of Web in Travel. 

Eat. Unless you really like German food grab something separately before entering the show

Avoid the first day.

Know when to go. Don’t plan anything for Saturday and Sunday – these are public days, for individual tourists. All important people usually leave of Friday afternoon.

Tips from Timothy O’Neil-Dunne is the founder of VaultPad Ventures. Connect with him on Twitter.

Getting Around

Download the BVG Fahr Info app or use BVG Fahr to check public transportation schedules (you can also buy tickets there). ITB is located near S-Bahnhof Messe-Nord/ICC (S41, S42, S46), and you can also come from U-Bahn (U2), a few minutes walk.

Plan your entrance. If you have your badge don’t enter at the main entrance as it’s very confusing.

Plan your exit. It’s a fair old walk to the train station so use the south one.

Taxis. Don’t bother with the taxi rank until after at least 7pm. Taxis are a nightmare and it takes over 1 hour to get out more at peak times.

Finally, after all your hard work attending presentations and meeting industry experts don’t forget to enjoy the parties. Of course, we will be there for the Travel Massive pre-ITB launch party.

Come say hello!