5 Keys to maximize Fitur 2024 in Spain

We would like to share with you the article we have published in TopComunicación&RRRPP about 5 keys to maximize Fitur 2024 in Spain, mainly about PR activities, but also useful for trade activities.

Today, World Tourism Day (September 27), marks the moment on the calendar to start thinking about Fitur 2024 because, even though it may not seem like it, it’s just around the corner. There are still upcoming events like Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas… But before we know it, the holidays will pass, the new year will begin, and we’ll have the Spanish Royal Family inaugurating the country’s largest tourism fair. It’s the third most important in Europe, following London’s WTM and Berlin’s ITB. So, to make the most of a tourism brand’s participation next January, it’s important to consider some key aspects. Because an event of this magnitude is a great opportunity for Public Relations.

5 Tips to prepare for your next tourism fair

The significance of this fair brings together a large number of media outlets, both print and electronic, who take the opportunity to report on the fair before and during its days of celebration.

After several years working in the tourism sector and assisting exhibitors, both destinations and companies, at Fitur, we’ve been fortunate to learn some points that make a difference.

Of all these points, here are the 5 we consider most relevant for maximizing your investment as an exhibitor in terms of visibility:

• Plan Well in Advance: Just like closing business meetings at any professional fair, it’s essential to get ahead of other exhibitors when proposing communication actions such as interviews with various spokespeople, whether from destinations or brands, so that journalists have their schedules as free as possible. In this regard, it’s also useful to know details such as the spokesperson’s title and whether they speak Spanish to inform the journalist beforehand.
• Early Invitations: Yes, just like proposing interviews, if you plan to hold an event, whether within the Ifema fairgrounds or outside the venue, being the first to secure empty slots in journalists’ calendars is crucial. Even if there are details to be determined about the event, a «save the date» is a good way to stay on the journalists’ radar.
• Identify Visitors from Other Provinces: While most travel-related journalists, both consumer and professional media, are based in Madrid, many professionals travel to the capital for Fitur from places like Barcelona, Palma, or Bilbao, for example. Since they are not there every day, it’s interesting to identify if they are coming and on which days they will attend to broaden your options. In this context, don’t forget the regional media that covers the participation of destinations or companies in their geographical area.
• Explore All Available Options and Stay Alert: Planning well in advance allows you to manage interviews, closer to the fair you can use press releases, and once at the fair, staying alert is crucial. In the latter case, it’s recommended to keep an eye on visitors passing by your stand and, if you notice they are journalists (especially if they have a microphone or camera), don’t hesitate to suggest topics for their content.
• Facilitate and Express Gratitude: As always when dealing with media exposure, journalists have specific needs and objectives when attending the fair. If they need additional materials, it’s important to make their work easier, whether they require destination videos for their TV pieces or a spokesperson who speaks Spanish for an interview, etc. And once you’ve facilitated their needs, it’s important to express gratitude to the journalist.

Some of these tips may seem very obvious, and they are. However, the daily grind often leads exhibitors to postpone fair preparation until shortly before the event. Early planning, along with a team that is clear about its objectives, greatly helps maximize the return on investment in a successful fair.

How a tourism representation office in Spain can help

As a marketing and communication agency specializing in the tourism sector, at Real, we assist various brands in the industry with the preparation and execution of fairs. This support extends from the months leading up to Fitur to during the fair itself and the subsequent moments.

We can provide assistance in various ways, including tourism representation services focused on trade relations, such as scheduling meetings, inviting to events or presentations, and more. Additionally, we can help with PR-related tasks, including drafting and sending press releases, managing interviews, extending event invitations, and more.

So, if you are planning to attend a fair in Spain, feel free to reach out to us at hola@realmarketingycomunicacion.com, and we can discuss your objectives to determine how we can assist you.