The Destination Poland 2.0 event kicked off with an inspiring speech from Marcin Różycki, Vice-President of the Polish Tourism Organisations. The event was divided into two equally fascinating parts that kept the attendees engaged and entertained throughout. Moving Forward Together - key takeaways from the Poland Convention Bureau's recent event.

The annual meeting of the Polish convention bureaux

At the annual meeting of the convention bureaux held at the NYX hotel, we had the pleasure of hosting representatives from various institutions. They shared their achievements from the previous year and presented plans and projects for 2023. During the morning session, we also learned about upcoming international events to be organized in the coming years. Among them were representatives from:

• Kraków Convention Bureau
• Gdansk Convention Bureau
• Warsaw Convention Bureau
• Poznań Convention Bureau
• Łódź Convention Bureau
• Convention Bureau - Wrocław
• Mazovia Convention Bureau
• Silesia Convention Bureau
• Lubelskie Convention Bureau

It's worth noting that there are currently nine city and three regional convention bureaus operating in Poland.

In 2023, the existing CVBs in Poland were joined by the reactivated Mazovia Convention Bureau (within the structures of the Mazovian Tourist Organization) and the new Silesia Convention Bureau (operating within the Silesian Tourist Organization). More information can be found in the article -New convention bureau has just been launched in Poland.

Aneta Książek, Head of the Poland Convention Bureau, also presented marketing plans and initiatives for the upcoming months of 2023. It included national and international activities and projects, incl. Ambassador Program, collaboration with ICCA, IBTM events and IMEX trade shows.

Eventprofs Creators Lab with experts

Get ready to be inspired! The second part of the event was absolutely incredible, as we were joined by some of the brightest minds in the industry, including representatives of PolishPCO, DMC, and ITC. The highlight of the afternoon was the launch of an exciting new project - the Eventprofs Creators Lab - which promises to be a game-changer in the world of events and content creation for MICE destinations.

Natasha de Caiado Castro - the power of women changing the world and the industry

But that's not all - we were also thrilled to have a very special guest, the amazing Natasha de Caiado Castro. Her presentation was an absolute tour-de-force, as she shared invaluable insights into the American market and gave us a fascinating glimpse into how different generations consume content and communicate on the internet. Everyone in attendance was blown away by her knowledge and expertise, and we're all eager to see how we can apply these insights to our own work in the industry.

Get ready to be amazed by today's speaker at the Destination Poland 2.0 event - Natasha de Caiado Castro! She's the founder and executive director of Wish International, a renowned author of Marketing Experience, and an active member of both the San Francisco Travel Association and the United Nations SV Women Committee. As a sustainability enthusiast, she's also an IMEX ambassador for hosted buyers, making her an expert in the field of event planning and marketing.

But that's not all! Natasha is also President of the Jury of the prestigious UN Women USA Rise and Raise Others Award, which showcases her passion for empowering and uplifting women. We were thrilled to have such an accomplished and inspiring speaker at the event!

Dagmara Plata-Alf -  neverlasting power of e-marketing

The inspiration session also included exciting digital marketing workshops, led by the amazing Dagmara Plata-Alf! She is a true expert and passionate enthusiast of marketing and new technologies, with a focus on strategic consulting in internet marketing and automation of marketing and sales processes. Her workshop was packed with insights, tips, and practical strategies that were both informative and engaging, making it an unforgettable experience for all attendees.

Dagmara Plata-Alf is the chairwoman of the Marketing and Digital Transformation Council and a lecturer at the Department of Marketing at Kozminski University in Warsaw. Managing Director at Hotel Media Group and Head of Digital Marketing at clickaMY adsy. Author of numerous articles in the field of marketing and management, pursuing her passion and sharing her knowledge also during guest lectures at many industry conferences, including I love marketing, IAB Forum, New trends in tourism, Meetings Week or the European Marketing Academy Conference.

Dagmara Plata-Alf's workshop was a highlight of the Eventprofs Creators Lab. Her expertise and enthusiasm for marketing and new technologies were well-received by the participants, who gave enthusiastic reviews of her workshop.

During the workshop, Dagmara focused on the importance of digital marketing in the MICE industry and destination marketing. She shared her knowledge on how to effectively use digital marketing tools to reach and engage with potential clients and customers, as well as how to use automation to streamline marketing and sales processes.

Dagmara's workshop was highly informative and engaging, and the participants left with a deeper understanding of how to leverage digital marketing to grow their businesses and promote their destinations. Overall, her contribution to the Eventprofs Creators Lab was invaluable, and the positive feedback from the attendees is a testament to her expertise and skill as a workshop facilitator.

Networking and new opportunities

As previously mentioned, events organized by the Poland Convention Bureau provide excellent networking opportunities. They offer a chance to exchange experiences and strengthen business cooperation. On February 28th of this year, representatives from various professional congress organizers (PCOs) attended, including Allegro Brand Experience Agency, Argentum Event, Creative Poland, DMC Poland, FSWO Sp. z o.o., Grupa MTP - Poznań Congress Center, JAN-POL DMC POLAND, Jordan Group, Mazurkas Congress Management, RELAGO, Symposium Cracoviense Sp. z o. o., and Tarifa Corporate Events.

The incentive travel segment was represented by representatives of Allegro Brand Experience Agency, Argentum Event, DMC Poland, INTERCRAC DMC, JAN-POL DMC POLAND, Jordan Group, Mazurkas DMC Poland, Tarifa Corporate Events and Travel Projekt DMC Poland

The gathering allowed for valuable conversations and connections to be made between these leading companies in the events industry.

This is not the end, it is just the beginning

The event concluded with a ceremony where the Poland Convention Bureau awarded POT certificates to recommended Convention Bureaux, professional congress organizers (PCO), and professional incentive travel organizers (ITC). The certificate awarded for the years 2023-2024 confirms that the recommended entities maintain high standards of services, reliability, and professionalism in the meetings industry. The list of recommended entities can be viewed in the article Recommendations of the Poland Convention Bureau POT for 2023-2024 granted.

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE EVENT organized at the NYX Warsaw hotel below

At the end we extend our warm congratulations to all the entities that received the POT certificates and invite them to join us at the upcoming events arranged by the Poland Convention Bureau.