Experts examine whether new technology poses a threat to face-to-face meetings at events â€" admission is free for trade visitors and members of Vereinigung Deutscher Veranstaltungsorganisatoren â€" the low-cost special travel package for visitors to the ITB Business Travel Days includes an overnight, concert ticket and unlimited admission to ITB Berlin.
Man versus machine: nowadays, virtual conferences and social media are increasingly replacing face-to-face meetings at events. On Wednesday, 9 March 2016, in Hall 7.1c at the ITB Berlin Convention the ITB MICE Day will be taking a close look at this development.
Experts will be examining the forces driving innovation in the event industry and asking whether their arrival is causing a decline in face-to-face encounters. Admission is free for trade visitors at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show, and for members of VERANSTALTUNGSPLANER.DE.
The ITB MICE Day will start with Bernd Fritzges, chairman of the board of VERANSTALTUNGSPLANER.DE Vereinigung Deutscher Veranstaltungsorganisatoren e.V. and the publisher Gerd Otto-Rieke each giving a welcome address.
Afterwards, Prof. Wolfgang Henseler, founder and creative managing director of SENSORY-MINDS, will be illustrating emerging technology trends and innovations as well as their impact on society, the economy and people. Prof. Dr. Hans R.G. RĂĽck, dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Transport Studies at Hochschule Worms will be talking about the fascinating opportunities resulting from and the pitfalls involved in digitising events.
Under the heading of ’SoLoMo’ he will be explaining how digital applications can be incorporated into the four stages of an event as well as the risks associated with hybrid events. Jakob Behrends of Milla & Partner will be talking about ’Interreaction â€" a look at interactive media as a means of successful communication’, and providing examples of spatial communication. In her paper Doreen Biskup, managing director of MICE ACADEMY, will be talking about triggering emotions at the touch of a button in order to etch an event’s message onto the spectator’s mind, as well as how and in what ways digitisation works at all sensory levels.
She will be looking at whether digital applications can trigger emotions such as joy, anger, fear and interest, and at how one can sensibly combine elements of the digital and real world. In his lecture Thomas Waetke of Schutt, Waetke Rechtsanwälte & Fachanwälte GbR will be addressing the topic of data protection and the risks involved for organisers in connection with new technologies.
Dr. Christine Buttler, director of Business Development Healthcare MCI Germany, will be giving directions on how to navigate the jungle of technological innovation. Nowadays, new technologies offer many possibilities for interacting with participants, and examples of live feeds, apps and social media will be given to point out ways of interaction.
Lastly, Meike Leopold, a corporate communications consultant at start-talking.de, will be explaining the term “influencer relations“. She will be illustrating how companies can benefit from working with influencers and highlighting the huge potential of this area of communications. Mario Schmidt, a presenter of events, TV, radio and chat shows, will host the ITB MICE Day. Once again, VERANSTALTUNGSPLANER.DE is the partner of the ITB MICE Day.
Details of the programme of events are now online at www.itb-kongress.de/en/Program/Topics/BusinessTravelMICE/.
Trade visitors can take advantage of the low-cost travel package being offered to visitors of the ITB Business Travel Days. It includes up to two overnights at the Estrel Hotel Berlin, a ticket to the show Stars in Concert, a first-class rail fare and unlimited admission for trade visitors to ITB Berlin 2016.
This special offer is limited to two employees per company and can be booked now at www.itb-kongress.de/en/Program/Topics/BusinessTravelMICE/.
About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention
ITB Berlin 2015 will take place from March 4 to March 9. From the Wednesday to the Friday, ITB Berlin is open to trade visitors only. The ITB Berlin Convention is held parallel with the trade fair, from the Wednesday to the Friday. It is the world’s largest specialist convention for the industry. More details are available at www.itb-convention.com. ITB Berlin is the leading trade fair for the worldwide travel industry. In 2014 a total of 10,147 companies and organisations from 189 countries exhibited their products and services to 174,000 visitors, who included 114,000 trade visitors.
