The North American office of Koelnmesse has issued tips and travel information for those A&D professionals planning to attend the biannual Orgatec show, to be held October 26-30, 2010, in Cologne, Germany.

Flights: Book flights early, as the best rates are available when booking before early September. (Economy class tickets from the United States’ East Coast should start at $800.) Fly into Frankfurt, Germany’s largest and most centrally located airport; most major cities in the U.S. service direct flights to Frankfurt. The airport has its own train station, where you can take a high-speed ICE train that will reach Cologne in 58 minutes, much faster than traveling by car. Alternatively, you might consider flying into Düsseldorf, where you would take the RE trains to Cologne.

Discount offers are available to North American attendees of Orgatec. From October 19  through November 6, 2010, discounted airfares are available by using the access code “DEAPM." The German Railway (DB) also offers discounted train rides to Cologne. Tickets can be purchased at photokina-cologne.com, or by calling +49 1805-311153 and mentioning “Orgatec.”

Cologne Accommodations. For pre-booked hotels in Cologne, contact Orgatec U.S. travel partner, TTI Travel, at 212.674.3476 or cbrodsky@ttitravel.net. This outfit specializes in trade show hotels and provides advice on how accessible hotels are to the Koelnmesse fairground and interesting sites in Cologne. The agency also provides maps that outline the easiest routes to the fairground, as well as a Cologne restaurant list.

Time Management. It’s advised to leave an extra day to take in Cologne’s attractions, including the Cologne Cathedral (Dom)—which dates back to 1248 and wasn’t completed until 1880—as well as popular night spots, such as the Oldtown (Altstadt)—a large row of unique restaurants and bars—and the Brauhauses, where you will meet people from all five continents during Orgatec.

Prepare Ahead. Use the exhibitor information at www.orgatec.com to plan your trip and seek out the companies you would like to visit. You can sort the 700 exhibitors from 35 countries by product category or geography and request exhibitor meetings. Be prepared to spend time with exhibitors, as exhibitors at the show like to entertain and engage in longer talks. The organizers of Orgatec also caution all attendees to pace themselves and wear comfortable footwear —the aisles in Cologne are not carpeted and there are five halls with over 1 million sq. ft. to walk. Tired? Make use of the comfortable seating and lounge areas along the ORGATEC Boulevard to relax or network with industry associates from all over the world.

Show hours are 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. on all days. For in-depth event information, log on to www.orgatec.com