ITB Asia 2017, Asia’s leading travel trade show, had completed its milestone anniversary event this October with record-breaking numbers at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The event hosted about 940 exhibitors from 113 countries, an 11% increase over the previous year in its 10th anniversary. We spoke to Katrina Leung, Executive Director at ITB Asia, on what lies in store for the 2018 event and reflections from this year’s achievements.

1. This year’s theme at ITB was “The Future of Travel” – Can you give us some background about why did you choose this? 

While planning for our tenth anniversary milestone event, we looked back to celebrate our past achievements but we also wanted to glance ahead to the next ten years to provide attendees with a useful view to the future.

We all know that technology and creativity are crucial to the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors as products and experiences can be showcased in the most effective manner. Technology will become even more vital to travel as it presents multiple opportunities for growth. Innovations such as Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality and beacon technology will be hugely impactful, and the brands that will do well in the coming years are the ones who will adopt these technologies and leverage their full potential. Indeed, Chatbots and voice-activated assistants are already helping airlines and online travel agencies handle transactions such as bookings and boarding passes.

As consumers become more and more interested in the ‘experience economy’, it was important for us to give our delegates the conference content and exhibition experiences to inspire them to make space for technology in their marketing strategies. And I believe we have achieved and surpassed our objectives – this year at ITB Asia 2017, we delivered the most comprehensive programme of presentations and discussions to date, clocked over 6,140 conference minutes, and our strongest line-up of speakers featuring industry heavyweights from the travel and tourism sector.

2. From a number’s standpoint, ITB Asia is currently one of the largest B2B travel-trade shows in Asia. With growth of travel-trade shows in other Asian countries, how do you see ITB Asia gearing up to competition. 

ITB Asia remains the largest and most international travel trade show event in Asia. We welcomed over 11,000 delegates at ITB Asia 2017, an increase of 11% of exhibitors over the previous year, and our strongest ever buyer participation across the Corporate, MICE and Leisure sectors. We also recorded over 22,000 business appointments during the show.

The immense popularity of the show is evident. At this early stage, ITB Asia 2018 has already received the highest exhibitor rebookings from destinations such as Greece, the Middle East, Africa, Spain and Scandinavia, as well as continued strong support from Asian markets. It is the substantial growth in exhibitors that underlines how ITB Asia has firmly established itself as the leading industry event in the region. Indeed, it is the Asian outbound market that continues to attract huge interest and we are delighted to see such levels of growth from various key markets at the show this year.

Katrina Leung, Executive Director, ITB Asia

We continue to pride ourselves on our focus on quality and the customer experience, placing them front of mind with every decision and direction we take.

Our strong partnerships with leading organisations such as , the Korea Tourism Organisation and new buyer partners such as the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS) and the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) also help us leverage the show, maintain our reputation and sustain these valuable relationships.

3. Unlike other B2B travel-trade events, ITB Asia has a strong focus on seminars, panel-discussions and workshops. This year’s line-up of speakers include a stellar range of speakers from Google, CTrip, Tripadvisor. How do you see this growth? 

We are proud to have put together such a rich and diverse conference programme, which is only possible with the continued support from the global travel industry. This is testament to the show’s expanding role as an important platform to bring all the different stakeholders in the travel and tourism sector together. For ITB Asia, it has been important to continue developing our seminars, panel-discussions and workshops and focus on a variety of topics to cater to all attendees and help to generate valuable business opportunities and key stakeholder relationships.

This year, the three-day conference presented an extensive programme of presentations and discussions, and is the most comprehensive line-up to date with over 6,140 conference minutes compared to just half of that in 2013. We hope everyone who attended this year’s show enjoyed and benefitted from engaging with the influential and exciting speakers on the most current and pressing topics in the industry.

4. You also had InnoVel as well as Israeli startups showcasing their value proposition. Can you tell us about your association with them? 

Yes, we launched an exciting innovation travel technology track hosted by Israeli startup InnoVel which seeks to connect travel companies with cutting-edge start-ups. This is our first year working together, and we agreed to the partnership right away after we recognised that there would be the right alignment and synergy. For us, we are always looking to increase the diversity of speakers and delegates at our events, and to be more inclusive by including interesting and disruptive start-ups at ITB Asia. InnoVel’s start-ups are looking to tap into the Asian market, and they chose ITB Asia as the right platform for them to do so.

5. This year, the Singapore Tourism Board has also adopted a new campaign theme “Passion Made Possible”, as a partner country do you see this impacting ITB Asia’s delegate participation in a positive way. 

The new campaign, under the theme “Passion Made Possible” highlights the opportunities that Singapore presents and how it is the place where one can turn creative ideas into actual concepts that are successful. It is this very spirit of Singapore that has played a key role in making ITB Asia a great success over the past decade, driven in large part by the support we have received from various stakeholders in Singapore.

6. What else lies in store for delegates coming to ITB Asia 2018? 

ITB Asia 2018 will be held from 17-19 October 2018 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands. Following this year’s successful show, ITB Asia has received the highest exhibitor rebookings from ITB Asia 2018. As early as now, the surge in interest for next year’s show has been seen from destinations such as Greece, Middle East, Africa, Spain and Scandinavia as well as continued strong support from Asia markets. Clearly, the show continues to grow every year. For our conference segment, we will look to explore exciting new industry verticals and attract industry experts and thought leaders to present and engage with audiences.

The post “Technology will become even more vital to travel as it presents multiple opportunities for growth”, Katrina Leung, Executive Director ITB Asia appeared first on TravHQ.

With about five weeks to go for this year’s ITB Asia, we had a chance to catchup with Katrina Leung, Executive Director at Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organisers of ITB Asia. Excerpts from our exclusive conversation with Katrina on what lies in store.

TravHQ: ITB Asia continues to be ASIA’s leading B2B travel-trade over the years. What’s the reason for this unparalleled success? 

Katrina Leung: ITB Asia has become the primary event for the Asia Pacific travel space. It is an industry think tank that has become a premier meeting place for all those in the travel industry chain to build business connections – from tour operators, hotels, destinations, airlines right through to booking engine companies. Last year alone, we connected almost 10,300 attendees from 108 countries.

Our success is attributed to always being able to bring fresh and new content to our delegates. Each year, attendees look forward to listening to the latest trending topics in the industry which empowers them make the best decision for their businesses. In a world where content is king, we’ve been able to deliver 4,710 minutes of high powered content from movers and shakers internationally.

We are constantly innovating and changing the way we bring ITB Asia to delegates from around the world. In our 9th year, we have now extended our keynote address across three days and introduced new sessions such as our inaugural MICE Day.

Our strong relationships with partners and exhibitors has also contributed to our continual success. We consistently engage with our exhibitors to obtain their feedback and maintain high standards, as well as ensure the quality of buyers. This year, our partnership with Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) will also pave the way for our delegates to drive additional MICE activities to the country.

TravHQ: In a nutshell, what lies in store for the travel-trade industry at this year’s ITB Asia 2016? 

Katrina Leung: We have lined up an exciting array of conferences and sessions for our delegates, introducing our daily keynote sessions which will focus on the growing online travel sector. The show will kick-off featuring speakers from Google and Priceline sharing their thoughts about the impact of digitalisation and the importance of utilising tools in the most efficient way to fulfil their business needs. On Day 2, our keynote session sponsored by MasterCard will also feature top Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) including Expedia, Agoda, Zuji and Ctrip. Prominent Chinese corporations like Yiqifei Travel, Tuniu Corporation, Dida Travel Technology and Shanghai Jin Jiang International will be speaking on Day 3.

Taking into account recent trends, our esteemed partner CrescentRating, the world’s leading authority on halal travel, will also address opportunities and best practices to tap on the growing Muslim community through workshops and discussions. We will also hold our first-ever full day Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) conference featuring informative workshops and dialogue sessions delving into the latest developments in incentive travel and events.

On the exhibition show floor, delegates can also look out for our expanded Travel and Technology Showcase featuring presentations by SiteMinder, Revinate, Easybook and more. Speakers will touch on the latest technological advancements and trends, as well as how technology is playing a key role in changing customer experience. In addition, attendees can expect a new segment focusing on destinations featuring various National Tourism Organisations sharing about destinations including Austria, India and Thailand.

TravHQ: India and China are the most prominent nations among exhibiting countries. How has India’s participation changed over the years?

Katrina Leung: We have seen the number of exhibitors from India and China grow from year to year. Today, they represent a significant percentage of our exhibitors, and we expect this sizeable number to increase in the coming years. Exhibitors across all spectrums of the travel industry, from tourism organisations to even software companies, see us as a platform to learn more about the Asian travel market and also as a partner who helps them open their doors to the global travel players.

We are very appreciative of their support through the years and are most delighted to welcome new states and exhibitors this year including Tamilnadu Tourism Government of Tamilnadu, Odisha Tourism, Madhya Pradesh Tourism, Kerala Tourism and more.

TravHQ: Travel-technology has emerged as a strong segment over the years in ITB Asia. Which companies and travel startups are expected to showcase their offerings in this year’s edition?  

Katrina Leung: Delegates to this year’s show can look out for our Travel Technology Showcase, which is double the size of last year’s showcase. It will feature exhibitors who will address the practice of creating better customer experiences through technology, and we have already confirmed key exhibitors including Oracle, TripAdvisor, Peakwork, Revinate, Expedia, SiteMinder and more this year.

TravHQ: At ITB Asia, you have been a witness to some game-changing travel industry innovations. If you had to pick one, what would that be?

Katrina Leung: In just two short years with ITB Asia, I have had the chance to see a wide range of exhibitors who have showcased their offerings on the show floor and see first-hand how the show facilitates optimal face-to-face interactions. One of the most memorable innovations I have come across includes robots taking on the role of a bellboy and housekeeper in hotels. With the advancement of technology, robots are now able to assist the travel industry in combating issues such as manpower challenges while maintaining high service standards.

About Katrina Leung

Appointed in November 2014, Katrina Leung is the Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organisers of ITB Asia, the ‘Trade Show for the Asian Travel Market’. In this role, she is responsible for spearheading ITB Asia and developing Messe Berlin’s business in Asia. Prior to this, Leung was Country Managing Director of conference organiser, Terrapinn Asia where she was in charge of a broad range of industries including capital markets and finance, biomedical, power and electricity, enterprise technology, transport and logistics and real estate. Leung holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a minor in International Business from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines where she was a university scholar.

Ms. Katrina Leung, Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia

The post ‘In a world where content is king, we’ve been able to deliver 4,710 minutes of high powered content’, Katrina Leung, ITB Asia appeared first on TravHQ.

ITB Asia, the annually held B2B trade event for Asian Travel market, will continue its association with Marina Bay Sands for another three years from 2017 to 2019. This collaboration marks the amiable relations between the two brands.

With this development, it’s clear that the next four editions ITB Asia will continue to take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bays. The decided dates are: 19-21 October 2016, 25-27 October, 2017 and 17-19 October, 2018 and 16-18 October, 2019.

According to their press release, Katrina Leung, Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore) quoted:

“This extension demonstrates our ongoing commitment to take ITB Asia to the next level. Marina Bay Sands is renowned for creating extraordinary experiences by providing superior service, amenities and state-of-the-art conference facilities and we have forged an excellent working relationship over the past few years. We will continue to harness the expertise and synergies to create an optimal business environment for our delegates and lift the overall offering of our show to exhibitors, buyers and attendees,”

Initially, ITB Asia had signed an agreement with the hotel brand declaring that Marina Bay Sands will be the official venue for the conference from 2014 to 2016. The eighth and the latest edition of ITB Asia was exceptionally successful. The 3-day conference had 10,300 attendees with 760 exhibitors from 73 countries and 800 buyers. With this year’s success, the organizers will introduce new features such as the on-floor Travel and Technology Showcase through which destinations can highlight their exclusive offerings to the attendees.

ITB Asia and Marina Bay Sands partnered together to help reduce the show’s carbon footings over the past two years. To ensure this, they offered regional foods, used in-room motor sensors in the meeting rooms and setting the optimum room temperature.

Mr. George Tanasijevich, President and CEO of Marina Bay Sands, said:

“It has been our privilege to work with the organisers of ITB Asia over the past few years. The synergy, mutual understanding and rapport we enjoy has built a strong foundation for the travel trade show, and contributed to successful editions, year after year. We are humbled and encouraged by their strong support and look forward to scaling new heights together in the next three years,”

ITB Asia 2016 will be organized by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and backed by Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. Like every year, the event will be attended by hundreds of exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East elaborating on Leisure Market, Corporate and MICE travel.

ITB Asia 2015 was organised as a part of TravelRave. Follow this link for our coverage of TravelRave.

The post ITB Asia and Marina Bay Sands continue their association from 2017 to 2019 appeared first on TravHQ.