5 things to look forward to at ITB Berlin 2021

On the 9 – 12 March, the travel and hospitality industry will gather digitally at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show. Hoteliers converge on the event to get up to speed on the latest news and trends sweeping the sector and meet with a range of suppliers and clients. Preparing for a convention of this scale in its new virtual format may be daunting, so here is a snapshot of some key things to look forward to during the week.

1. Connect with peers and partners

With industry peers all in one place, ITB presents the ideal opportunity to catch-up with partners old and new and network with contacts and thought leaders. OTA Insight’s dedicated team will once again be in attendance and on hand to talk about all things rates and revenue management.

If you are interested to learn more about OTA Insight and our revenue and distribution management solutions, please book an appointment here. 

2. Attend the ITB Berlin Oaky party

With a week of meetings, panel discussions and presentations planned it’s more than likely you’ll want to let your hair down. Berlin’s famous bars and clubs may be off limit this year but Oaky has you covered.

Oaky, the industry leading upselling platform for hotels, and OTA Insight partner, will be holding an ITB Berlin afterparty on Tuesday 9 March at 16:30 CET. The virtual meeting space will be hosted by Oaky Co-founder and DJ, Erik Tengen and Oaky Data Analyst, Diego Favoretto, aka DJ Favoretto. You can sign up for a ticket here.

3. The power of forward-looking data

Exhibitor presentations run throughout the week at ITB and one theme which will be front of mind for most at this year’s show is how to effectively rebound from the pandemic. The path to recovery is getting shorter each day and it is now time for hoteliers to identify how to be successful in a new normal. This means developing a strategy which applies actionable, forward-looking data to accurately predict and capture the inevitable shift in demand.

To get ahead of the competition tune in to OTA Insight’s Chief Commercial Officer and Co-founder, Gino Engels, presenting on "Why it’s time to shape your revenue strategy, with forward-looking data,” on Thursday 11 March at 10:00 CET, Expo Stage 3.

4. Sustainability and the hospitality industry

Experts share knowledge and discuss opinions on a range of subjects during the virtual show. Sustainability and protecting the environment continues to be an important topic of discussion within tourism and hospitality, and with good reason. The COVID-19 pandemic will likely influence travel behaviour into the long term and present further questions around responsible travel.

On Thursday 11 at 12:00 CET, EXPO Stage 3, Fachhochschule des Mittelstands, University of Applied Sciences, FHM Berlin and InfraCert - Institute for Sustainable Development in the Hotel Industry are hosting a panel discussion titled, “Hotel guests more socially conscious than ever - capitalising on green sustainability in hotels and travel destinations". This engaging conversation will examine how hoteliers can effectively introduce green guest experiences and use sustainability activities to their advantage.

5. Latest product updates

At ITB Berlin you are privileged to hear and take inspiration from the very latest developments from across the world of travel and hospitality. At the heart of everything we do at OTA Insight is taking into account customer feedback and enhancing the functionality of our solutions. We have been working tirelessly to do just that and have significant improvements under way for both Market Insight and Rate Insight that we’re excited to preview for you at the event.

Forward looking Benchmark feature in Market Insight and Rate Insight:

• Compare vs the city-level benchmark to spot early signs of recovery
• Monitor how upper funnel demand is converting into actual business for your hotel vs your market
• Track your own occupancy and pick-up momentum day after day
• Stay on top of rapidly changing booking trends and shortening booking windows.

Rate Strategy dashboard feature for Rate Insight

• Help you define your long term pricing strategy with multiple insights in one easy-to-use dashboard
• Most important insights highlighted so you can drill down into specific elements of strategy
• Understand the impact of strategies on your pricing competitiveness
• Access to aggregated data to instantly recognise and understand trends in competitor pricing strategy
• Seamless end-to-end flow, from high level strategy to tactical price comparisons on specific dates.

ITB attracts thousands of hospitality professionals each year so make sure that you have all your meetings secured in advance by taking a look at the exhibitor list and reaching out. There’s not long to go so if you would like to organise a meeting with the OTA Insight team during the event please book an appointment here.