Dubai, 12 April 2011. The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) announced its Strategic Alliances with Karlsruhe Messe (KMK), Busworld and BEA bern expo AG today during the 59th UITP World Congress and Exhibition in Dubai.

Representing the public transport sector worldwide, the organisations share identical missions of improving public transport for the benefit of people and society. Public Transport Exhibitions organised by UITP and its partners contribute substantially to the growth of the sector and ultimately to UITP’s strategy for “Doubling the public transport market share worldwide by public transport”, known as PTx2.

“The Strategic Alliances with our Partners offer a set of meaningful differences when compared to the commercially oriented exhibitions,” said Hans Rat, Secretary General of UITP. “Our Exhibitions are catalysts for innovation and business development in the public transport sector and thus support the UITP PTx2 ambition.”

Since 2008, UITP has organised IT-TRANS, the global IT event for public transport together with the Karlsruhe Messe (KMK) every two years. The third edition will take place on 15-17 February 2012.

“We are very pleased to fruitfully combine the individual expertise of Messe Karlsruhe and UITP for the benefit of the industry and their global customers,” said Ms Britta Wirtz, CEO of Karlsruhe Messe, KMK.

“Outside Europe, UITP and Busworld will harmonise their activities of exhibition and seminars,” said Mr Yves De Laere, Busworld Vice-President.

On the occasion of its 60th UITP World Congress and Exhibition to be held in Geneva in 26-30 May 2013, BEA bern expo AG event, suissetraffic, will join the UITP “Mobility and City Transport Exhibition”. This is an exception as suissetraffic usually takes place every two years in September.

“We thought that two such important events like suissetraffic and UITP put together would serve the industry better than held separately in the same country in the same year,” said Mr Brand, CEO of BEA Bern expo AG.

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Notes to Editors

UITP (International Association of Public Transport) is the international network for public transport authorities and operators, policy decision-makers, scientific institutes and the public transport supply and service industry. It is a platform for worldwide cooperation, business development and the sharing of know-how between its 3,400 members from 92 countries. UITP is the global advocate for public transport and sustainable mobility, and the promoter of innovations in the sector. For more information, please visit www.uitp.org. For more information about the 59th UITP World Congress and Mobility & City Transport Exhibition, please visit http://www.uitpdubai2011.org.

For more information about the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA), please visit www.rta.ae.

UITP Press contact: Sarah D'Angelo | Press Junior Manager

Direct phone: +32 (0)2 6636639 | Fax: +32 (0)2 6601072 | sarah.dangelo@uitp.org