July 12, 2017 TnH Global

ITB Asia 2017 sees successful buyer programme partnerships following increased involvement of exhibitors

Buyers programme evolved to be larger scale this year following success of programme in 2016
90% of recommended buyers targeted to attend ITB Asia’s milestone event this year
Buyers recommended by partners and exhibitors include existing clients of exhibitors as well as new potential outbound buyers

ITB Asia, “Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show”, has seen successful buyer programme partnerships for 2017 following the increased involvement of exhibitors this year, with 90% of recommended buyers targeted to attend the event. This year there has been an increase in the number of hotel groups participating in the buyer’s programme, including Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Best Western Hotel Group, Meliá Hotels International, Resorts World Sentosa, WorldHotels and Pan Pacific Hotels Group.

The event has also seen closer collaboration with key associations, including Malaysian Association for Tour & Travel Agents, Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents, Outbound Tour Operators Association of India and National Association of Independent Travel Agents, helping to bring a fresh pool of buyers to the event.

“As the leader in the travel space, it’s essential that ITB Asia is always looking to keep one step ahead of the evolving needs of this sector. We want to continue this momentum by working with our partners to bring a fresh pool of influential buyers from across the region” said Katrina Leung, Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia. “Working closely with our exhibitors this year, has allowed us to increase the number of buyer programme partnerships and deep dive into each local market to identify key areas of growth and demand.”

Sharon Lee, Senior Director of Sales at Meliá Hotels International commented “Meliá Hotels International is proud to partner with ITB Asia to raise the benchmark of its trade events. The need to consistently innovate is a trait that both Meliá and ITB share. In today’s business climate, delivering strong returns for exhibitors is key and, on this front, ITB Asia is ahead of the curve.”

Olivier Berrivin, Managing Director of Best Western’s International Operations, Asia said “Best Western is delighted to be returning to ITB Asia in 2017. Our company has participated in every edition of ITB Asia since the event first launched in 2008, and we had no hesitation in confirming our presence for this year’s tenth anniversary show. We return to this event each year as it consistently provides us with high quality business leads for our Asian hotels and resorts. With pre-arranged face-to-face appointments, industry insights and excellent networking opportunities, this is an unmissable event.”

Whilst Chow Keng Hai, Senior Vice President, Resort Sales and Marketing, Resorts World Sentosa commented “ITB Asia is a prestigious one-stop platform for Resorts World Sentosa to showcase our award-winning combination of state-of-the-art meeting facilities, luxurious accommodation, entertainment, fine dining and deep expertise in events management. As Asia’s premium lifestyle destination resort that offers a myriad of formal and unconventional venues, Resorts World Sentosa has both the software and hardware available for travel and event organisers to effectively blend business and leisure within the same location. Visitors and delegates can also be assured of an outstanding culinary experience at our celebrity chef restaurants which boast the most number of Michelin stars in a single gastronomic destination.”

Following the overall success of ITB Asia in 2016, 895 buyers attended the show, leading to a 1:1 ratio between exhibitors and buyers whilst over 50% of buyers signed deals with exhibitor’s post event. 43% of attending buyers had purchasing power of USD 500K – USD 1m whilst 85.7% of attending buyers were direct decision makers.