ITB Berlin 2023: High-profile Lineup for Opening Ceremony on March 6

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gariashvili will open ITB Berlin 2023 on March 6 during a special event that will include a showcase of traditional Georgian dances and music.

Scheduled to take place on the eve of the first day of the trade show, at the CityCube Berlin for invited guests, the official opening ceremony will be hosted by ITB Berlin and Georgia, the host country of this year’s world leading travel trade show.

The event will be attended by high-profile personalities in the travel industry, including Julia Simpson, President & CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), and Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Photo source: ITB Berlin.

The ceremony will also be graced by Dr. Robert Habeck, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and Berlin’s Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey, who will welcome guests from all over the world.

The theme for ITB’s opening show is “Infinite Georgian culture – from the beginnings of viniculture to modern avant-garde art“.

The event’s audience will be taken on a journey through the cultural and ethnic diversity of the country in the Caucasus. Divided into six acts, the opening show will feature masterpieces of Georgian performing arts from various genres, including ethno jazz, classical music, part-singing, and electronic music.

Photo source: ITB Berlin.

One of the highlights of the show will be performances by the world-famous Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet, who will showcase the diversity of Georgia on stage. The Rustavi Ensemble will also present traditional Georgian polyphony and impress the audience with its unique Georgian style of polyphonic singing.

The artistic director and chief conductor of the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra, Nikoloz Rachveli, the internationally renowned opera soprano Nino Machaidze, and the Georgian pianist Dudana Mazmanishvili will also grace the event with their participation.

Colorful traditional houses with wooden carved balconies in the Old Town of Tbilisi, Georgia. Photo source: ITB Berlin.

Other notable artists showcasing their talents at the opening ceremony include the Georgian violinist Liza Batiashvili, the Georgian composer and musician Dato Evgenidze, and Nika Machaidze, a musician, filmmaker, and artist.

ITB Berlin 2023 will take place as a pure B2B event from March 7 to 9 under the slogan “Open for Change“.

The internationally renowned ITB Berlin Convention will take place parallel to the show and will be held live on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, with selected sessions streamed on ITBxplore.