Bit – International Tourism Exchange celebrates twenty five years by confirming its vocation in the continual search for innovation in the sector…
Bit – International Tourism Exchange celebrates twenty five years by confirming its vocation in the continual search for innovation in the sector. There are many new developments at Bit 2005 in Fiera Milano from Saturday 12 to Tuesday 15 February 2005. Beginning with its location, it is expanding into the Portello area. Thanks to the ever more functional layout of these pavilions, Bit 2005 presents a new exhibition layout which illustrates much better what Italian and international exhibitors have to offer. A supply that is further shown off by the division into focused themes along the exhibition route.
Pavilion 11: always open to the public
A new exhibition development, the great Pavilion 11 –unique for Bit 2005 –will be open to the public as well as Operators for all four days of the exhibition. On Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 the public will be able to visit the whole exhibition with a single ticket. On Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 they will be able to visit pavilion only 11 at a reduced price where they can see new exhibition, information and show events: Bit forJob, the dedicated Fair for matching supply and demand in training and employment in tourism and Bit Green, the Fair dedicated to networking between the rural world and the Tourism System.
Bit for Job: training and working in tourism
Bit for Job is the place where those looking for job will find it and those offering it will find suitable candidates. Those offering training will find a perfect public and those seeking it will find organizations that can supply it. The Focus’ target is not only students (university, Masters, final year secondary) and lecturers in tourism, special entrance conditions are reserved for them on the Monday and Tuesday, but also experts from the sector, Travel Agents, Professional Visitors and Travellers.
The new Focus is responding to a new significant emerging demand with a practical and specific solution in two areas. The Training and Education area will present, in special multimedia rooms, guidance on post diploma and post graduate tourist training and seminars on professional development. The Job Search Area will host seminars and workshops on practical topics such as compiling a CV and a successful interview. For those seeking employment there will be the opportunity to take part in professional profile assessment tests or to undergo a simulated interview. In a dedicated section, the tourism–hotel companies operating in both Italy and abroad will present their own employment opportunities, subdivided into two sectors: the tourism part (covering the entire network) and the hotel and catering part.
Bit Green: opportunities in the rural world.
Bit Green, however, is the Focusdevoted to bringing the rural world and Tourism System together. It is a new phenomenon in Italy, different from agri-tourism and aimed at getting to know the realities of everyday country: the first show will present the biggest overview of Italian supply, covering local circuits, organised and coordinated by public and private bodies and in reality national but managed by trade bodies.
Bit Green aims to offer the maximum national and international visibility to the phenomenon and to Exhibitors but also to pay maximum attention to training: both that offered by the farm to the Visitor such as the cultural-educative opportunity (didactic farm) and professional training for the agricultural business and associations in order to improve business with a rich calendar of seminars and conferences.
Events to stimulate visitors are envisaged – children and adults – with practical demonstrations and free themed workshops for schools. There will also be a “Life in the Country” area organised in collaboration with the Edizioni L’Informatorio Agrario, where agri-tourism will be reproduced with activities which use agricultural products such as cheese making and processing of officinal herbs.
Bit Incentive: the best in innovation for the Meeting, Conference and Incentive sector
Among the focus themes Bit Incentive stands out: the new exhibition area – workshop fitted out in Pavilion 16/2 and which will present a selection of excellence from both Italian and International supply relative to the Meeting, Conference and Incentive sector.
Bit Incentive will exploit the developments in terms of structures and services and, in a few cases for the first time available on the Italian market, which will address specifically the Meeting, Conference and Incentive sector. Participation is aimed at international and national territories and localities, new dedicated services, foreign Tourism Authorities, specialised structures such as hotel chains, cruise companies and specialist service suppliers. The initiatives are selected and presented according to criteria which identify them as potential examples of excellence in terms of quality and specifics of what is on offer, informational material and commercial presence.
Due to the bringing together of the supply, Bit Incentive expands targeted business opportunities as much for supply as for demand. The new focus allows Exhibitors – both those who are already at Bit and who want to turn to this particular segment of the market, as well as those who have chosen to concentrate exclusively upon this – by addressing, in a specific manner, directly the desired target. It allows professional Visitors on the other hand to optimise their own visit and access quickly the specific supply. It allows for even more efficient organisation by planning meetings in advance thanks to the EXPO Matching Program software which is on line on the Bit website.
The other themed focuses will be Bit Spa, devoted to spas, well-being and beauty farms; Bit Golf, aimed at tourism and golf; Bit Open Air, focussing on outdoor tourism; Bit Virtual, directed towards technological innovation for tourism and Bit Gusto, devoted to the territory and food and wine tasting.
BUYITALY: leader in matching foreign and Italian supply and demand.
The confirmed appointment with BUYITALY which Bit is hosting for the 20th year, the workshop leader in Italy which represents the greatest opportunity for matching overseas supply and demand with what is on offer nationally, organised by EXPOcts in collaboration with ENIT and Alitalia. Two days of business meetings with more than 3,000 Italian sellers and 450 selected international buyers from more than 40 countries. The position of BUYITALY in the Bit context, in pavilion 17/2, with the support of innovative technology and dedicated services, represents the ideal market place to generate more productive results in terms of contacts and agreements amongst the supply and demand.
Multi-target Formula: success confirmed by results
The growing success of this workshop and of the new appointments which increase targeted business opportunities confirm the validity of the Bit multi-target formula: four days devoted to business, and furthermore, each one focussed on a specific target.
Bit 2005 celebrates 25 years with strong results from 2004: more than 5,000 exhibitors, 128 represented countries, 136,700 total visitors of whom 96,700 were Professional Operators. A constantly growing trend which has seen Exhibitor numbers increase by 37.5% from 1999 up until today. The Professional Operator numbers have increased by 12.6% over the last three years with Travel Agency numbers up by 32.5% over the same period.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
