Messe Berlin (Singapore), organiser of ITB Asia, ‘The Trade Show for the Asian Travel Market’, has announced the largest conference programme line-up ever for this year’s show with the addition of two new conference partners – TTG Asia and the Singapore Tourism Board.

Currently in its fourth year, ITB Asia is known for having successfully established a credible and international knowledge-sharing platform alongside the trade show, through the series of conferences, seminars and workshops it organises. Held from 19-21 October in Suntec Singapore, ITB Asia delegates can look forward to attending two new events; the inaugural TTG Travel Agent Conference and the Asia for Asia Conference, as well as the second installment of the successful ITB Asia Association Day.

“With close to 800 exhibiting companies from 60 countries from all aspects of the Asian travel industry participating in the show, ITB Asia sits on the pulse of the regional travel, tourism and hospitality industries,” says Nino Gruettke, Executive Director of ITB Asia.

“We constantly seek feedback from particpants to ensure the conference programme is relevant and able to address the latest developments, challenges and trends in the industry. This way, we hope to spark more sharing and collaborative efforts to capitalize on growth opportunities within the region.”

The TTG Travel Agent Conference held on 21 October is an opportunity not to be missed for travel agents looking to learn from the best in the industry. The TTG Asia travel agent conference organised promises to deliver practical know-how and tangible learning points that travel agents can apply to their businesses to elevate success. Covering a range of topics, the conference includes case studies of super agents and tips for success in customised travel and online businesses. Entry is free for ITB Asia delegates and TTG Asia subscribers.

The fifth Asia for Asia Conference, organised by the Singapore Tourism Board in conjunction with The Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus (AACVB), will be held in Singapore for the very first time this year at ITB Asia. Themed ‘Asia Rising: The Future of Meetings’, this year’s Asia for Asia Conference will explore the macro trends of the Asian travel industry, offering valuable insights and learnings from the experts, innovators, leaders and trendsetters of the meetings industry. The Asia for Asia Conference will be held on 20 October and attendance is by invitation only for selected ITB Asia delegates.

Encouraged by the overwhelming success of the introduction of ITB Asia Association Day last year, the conference will be back this year on 20 October as well as with new features such as a specialist forum dedicated to understanding and growing the association meeting sector in Asia. Renowned Association speakers will helm in-depth panel discussions on topics relating to association management and the challenges in holding association meetings in Asia. Association Day represents the joint collaboration and international expertise of key industry players Messe Berlin, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, Ace: Daytons Direct and Suntec Singapore. Entry is open to ITB Asia hosted Association buyers only.

Held in conjunction with ITB Asia, the seventh Web In Travel (WIT), will once again see the gathering of leaders in the travel distribution, marketing and technology industry. The intense two-day WIT conference centered around the theme ‘Find Your Groove’ (18-19 October) will be preceded by ‘WITovation Bootcamp - Entrepreneurship & Innovation’ (17 October) and followed by four ‘ITB Asia Clinics’ (20-21 October). Delegates interested in attending WIT can register separately at www.webintravel.com.

Focusing on industry how-tos with tips from experts such as TripAdvisor and RateTiger, ‘ITB Asia Clinics’ is free for all ITB Asia 2011 visitors and exhibitors.

ITB Asia is a unique international platform that unites the travel and tourism industry to exchange valuable insights and business leads; attracting 6,605 attendees and 720 exhibitors from over 60 countries in 2010. ITB Asia is also a partner event of TravelRave, a mega travel and tourism festival week organised by the Singapore Tourism Board to be held in Singapore in October 2011.