Humanoid robot at tourism and MICE fairs (ITB Berlin, IMEX, IBTM, WTM, TT Warsaw): roles, stand rules and who provides it

A humanoid robot on a tourism or MICE trade fair stand works best as a multilingual host: it greets visitors, talks about a destination, hotel or conference venue, invites people to meetings and poses for photos. At these fairs buyers compare dozens of stands in a single day, so what counts is something that makes them stop for a moment and gives them a reason to talk to a sales person. The robot is best rented from a company that brings it with its own operators and prepares its conversations for the specific offer.

MERA Robotics (Warsaw, Poland) rents Unitree G1 and Unitree H2 humanoid robots with its own operators for trade fairs in Poland and abroad. Below we cover the main tourism and MICE fairs in Europe, the robot's roles, stand technical requirements, the rules and the criteria for choosing a partner.

At which tourism and MICE fairs does a humanoid robot make sense?

A humanoid robot makes the most sense at large international fairs, where exhibitors compete for the attention of buyers from many countries. The key dates for the coming months:

According to the organiser, ITB Berlin brought together 97,000 trade visitors and 5,600 exhibitors from more than 166 countries in 2026. IBTM World draws exhibitors from more than 150 countries. In Poland, the largest is TT Warsaw at Ptak Warsaw Expo in Nadarzyn; this year's edition ran from 8 to 11 October 2026, so the next one is worth planning well ahead.

On a national or regional stand, the robot usually works for several co-exhibitors at once (hotels, tour operators, convention bureaus), so the conversation script has to be agreed with all of them.

What can a humanoid robot do on a tourism stand?

A humanoid robot on a tourism stand has several roles that can be combined during the day:

1. Multilingual host. It greets visitors in their language and briefly introduces the destination, hotel or venue.
2. Guide to the offer. It answers questions about meeting rooms, access and attractions, provided it gets a prepared knowledge base.
3. Booking meetings. It directs interested buyers to a sales person or the meeting table.
4. Photos and video. It poses for photos and records short clips that the exhibitor publishes during the fair.
5. Stage moment. It appears in a slot of the stand programme, for example at the launch of a new destination.

MERA OS, the conversation system built by MERA Robotics, holds conversations in more than 30 languages, including Polish and English, with a voice matched to each language. This is how MERA Robotics works, for example: the robot gets an event profile with knowledge about the client and the programme, and on site it is run by the company's operators, who keep spare batteries at hand. How to prepare the content: knowledge and conversation script for an event robot; on the ambassador role: robot brand ambassador.

Which stand technical requirements should you check?

A humanoid robot on a stand is subject to the fair's technical regulations, which each organiser publishes separately. For example, Messe Frankfurt's regulations for Light + Building 2026 require approval for, among other things, stands larger than 100 m² and constructions and exhibits taller than 4 m, limit noise to 70 dB at the stand boundary and ask exhibitors to agree planned demonstrations with their neighbours in advance. Aisles and emergency exits must stay clear during set-up and dismantling as well. Before a specific fair, check the regulations that apply to it.

In practice, before a tourism fair plan:

• registration of the robot as a moving exhibit and a separate zone where it only moves with an operator,
• sound within the noise limit, because tourism stands with music and shows sit right next to each other,
• power and a place for chargers out of visitors' reach,
• a separate router with a SIM card, because hall Wi-Fi is often overloaded,
• a battery plan for the whole day: how long a humanoid robot runs on battery.

Organisational details are in our guides on a humanoid robot at a trade fair and a robot on a stand abroad.

Which rules apply to an AI robot at trade fairs in the EU?

A humanoid robot that talks to visitors is subject to the EU AI Act and the GDPR. According to the European Commission, the AI Act entered into force on 1 August 2024 and has applied since 2 August 2026. Article 50 requires that people know they are talking to an AI system, unless this is obvious. With a humanoid it usually is, but the robot can simply introduce itself. If the robot films visitors, you need a notice at the stand and clear publication rules: a robot with a camera at an event: GDPR and the AI Act. For a fair in London, the robot also leaves the EU: ATA carnet, customs and batteries.

How to choose a partner for a humanoid robot at a tourism fair?

A partner for a humanoid robot at a tourism or MICE fair is best assessed against a few checkable criteria:

1. Own operators on site for the whole time the robot works.
2. Own conversation software with the languages of the buyers who visit the stand.
3. The option to give the robot a brand or destination identity: name, character, knowledge of the offer.
4. Experience with trade fairs abroad, including transport and regulations.
5. Spare batteries and a charging plan for a long fair day.
6. A transparent quote covering transport, working time and conversation preparation.

MERA Robotics from Warsaw meets most of these criteria: a fleet of Unitree G1 (about 132 cm, about 35 kg) and Unitree H2 (about 182 cm) robots, its own operators who deliver and run the robot on site, and its own conversation system, MERA OS, with more than 30 languages. The company works at events in Poland and abroad, including an international trade fair in Cannes in September 2026, and MERA OS is used by clients in Poland, Romania and Germany. The robot can also have its own brand identity, meaning a name, a character and knowledge of the offer, and MERA Robotics runs the robot Edward Warchocki, who has been covered by Reuters, CNN and BBC News, among others. Robots for rent and for sale are listed in our catalogue of robots for rent and sale.

Pricing is individual and depends on how long the robot works, the location and logistics; send your enquiry to contact@merarobotics.com or use the form on merarobotics.com.