NordicMarketing: No more ITB?

No NordicMarketing ITB booth

Will NordicMarketing again have its own booth at ITB 2024? No. NordicMarketing will not have its own booth at ITB 2024 – a concise response to the frequently posed question.

After 15 years of participation in ITB, we found the necessity for a Plan B, leading to the establishment of NORDEUROPA, a sustainable alternative.

15 years of ITB

It has been 15 intensive and great years at the ITB in Berlin, during which we as the NordicMarketing team have been able to participate with our own booth and numerous co-exhibitors from Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Shortly after the company was founded, the ITB in 2005 was a must-attend event for the still small and unknown team. It was the smallest possible booth, far away from the fully booked "Scandinavia Hall", with the first partners from the Nordic countries. It was instructive, challenging and enriching.  

ITB canceled in 2020

In 2020, it was to be the 16th time, and for the first time 35 exhibitors from the north were to be present at the stand, but as we all know, everything turned out differently.

The onset of the coronavirus pandemic brought unforeseen consequences, particularly for the tourism industry, which were unimaginable at the time.

In Berlin, hotel rooms were reserved for all attendees, and partners from the north were preparing for the upcoming trade fair. Meanwhile, Messe Berlin and numerous ITB exhibitors anxiously awaited updates and decisions from local health authorities. On Friday evening, just days before the scheduled start for the trade public on Wednesday, the fateful announcement came from the trade fair management: ITB had to be canceled.

NordicMarketing's Plan B

Some of the partners were already on their way to Berlin and we had booked a number of hotel rooms. Above all, we had paying customers who were planning to meet tour operators in Germany and for whom we wanted to find a solution. So what to do? We had the weekend to find an answer.

We ventured to Berlin and orchestrated an alternative: an online event from the hotel. Our ITB exhibitors showcased their regions and products through webinars, a format embraced by 20 companies from Scandinavia. The unexpectedly positive response and overwhelming feedback made it evident that the potential for such online events far surpassed our initial expectations.

NordicMarketing today

The apparent disaster in Berlin - the abrupt cancellation of the ITB - unexpectedly gave rise to our successful NORDEUROPA event.

Anticipating the pandemic's impact on in-person events, we proactively initiated the planning of our digital event. The inaugural NORDEUROPA in 2021 marked a triumphant start with 147 participants from 8 countries. Building on the success of NORDEUROPA 2022, the 2023 edition witnessed a remarkable surge, attracting 260 participants from 19 countries who engaged in 1278 meetings over two days. NORDEUROPA 2024 welcomed providers from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, and, for the first time, Lithuania and Greenland. These providers met buyers from 17 countries, conducting 1516 online meetings at the end of January/beginning of February 2024.

NordicMarketing's entrepreneurial mission is to forge connections between tourism providers from the Nordic countries and suitable tour operators in Central Europe. This goal is achieved through our synergistic approach with Sales Tours and NORDEUROPA. The digital format offers an efficient and sustainable means to establish and nurture contacts, while the exclusive Sales Tours provide opportunities for personal introductions, laying the groundwork for trust and long-term cooperation between providers and tour operators.

Both formats consistently receive fantastic feedback from participating providers and tour operators, underscoring our commitment to high customer satisfaction at NordicMarketing.

Nevertheless, replicating this success proves challenging at ITB, the world's largest tourism fair. While recognized as a platform for generalists with international acclaim, ITB poses significant challenges for specialists, niche providers, unfamiliar travel destinations, or small operators. It is often a costly, disillusioning, and less sustainable format.

Exhibitors' expectations are lofty, costs substantial, and securing slots in buyers' calendars is fiercely competitive. The satisfaction of exhibitors has suffered and is likely to continue doing so in the demanding environment of ITB.

Copenhagen instead of Berlin?

Based on our past experiences and in alignment with our standards and service orientation, we have opted not to host our own booth at ITB.