DRSingapore: ITB Asia, Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show, has seen a record number of buyers registering for this year’s show with nearly 1000 approved buyers set to attend, a 12 per cent increase from last year.
Hosted at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, the conference will take place from October 17 to 19, 2018. This year, the top 10 source markets for buyers from the Asia Pacific region include China, Oceania, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand.
ITB Asia has been working closely with new industry partners to bring in a fresh pool of buyers to the show via the Buyers Programme. New corporate partners on the Buyers Programme this year include Marriott International, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Far East Hospitality, Caissa and Singapore Airlines.
ITB Asia is also collaborating with leading travel associations in the region including Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), The Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations (FATA), Korea MICE Association (KMA), and Taiwan Convention & Exhibition Association (TCEA).
Confirmed associations under FATA include the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), Malaysian Association of Tour Travel Agents (MATTA), Association of Travel Agents Indonesia (ASTINDO) and Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA).
This year sees the launch of new initiatives for the MICE and corporate segments due to increased focus on these areas – the MICE & Corporate Hub, and a brand-new concept, the MICE & Corporate Speed Networking.
Dedicated content tailored for the MICE and corporate segment will be featured at the MICE & Corporate Hub, and this allows for the MICE and corporate buyers and exhibitors to meet and network. On the other hand, exhibitors and targeted buyer segments can gather and engage with potential business partners at the MICE & Corporate Speed Networking.
ITB Asia has also been working in partnership with ACTE, the leading corporate travel association, which has recommended its pool of corporate buyers to the show. ACTE will be hosting a one-day conference at ITB Asia with curated content for the corporate buying segment to learn and network with industry leaders.
Top buyer companies to feature at ITB Asia 2018 include Abbot, Accenture, AIA Financial, Apple Inc, BHF Bank, Cook Medical, CTS MICE Service Co Ltd., General Electric, HDFC Standard Life Insurance Co Ltd., IBM, Markets and Markets, Mastercard, Nu Skin Enterprises, OSRAM, PHILIPS, Rotary International, Samsung Asia Pte Ltd., Schlumberger Schneider Electric India Pvt. Ltd., Siemens, Twitter Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. and Verve Events International.
“We are delighted to see a record number of buyers registering for ITB Asia this year, driven by our new partnerships with leading corporates and travel associations on the Buyers Programme. We have also increased our focus on the MICE and corporate segments this year and are excited to launch a dedicated MICE & Corporate hub at the show as well as a new MICE & Corporate Speed Networking session,” said Katrina Leung, Managing Director, Messe Berlin (Singapore), organiser of ITB Asia.
“We look forward to welcoming delegates to this year’s event and have no doubt that a high volume of business deals will be generated at the show.”
Buyers at ITB Asia typically have high purchasing power with more than 40 per cent of buyers making purchases of between $500,000 – $1 million and 20 per cent of buyers spending more than $1 million. Around 40 per cent of buyers at ITB Asia are leisure, 35 per cent are MICE and 25 per cent are corporate.
As many as 80 per cent of buyers at ITB Asia are from the Asia-Pacific region, the remaining 20 per cent of buyers come from Europe, North & South America, Middle East and Africa. For more information, visit www.itb-asia.com
