As a leading think tank of the global travel industry the ITB Berlin Convention Market Trends & Innovations has become an important meeting place for decision-makers.

The successful concept of the world's leading travel industry convention continues, with three new aspects supplementing it in 2009.

This is the first time that this leading event, the ITB Berlin Convention, is to devote an entire day to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in tourism. Professor Dr. Roland Conrady, science head of the ITB Berlin Convention Market Trends & Innovations: "CSR is not a fad, instead it is a pre-condition for ensuring long-term, economic success, and that companies can compete."

The first ITB Berlin CSR Day will exclusively present the results of a survey on consumer price awareness with regards to CSR. Leading keynote speakers will present their experiences and visions. The event will also focus on best practices and experiences in other sectors, and will put forward concrete suggestions for making CSR work in the tourism industry.

The new programme item MICE is sure to stir up great interest at the Business Travel Days. For business travel planners, meetings, incentives, conventions and events are becoming ever more important. Tourism industry experts will be discussing every aspect of this dynamic growth market.

All the major exhibitors addressing convention, meetings and incentives issues will be at the ITB Berlin, which represents an ideal platform for business travel planners, where they can receive first-hand tips. The ITB Berlin Tourism and Culture Day will also provide a fresh impetus.

For the first time, numerous sessions at the ITB Berlin Convention will illustrate how the potential which tourism and culture has to offer can be combined and exploited. This event will be held under the aegis of Ruhr.2010, the official partner region of the ITB Berlin 2009.

From 11 to 15 March 2009, under the slogan of "Where the world shapes the future", there will be nearly 80 outstanding events taking place, with more than 200 speakers.

The ITB Berlin Convention Market Trends & Innovations is based on a fourfold concept: the outstanding travel technology conference entitled PhoCusWright@ITB, held in collaboration with a leading US consultancy, the ITB Berlin Business Travel Forum, destination themes, and the successful theme days, i.e. ITB Berlin Future Day, ITB Berlin Hospitality Day and ITB Berlin Aviation Day.

Visitor attendance at last year's ITB Berlin Convention Market Trends & Innovations, with its attractive programme, high-ranking speakers and panel guests from business and politics was remarkable, and reached record levels. A total of 11,000 trade visitors from around the world took part, an increase of 25 per cent over last year.

The ITB Berlin 2009 will be taking place from 11 to 15 March. The period from the Wednesday to the Friday is reserved for trade visitors. More details are available at www.itb-berlin.com

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