Digital scanning
at ITB Berlin
Messe Berlin has commissioned the largest photovoltaic roof system in Berlin
and cooling systems. These gains are reinforced by energy-efficient heating and cooling upgrades, including waste-heat recovery, expected to deliver additional CO2 savings of up to 5,400 tonnes annually once fully implemented. Beyond energy, Messe Berlin is working towards more circular event operations, including modular and reusable stand systems, improved waste management, sustainable catering and responsible supply chains. Digital building and venue management systems support smarter resource use, improved safety and smoother crowd flows, demonstrating how sustainability and efficiency can be engineered into venue operations at scale. Within this context, ITB Berlin functions as a practical testbed for digital event design. The show is heavily focused on digitalisation, using AI for personalised travel experiences, smart booking systems and virtual assistants, while showcasing a wide range of travel and tourism technologies that are transforming the sector.
Intelligent matchmaking, enhanced wayfinding, integrated scheduling and data-driven attendee insights reflect the same tools reshaping business travel and events globally. A central element of this digital layer is the ITB Navigator and ITB event app, which support both pre-event planning and on-site navigation. The app requires no login and offers a comprehensive exhibitor and product directory, an interactive venue map, and an up-to-date event and convention programme with practical filter options. Users can bookmark sessions, save personal highlights, add notes and access all key trade show information at a glance. Content within the app is aligned with the ITB Navigator, creating a cohesive digital orientation system across the show. The app is available in German and English for iOS and Android. Digital access extends beyond the venue. Selected sessions are livestreamed on YouTube, enabling remote participation and extending reach, while QR-code-based
accreditation streamlines entry and reduces friction at arrival points. ITB Berlin also actively promotes digital solutions that support sustainability and seamless guest experiences, including eSIM connectivity, smart technologies and digital key management, reducing reliance on physical materials and enabling more efficient, connected journeys. Visitors benefit from AI-driven insights, digital navigation tools and exposure to a broad spectrum of technology innovations showcased across the exhibition halls, from booking platforms and data analytics to sustainability tools and smart mobility solutions. Increasingly, the event experience mirrors the ideas discussed on stage: smarter, more efficient and more accountable. Taken together, Messe Berlin and ITB Berlin offer a real-world working model of how AI, sustainability and digitalisation can be applied in real time, under real-world constraints, not simply discussed in theory, but embedded into the design and delivery of large-scale global events.
with social value, and adaptive experiences that respond to emotional and behavioural signals. “Metaverse and digital twins of events and destinations will support scenario planning, resilience and sustainability governance,” he adds. “Crucially, power will continue to shift towards travellers, who will expect transparency, agency and meaningful participation in shaping experiences.” As we approach the end of the decade, the operators thriving in the MICE sector will be those engineered for digital and ESG success. The strategic challenges for policymakers and organisers is orchestrating trust-based ecosystems that align AI capabilities with human values. As Buhalis notes, those who listen to travellers and design from the bottom-up will lead the next era of events and tourism.
agendas, personalise learning pathways and influence event design before, during and after participation. Policy frameworks are therefore evolving to support interoperability, data sharing across ecosystems and responsible AI deployment, rather than isolated technological adoption.” The tools that lend themselves to experience-first, frictionless design will ultimately become the tools that are retained and honed as we move towards the events of the future. Things once on the fringe have become baselines for global best practice. Getting personal and predictive By 2030 and beyond, Buhalis says events will function as intelligent service ecosystems. AI will anticipate needs rather than respond to them, enabling predictive crowd flows, dynamic pricing aligned
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