ITB Berlin Supervisory Board Goes Over Last Edition, Looks to Next

The agenda of the most recent meeting of the ITB Berlin Supervisory Board included a look back at the ITB Berlin 2006, an evaluation of exhibitor, trade visitor and visitor polls, an assessment of the impact of the new show dates, and future developments regarding the ITB Berlin.

The Supervisory Board noted that the ITB Berlin had lived up to its expectations as a provider of economic stimulus, and that it had built on its standing as the world´s leading show.

As many as 10,856 exhibitors from 183 countries and territories took part, the highest number to date in the history of the world´s largest travel trade show.

Another success was a rise yet again in the number of visitors overall: 162,823 were counted at the ITB Berlin 2006. At 94,553 the number of trade visitors attending rose by 12.6 per cent, and at 68,270 the figure for members of the general public also broke all records.

This year´s introduction of different weekdays for the show, starting on a Wednesday and finishing on a Saturday, proved a great success, drawing positive reactions from both exhibitors and the general public alike.

In a poll of exhibitors and visitors at the end of the ITB Berlin 2006 86 per cent of trade visitors and 78 per cent of the general public welcomed this change.

During the meeting the Supervisory Board stressed that the ITB Berlin 2006 had been a major media event. 8,016 journalists from 85 countries took part in the ITB 2006.

In Germany, total printed circulation equaled 237.91 million issues. German TV ran 47 reports tabbing 630 minutes of viewing time, and the nation´s radio stations broadcast 561 reports amounted to 1,032 minutes.