Messe Berlin (Singapore) has announced that ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and the new Travel Tech Asia will be held on a virtual platform for 2020, with the dates remaining 21-23 October, due to the uncertainty over continued global travel restrictions and safe distancing measures. The platform, called the ITB Community, is due to launch next month.
ITB Community will also facilitate a year-long virtual engagement programme for key stakeholders. Katrina Leung, Managing Director, Messe Berlin (Singapore), said: “Taking into consideration the need for businesses to connect, it is imperative for us to unite the community to enable business meetings to take place for a seamless knowledge exchange. ITB Community will be the latest permanent addition to a wide variety of offerings we have for our customers to tap into for their business success.”
The three-day virtual event for ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia will incorporate business matching between buyers and sellers, conference sessions, and a virtual exhibition.
Andrew Phua, Executive Director, Exhibitions and Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “We are heartened that it is pivoting to a new event model this year, demonstrating the travel trade’s ability to innovate and continue forging important partnerships in this challenging time.
“Virtual and hybrid event formats are likely to continue to complement future physical events, and we are confident that Singapore will continue to lead the way forward in this area.”