In response to trade visitor demand from around the world the ITB Berlin is extending the number of trade visitor days at the event. Two innovations by the ITB Berlin will accompany the countdown to the opening of the world’s leading travel trade show.

As announced by Messe Berlin, at the ITB Berlin 2007 which takes place from 7 to 11 March, the Friday of the show is being declared an exclusive trade visitor day. Previously the 26 trade show halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds opened their doors to the general public on the Friday of the event.

Another change to the ITB Berlin which this year was attended by 10,856 exhibitors from 181 countries and is regarded as the most international trade show worldwide: in 2007 the opening ceremonies of the ITB Berlin will be taking place early, on the Tuesday of the show. Previously, during the 41 years of the ITB Berlin the opening ceremonies took place on the first day of the event. These new dates will result in a less congested timetable.

Director of the ITB Berlin Martin Buck: These two changes are in response to exhibitors’ and trade visitors’ wishes to be able to organise their visits to Berlin as efficiently as possible. Bringing the opening ceremonies forward to the eve of the opening day of the show gives our exhibitors an additional evening for appointments or for organising events with business partners. For the first time the Friday of the event will be an exclusive trade visitor day. We have allocated the Saturday and Sunday of the weekend as days for the general public.

The new dates of the show, running from a Wednesday to a Sunday, were first introduced at the ITB Berlin 2006, resulting in record visitor attendance at the world’s leading travel trade show: from 8 to 12 March 2006 94,553 trade visitors and 68,270 members of the general public visited the ITB Berlin, an increase of 14.5 per cent.