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Cologne Business School tourism students crown the best booths at the ITB Berlin 2016

All News, Inside CBS   -  8. March 2015

Press Release, March 12th 2016

Over 30 bachelor and master’s students at the Cologne Business School studying for a degree in tourism evaluated all 11,000 exhibition booths in three days at the world’s biggest trade show for tourism before awarding the best in 11 individual categories and 1 special category.

The team – led by Dean of Tourism, Prof. Dr. Patrick Merten and Martina Leicher, Director of the tourism business consulting, COMPASS – worked in close collaboration with Messe Berlin, coordinating with them the booth assessment criteria lists in advance.

The evaluation is carried out in two stages; the fifteen best exhibitors from the first round are then scrutinized in a second pass by another team equipped with a more extensive questionnaire. This ensures maximum transparency. The ten best-rated exhibitors in each category have been invited to the final awards ceremony tonight at the Palais am Funkturm.

Prof. Dr. Merten welcomed the more than 700 guests and summarized the last months saying, „Tonight, the bestowal of the ‚Best Exhibitor Awards’ represents a special conclusion of a trade fair that for most of us, along with fascination and great impressions, means hard work, forward planning and a lot of responsibility. For all of us, therefore, this award show is probably a welcome change and a good opportunity for a very nice trade fair finale. For the team of Cologne Business School students, tonight is the culmination of a multi-month project, which was driven by great vigor, high personal commitment and attention to detail.“

The ensuing awards ceremony was a cultural celebration: dance groups, artists and comedians demonstrated once again just how impressive and important the Best Exhibitor Awards are to the industry.

After a 90-minute live performance, guests crowded into the lounge area to celebrate their success with cold drinks and snacks and to relax after an exciting day at the fair.
Pictures of the event will be available on Monday, March 14th at the CBS press office.

More information as well as the criteria list and exhibitor guide can be found at:

Please find further information here.

Winners 2016:

Category Best of Best: Costa Rica

Category Africa:
1. Egypt
2. Kenya
3. Tunesia
4. Namibia
5. Ethiopia
6. South Africa
7. Morocco
8. Botswana
9. Rwanda
10. Uganda

Category America:
1. Costa Rica
2. Colombia
3. Mexico
4. Dominican Republic
5. Ecuador
6. Panama
7. Chile
8. New York
9. Peru
10. Argentina

Category Asia/Australia/Oceania:
1. Indonesia
2. Korea
3. Indien
4. Maldives
5. Sri Lanka
6. Philippines
7. Madhya Predesh
8. Kazakhstan
9. Fiji
10. Malaysia

Category Carriers:
1. Lufthansa
2. Emirates
3. Sixt
4. Qatar Airways
5. Turkish Airlines
6. Europcar
7. AirBerlin
8. Thai Airways
9. Deutsche Bahn
10. Oman Air

Category Europe:
1. Austria
2. Turkey
3. Südtirol
4. Canary Islands
5. Slovenia
6. Liechtenstein
7. Ungarn
8. Ibiza
9. Nordzypern
10. Romania

Category Germany:
1. Sachsen
2. Bayern
3. Niedersachsen
4. Schleswig- Holstein
5. Bremen & Bremerhaven
6. Munich Airport
7. visitBerlin
8. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
9. Nordrhein-Westfalen
10. Ruhr Tourismus

Category Hotel Business:
1. Dorint Hotel und Resorts
2. 7 Pines Hotels and Resorts
3. Vienna House
4. Lindner Hotels
5. Design Hotels
6. Central Hospitality International
7. Kempinski Hotels
8. Steigenberger Hotel Group
9. Iberostar Hotels und Resorts
10. Titanic Hotels

Category Near Middle East:
1. Abu Dhabi
2. Sharjah
3. Qatar
4. Ras Al Khaimah
5. Ajman
6. Israel
7. Oman
8. Bahrain
9. Dubai
10. Jordanien

Category Travel Organisation:
1. L’TUR
2. HolidayPirates
3. JT Touristik
4. Hapag- Lloyd
5. Lernidee Erlebnisreisen
6. RUF Reisen
7. Alte Schule Jugendreisen
8. Schauinsland Reisen
9. Poseidon Expeditions
10. Express Travel International

Category Travel Support and Media:
1. Globetrotter
2. Welthungerhilfe
3. Common Wadden Sea Secretariat
4. Danube Competence Center
5. Beyoglu Investors Group BIG
6. TAV Airport Holding
7. Hanse Merkur Reiseversicherungen
8. Verband Deutsches Reisemanagement
9. Value Retail
10. Brot für die Welt – Tourism Watch

Category Travel Technology:
2. Simple Booking
3. HRS
4. IDeaS
5. Suitepad
6. Bewotec
7. ISO Travel Solutions
9. hotelkit
10. trivago
