AS ITB ASIA 2026 drew to a close last Friday in Singapore, attention will be shifting to an increasingly competitive travel and business events trade show market. ITB Asia organiser Messe Berlin (Asia Pacific) threw its hat into the ring by unveiling a new brand, highlighting growth across its portfolio.
ITB’s announcements come as RX prepares to launch its IBTM brand in Bangkok next year and Singapore hosts an expanding roster of industry events including regional editions of Northstar’s The Meetings Show, Business Travel Show, and the debut of TEAMS – an event aimed at sports travel. Meanwhile AIME 2027 takes place in February in Melbourne, proclaiming that it is the business events and meetings show for Asia Pacific, while Informa prepares for the third edition of Connect Marketplace in Hong Kong.
Against this backdrop, ITB Asia – which is billed as Asia’s largest trade-trade show – pointed to growth and initiatives designed to strengthen its position in the region. The event’s organiser, Messe Berlin (Asia Pacific), said the three co-located shows, ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia, attracted more than 18,000 participants, more than 1,000 exhibiting brands and over 1,500 qualified buyers.
Messe Berlin (Asia Pacific) also said more than 80 per cent of exhibiting brands represented international markets across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, highlighting the show’s continued international reach.
The most significant strategic announcement was the launch of ITB Asia Select, a new product aimed at taking the ITB brand beyond Singapore and into selected Asian markets. Indonesia will be the first destination, with ITB Asia Select Indonesia scheduled to take place in Jakarta on June 23-24, 2027. The move follows the rebranding of Travel Meet Asia Jakarta.
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The move reflects a broader trend among exhibition organisers to extend established brands into new markets as competition intensifies across the region’s travel and meetings sector.
Messe Berlin (Asia Pacific) also reported strong growth for MICE Show Asia, saying exhibitor participation increased by 184 per cent this year, underlining the rising importance of the business events segment within the wider ITB Asia platform.
“ITB Asia continues to demonstrate the importance of bringing the global travel industry together in Asia,” Darren Seah, executive director of Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, said.
This year’s strong international participation, the significant growth of MICE Show Asia and the launch of ITB Asia Select mark important milestones for our business. As the industry evolves, our focus remains on creating meaningful connections and new opportunities for our partners, both in Singapore and across the wider region.”
– Darren Seah, Messe Berlin (Asia Pacific)
A hosted-buyer programme was introduced at Travel Tech Asia for the first time, connecting technology suppliers with buyers from hospitality, attractions, travel agencies and travel technology.
Organisers also unveiled several visitor-focused initiatives aimed at differentiating the event experience. These included a pilot off-airport check-in programme with Changi Airport Group, guided exhibition discovery tours developed with Woopa Group, and a new Experience Zone featuring the Experience Pavilion by Tripadvisor, focused on experiential travel products and services.
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According to Messe Berlin (Asia Pacific), more than 60,000 pre-scheduled business appointments took place during the three-day event, while the conference programme featured 160 speakers delivering a combined 4,500 minutes of content across travel, tourism, technology and business events.
The 19th edition of the show was held under the theme “Experiences in Motion: Human-Centred Design in Travel & Tourism” and covered leisure travel, MICE, corporate travel and travel technology.
ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia is scheduled to return to Singapore’s Sands Expo & Convention Centre at Marina Bay Sands from October 20-22, 2027
Main picture… Kazakhstan returned to ITB Asia this year, bringing with them the pavilion favourites in martial costume
