“Content, commerce and communication” – the formula of a successful event, according to David Ruetz

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Over the past six decades, ITB has grown from a single trade show in Berlin into one of the world’s leading travel industry brands. For Messe Berlin, it has become a core part of its international portfolio. The company is continuing to expand the brand into new markets and formats, with projects in the Americas and the MICE sector. In Shanghai during ITB China 2026, where MICE&more GLOBAL was an official media partner, we discussed the company’s global strategy and new projects with David Ruetz, Senior Vice President of Messe Berlin.  

Lina Moskvina, CEO, MICE&more: ITB has evolved from a Berlin-based trade show into a global portfolio of events. How would you describe the key stages in this international expansion?

David Ruetz, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin: Our story began in 1966 – the year the ITB brand was born. This year, in Berlin, we celebrated our 60th anniversary through a series of activities and special initiatives leading up to and throughout the anniversary edition of ITB Berlin, culminating in a major gala event.

Over the decades, we launched ITB Asia in Singapore in 2008, followed by ITB China in Shanghai in 2017. ITB India then joined the ITB brand family as the market continued to develop in the years following the pandemic.

This November, we are launching our first ITB event on the American continent. 

Lina Moskvina, CEO, MICE&more: Why did you choose Mexico as the starting point for this new project?

David Ruetz, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin: We chose Mexico because of its strategic position, allowing us to reach the entire region efficiently. As a global tourism powerhouse, Mexico combines world-class infrastructure, a rich cultural heritage, and a unique role as a key hub for travel, business, and cultural exchange across the continent.

Around 80% of the buyers will come from across the Americas – from Patagonia to Canada – while approximately 20% of exhibitors will represent destinations and companies from outside the Americas. 

Lina Moskvina, CEO, MICE&more: You are also launching CIMX, a dedicated MICE exhibition, in Beijing this November. Why was now the right time for this project, and why Beijing?

David Ruetz, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin: For many years, ITB China included a MICE section with its own conference program and hosted buyers. But now we see strong momentum returning to the sector after COVID. Recovery took time because many companies had drastically reduced event budgets during the pandemic. 

The MICE and events industry has an enormous economic impact that goes far beyond venues alone. Events activate entire destination ecosystems – hotels, taxis, shuttle services, restaurants, retail, and airports. 

We are currently developing a dedicated conference program tailored specifically to the Chinese MICE market and the needs of its buyers.

Beijing is a natural choice for the project. As the capital, it brings together associations, government institutions, and major corporations – all of which are key consumers of MICE services. CIMX is also built on a strong strategic partnership with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, allowing us to connect global MICE resources with the Chinese market while creating a platform tailored to the needs of the industry in China.

Lina Moskvina, CEO, MICE&more: What are your expectations regarding the exhibitor mix? 

David Ruetz, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin: Many of our long-term partners will join us in Beijing, alongside new partners. We expect between 9,000 and 10,000 participants overall. Naturally, the majority of buyers and trade visitors will come from China, but we are confident that international exhibitors will also represent a solid double-digit percentage.

Major hotel chains and leading airlines will certainly be present, but destinations are also a very important part of our strategy.

For example, Georgia – the host country at ITB China 2026 – is looking to expand its MICE offering, currently concentrated mainly in Tbilisi, and sees the exhibition as an opportunity to learn and develop further. 

At the same time, there are already highly mature MICE destinations – European cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, London, Vienna, and Berlin.

Even fam trips are making a strong comeback now. Countries like the Dominican Republic, for example, may showcase products that combine conference experiences with leisure travel opportunities.

Lina Moskvina, CEO, MICE&more: But you also chose a completely new name – CIMX. 

David Ruetz, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin: We wanted to differentiate it from the ITB brand, which is traditionally associated with leisure tourism. Because ITB already has such a strong and established B2B community, we felt it was important not to confuse the audience and to manage expectations correctly.

Lina Moskvina, CEO, MICE&more: I am personally looking forward to visiting the event. Our very first magazine issue was dedicated to China after my visit to CIBTM in Beijing more than eleven years ago.

Looking ahead to 2027, are there any new projects you can already announce? 

David Ruetz, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin: After sixty years in the market, our brand has become extremely valuable, we are very careful about where and how it expands.

There is significant interest from destinations around the world that approach us about launching what I would call “geographical clones” of our events.

For now, however, our main focus remains on strengthening and expanding the events we already have, while developing more vertical formats.

For example, at ITB Asia in Singapore we already have co-located TravelTech and MICE events. This model may become an important direction for future growth – either through co-located formats or through spinning off dedicated verticals, particularly in the areas of technology and MICE.

Lina Moskvina, CEO, MICE&more: How do you integrate technology into your events – both in terms of organization and visitor experience?

David Ruetz, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin: We use technologies such as automated facial recognition at entrances, badge systems, attendee analytics, and appointment scheduling platforms.

For example, at ITB China alone, our matchmaking platform facilitates over 44,000 appointments. Now we are integrating AI into these processes in two areas: intelligent matchmaking and personalized content recommendations. Let’s say you register as a visitor. You provide your professional details, interests, and position.

AI can then automatically analyze publicly available professional information about you online and generate highly relevant networking and content suggestions.

Lina Moskvina, CEO, MICE&more: All of us are overloaded with information today. What we really need is efficiency – meaningful communication, relevant contacts, and measurable results. We would be very happy to support your MICE projects through our media channels, as our audience is strongly focused on this sector. Thank you very much for the conversation. I hope we will meet again in Beijing.

David Ruetz, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin: Thank you very much.