Governing mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit, Federal minister of economics Rainer Brüderle, and Adam Giersz, minister of sport and tourism of the Republic of Poland, will open ITB Berlin next week.

Lech Walesa will be the Polish guest of honour, as the event begins with an avant-garde programme of shows and a gala reception in March 8th.

Raimund Hosch, chief executive of Messe Berlin – where the event is being staged - will address the audience, welcoming around 4,500 international members of the industry.

Taleb Rifai, general secretary of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and Klaus Laepple, president of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW), will also give speeches at the opening event.

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Taking as its slogan Move your Imagination, Poland will present a spectacular show wit interactive elements.

The climax of the evening gala will be a multimedia show telling the story of Poland, in cutting-edge 3D on a 26-metre diameter screen.

The story centres on a white cube which repeatedly appears throughout Poland’s promotional campaign. By moving the easy-to-operate cube around the guests at this opening evening can interact directly with the 3D world and influence events on the screen.

In order to dispel traditional views about Poland each spot has been designed in a different way.

The spectrum includes comics, a picturesque film about the country’s nature attractions, a film about football, which was inspired by commercials, as well as a big dance show which combines real and virtual worlds.

A 3D formation of dancers provides the backdrop to a performance by a group called VOLT and to dancers from the You Can Dance programme, choreographed by Agustin Egurrola.

Afterwards the partner country of ITB will invite guests to sample typical regional specialties and culinary delights, freshly imported from Poland.

More Information

ITB Berlin 2011 will take place on the eve of the first day of the fair, on March 8th, at 18:00 in Room 1 of the ICC Berlin.