ITB Asia News 2020 - Review Edition

I NEWS I
EDITORIAL
Richard Barnes
Editor-in-Chief,
ITB Asia News
ITB Asia 2020 Virtual: taking the lead in turbulent times
ITB Asia, “Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show”,
successfully concluded last week, rounding off
the first virtual event in its 13-year history.
Over three days, the event welcomed over
35,000 travel professionals from around
the world who participated in the show’s
vibrant agenda of conference and networking
sessions, supported by world leaders and
leading destinations. With the virtual platform
providing the perfect space for networking,
attendees also took part in online business
appointments, fuelling confidence in the
industry’s future.
The organisers can be rightfully proud that as the
leading travel trade show in Asia, they are playing
their part in creating a close-knit community who
support one another not only through the good
times, but also in the more difficult ones. These
past three days have been a testament to the
resilience of all those in the travel and tourism
sector in Asia, with industry leaders coming
together, united by a common purpose of paving
the way forward in the face of the new normal.
Themed “Reinventing Travel in the New Normal”,
ITB Asia 2020’s virtual conference saw more
than 160 top speakers from major global brands
lead more than 100 conference sessions. This
year’s conferences focused on helping travel
industry professionals reinvent traditional
business models to adapt to current times and
prepare for the industry’s recovery.
Next year’s edition will be a hybrid show featuring
a live and an online model to facilitate continuous
engagement with industry stakeholders.
Scheduled to take place in Singapore from 27-
29 October 2021, the live segment of the event
hopes to bring back human connections through
face-to face business meetings and networking
sessions
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The future of hybrid
events in pandemic
times
During a series of talks entitled "Reimagining Association
Events", panelists Helmut Schwägermann, Prof. em., Osnabrück
University of Applied Sciences, Mike Lee, Vice President of
Sales, Marina Bay Sands and Stephane Talboom, Director of
Sales, K.I.T. Group debated over the necessity to host hybrid
events.
With the pandemic, hybrid or fullvirtual
events are the new mantra
as physical relations are almost
impossible for now. But will it last
forever? The question was raised
during a session presented by K.I.T.
Group and Marina Bay Sands in
partnership with ITB Asia.
For Stephane Talboom, the
assessment of conducting a hybrid
event is essential. "We must evaluate
if the hybrid event fits into a strategy
and assess its costs, because it
requires virtual exhibition experts but
also communication and technology
experts, as well as strong content and
a strong panel to attract followers," he
explained.
Hybrid is perceived as a good way
to attract a bigger audience as a
real conference might see delegate
numbers clipped for health safety. "A
conference could be limited to 500
or 1,000 delegates. Bringing a hybrid
solution would help expand its global
appeal, and it can help in reducing
the carbon footprint," said Mike Lee,
VP Sales, Marina Bay Sands.
Working out the content of the
conference is crucial. "The use of
3D technology and various digital
techniques from a broadcast
studio should capture participants'
imagination", added Lee.
5G technology and augmented
reality will further improve the layout
of hybrid events. But there is still a
strong desire to meet physically.
According to Talboom, building trust
among partners requires physical
contact. A recent survey found 63%
of business people would prefer a
physical contact rather than going
virtual. "Hybrid" is for now the magic
formula
2 ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2020
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