Because I am on my way! This morning I left my new Island home and my car will carry me onboard two different ferries before I reach your Berlin home tonight.
I know you are just a trade show, but you are the symbol of so much. It was with you we were angry and disappointed when you cancelled in 2020, when many of us already had our bags packed and were on our way to the airport. It was you who made everyone understand that something serious is about to descend upon us. Some of us refused to accept it, we went anyway and networked at hastily booked meeting spaces and went to parties that refused to be cancelled. Little did we know that it would be the last time we hugged our dear industry friends for more than two years.
What happened next, we are all sick of talking about, but none of us will ever forget. The silences. The empty highways. The crazy locked-up kids and their equally going-nuts parents. The sadness of missing our loved ones. The fear.
But its over now. And as I stand on the ferry and watch the sea, the feeling of freedom that we so took for granted before COVID is stronger than ever. We are free, and we are going to ITB.
Our beautiful industry is so resilient. This year will be my 15th in-person ITB – yeah, fifteen ITBs of being down and dirty with either one of two world leading PMS companies! Probably that makes me resilient too. I mean, there is only so much PMS any human can take one would think (no, there is not, I can take it forever because PMS is amazing!).
This year I am here without a PMS but with my heart full of ITB and excitement to see all my friends. So much has changed, and yet nothing has changed.
Let’s celebrate our freedom, our industry and all the wonderful #hoteltech wonders we have created since last time. I am ready to cruise the floors, to hand out an unlimited number of hugs and nobody will be able to wipe the smile of my face.
See you soon friends – I can’t wait.
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