This year’s Polish Congress Ambassadors Gala took place on 14 September 2017 at the ICE Kraków Congress Centre. Honorary Polish Congress Ambassadors were joined by 17 persons, mainly representatives of science, who contributed to the development of the meetings industry in Poland. The gala ceremony was an occasion for holding a meeting between the Ambassadors and jury members, program organisers and meetings industry professionals.

The Polish Congress Ambassadors program is realized together by the Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna - POT) and the Polish Conference and Congress Association (Stowarzyszenie “Konferencje i Kongresy w Polsce”); its objective is to distinguish persons who actively and with great commitment secure the organisation of congresses in Poland. By representing our country in assorted international structures Congress Ambassadors make use of their extensive and significant contacts for the promotion of Poland, her culture and scientific achievements.

The event made a symbolic reference to the “Kraków – the City of Stanisław Wyspiański” culture project conducted to mark the 110th anniversary of the death of the artist. Motifs characteristic for the Wyspiański oeuvre were displayed throughout the ceremony. A laser connection between ICE Kraków and Wawel Castle, where Wyspiański wanted to install a Polish Acropolis, was a symbolic reference to the ideas propounded by him.

Guests were welcomed by Andrzej Kulig, Deputy Mayor of Kraków for Social Policy, Culture and City Promotion and host of this year’s Gala, together with Patryk Antonik, acting President of the Polish Tourism Organisation, and Anna Jędrocha, President of the Polish Conference and Congress Association. Prof. dr hab. Marek Pawełczyk, Vice-Rector for Science and Development at the Silesian University of Technology, spoke in the name of the program’s jury, stressing the importance of the project. The honorary patron of the Gala was the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.

The ceremony of presenting statuettes to Honorary Ambassadors was preceded by a laudation given by members of the Polish Congress Ambassadors Jury and Polish Congress Ambassadors – winners of the title in previous years.  

The group of Honorary Polish Congress Ambassadors was joined by:

• Grzegorz Borowski, infoShare
Foundation

• Prof. dr hab. Jerzy Hausner, Cracow University of Economics 


• Prof. dr hab. Piotr Jędrzejowicz, Gdynia Maritime University 


• Prof. dr hab. engineer Joanna Józefowska, Poznań University of Technology, Institute of Computing Science, Laboratory of Operations Research and Artificial Intelligence

• Czesław Lang, Lang Team Co. Ltd.


• Prof. dr hab. Jan Malicki, Silesian Library


• Prof. dr hab. Józef Modelski, Warsaw University of Technology, Institute of Radioelectronics and Multimedia Technology


• Prof. dr hab. medical sciences Andrzej Ochała, The Prof. Leszek Giec Upper-Silesian Medical Centre


• Andrzej Ociepa, Municipal Public Library in Wrocław 


• Prof. dr hab. Marek Pajek, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce 


• Prof. dr hab. medical sciences Ingrid Różyło-Kalinowska, Independent Unit of Propedeutics of Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology, Medical University of Lublin 


• Prof. dr hab. medical sciences Janusz Skalski, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum Department of Pediatrics 


• dr engineer Włodzimierz Strupiński, Institute of Electronic Materials Technology 


• Prof. dr hab. Tadeusz Wallas, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań


• Prof. dr hab. medical sciences Grzegorz Wallner, 2nd Department of General, Gastroenterological and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Independent Public Teaching Hospital No.1 in Lublin 


• dr medical sciences Maciej Żarow, dentist


• dr hab. Jolanta Żyśko, Warsaw School of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

 The number of persons distinguished in the program conducted for the past 17 years already totals 255. In the course of the evening representatives of the Chapter announced a new category in the Polish Congress Ambassadors program – the Polish Congresses Patron. The largest congress held in 2016, i.e. FDI World Dental Congress, which took place in Poznań, was also distinguished. Małgorzata Przygróska-Skowron, head of Kraków Convention Bureau, presented recommendation certificates for Professional Congress Organisers and Incentive Travel Organisers active in Kraków and the Małopolska region to the following firms:

PCO: Jordan Group, DMC Poland, A05, Konrad Kozioł Organization, Mazurkas Congress & Conference Management, Promenada, Symposium Cracoviense, Targi w Krakowie


DMC: Intercrac DMC, DMC Poland, Exprofesso, Mazurkas DMC Poland, Jordan Group, Jan-Pol DMC Poland.

 The Gala finale consisted of a concert given by Stanisław Soyka and Cracow Singers. Jan Mazurczak, CEO/Poznań Convention Bureau, invited all those present to the next Polish Congress Ambassadors Program Gala, which will be held in the exhibition space of the Poznań International Fair.