PDF, 35.0 MB - ITB Berlin

TRADE NEWS
43
Buyers’ Circle
© India Tourism
VIP service for top trade pros means higher
efficiency at ITB Berlin
David Ruetz
Head of ITB Berlin
Located in the Marshall Haus on the Berlin Exhibition
Grounds, the exclusive ITB Buyers’ Circle Lounge,
offers separate meeting rooms in quiet surroundings
offers excellent opportunities for networking at
length. We asked David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin,
to tell us about the background to this service.
We have for a long time
watched the behaviour of
our buyers at ITB Berlin and
noticed that some lacked
adequate working space.
We’re not talking about just
handshakes and courtesy
visits, but real working space.
So we put together a package
that has major advantages
that otherwise would not be
accessible. We did not want to
copy other models, such as at
ITB Asia, where we fully host the
buyers. We felt that ITB Berlin
needed something different.
So by creating the ITB Buyers’
Circle, we are offering leading
buyers from the international
tourism industry a suitable
environment, concentrating
valuable resources and thus
significantly reducing their
workload. Intense networking
and obtaining the latest
industry information are
crucial to a buyer’s success.
The services of the ITB Buyers’
Circle save buyers’ time and
significantly increase their
efficiency. Members of the ITB
Buyers’ Circle also benefit from
gaining free admission to ITB
Berlin and Fast Lane access to
…
we have a
team onsite
at Messe
Berlin that
qualifies
each
application
personally…”
the exhibition grounds as early
as 9 a.m. They can also make
use of the Europcar shuttle
service on the grounds and
will receive a trade visitor
ticket to ITB Asia from 23 to 25
October 2013.
Who qualifies?
We have an online
questionnaire that tells us
about the size of the company,
the purchasing volume, the
estimated annual turnover,
and then when the application
is being processed online
we have a team onsite at
Messe Berlin that qualifies
each application personally.
People are thus hand-picked,
attempting to have a balance
between German and non-
German buyers. From
Germany we have around
210 buyers, and the others
are international buyers from
Europe, the USA, Canada,
South America, Australia,
Asia and Africa. Their overall
spending capability is 1.5
billion euros. 61 per cent of the
members are tour operators,
11 per cent represent the
corporate travel and MICE
sectors.
Trade Visitors
Given a VIP Welcome
at India Pavilion
Trade visitors to ITB Berlin will be VIP guests at
India’s Happy Hour on Wednesday from 5 PM to
6 PM.
The “India Pavilion” at ITB this year is again
abuzz with more than 100 participants from
India showcasing India as an attractive tourist
destination. A delegation led by the Honourable
Minister for Tourism, Dr K Chiranjeevi along
with Senior Officials from the Central Tourism
Ministry and several State Governments will be
present for several business meetings.
Meanwhile, Thursday morning sees the
Incredible India Business Breakfast from
7:30 to 9:30 AM at the Tiergarten Hall of the
InterContinental Hotel, and Thursday night, a
cocktail reception is an “invite only” event.
Chic Outlet Shopping
Launches New
Packages Offering
10% Commission for
the Travel Industry
For travel agents and tour operators looking to
satisfy the needs of clients looking to embrace
the latest Shopping Tourism trend Chic Outlet
Shopping has launched a range of new packages
across the Collection of nine Villages across
Europe.
Chic Outlet Shopping is the Collection of luxury
outlet Villages by Value Retail, the only company
specialising exclusively in the development and
operation of luxury outlet shopping villages.
Currently home to more than 900 boutiques,
the nine Villages offer the authentic previous
seasons’ collections of leading luxury fashion
and lifestyle brands with savings of up to 60%,
and sometimes more, on the recommended
retail price, all year round.
Available for travel agents and tour operators
to book at a net rate, providing commissions
starting from 10% on the retail price, the
packages start at €44 and include return
transport on the luxury Shopping Express coach
service, Gift Card, a VIP card providing an
additional 10% discount in selected boutiques
and lunch in the Village.
More info: www.ChicOutletShopping.com
ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013