An ITB launch with leading figures from politics and tourism: this year, Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit and Federal Minister of Economics and Technology Rainer Brüderle will open ITB Berlin. The opening ceremony of ITB Berlin 2011 will take place on the eve of the first day of the fair, on 8 March, at 6 p.m. in Room 1 of the ICC Berlin.

Raimund Hosch, CEO of Messe Berlin, will address the audience, welcoming around 4,500 international members of the industry. Leading figures in the tourism industry from around the world have agreed to attend the fair. 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 hold speeches at the opening event. Representing this year’s partner country, H. E. Adam Giersz, Minister of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Poland, will also give a speech. Poland will attend the opening ceremony accompanied by a high-ranking delegation. Its most prominent member will be Lech Walesa, the former president of the Republic of Poland.

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 around 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 specialities and culinary delights, freshly imported from Poland.