On 26 June, the 23rd edition of workshops for the meetings and events industry organised by the Belgian platform BBT Online took place in the Royal Library in Brussels. Poland was represented by Aneta Książek from Poland Convention Bureau and Dominika Szulc from the PTO International Office in Brussels. The participants of the event were 120 selected representatives of corporations and associations as well as organisers of business events, including conferences and incentive trips from the Belgian market.

The event in Brussels consisted of two parts: the first encompassed various networking activities, including culinary workshops, a bicycle tour in Brussels with StreetArt workshop and an eco-workshop for arranging mini compositions based on moss and plants. The second part was a B2B speed dating session that ended with dinner and evening networking.

Brussels is the seat of many international associations, so the presence of Polish representatives at this dedicated event is of great importance. It gives an opportunity to build contacts and confirm the role of Poland as the leader in Central Europe for meetings and events.

One example of the meetings was a conversation with representatives of the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA). It will result in a conference of the association in Kraków already in the autumn of this year.

„Currently, organising business events in Poland is difficult due to the uncertain geopolitical situation, especially since many associations and corporations have their own internal policy based on minimising risk. The business talks confirming the events for the fourth quarter of 2023 and future years are all the more satisfying, said Dominika Szulc, Director of the PTO International Office in Brussels.

„Air connections remain the most important factor in the choice of the final destination by meeting planners from abroad. Due to the direct connection between Brussels and Warsaw (LOT Polish Airlines and Brussels Airlines), Warsaw and Kraków dominated among inquiries for incentive groups (40-80 people), added Aneta Książek, head of Poland Convention Bureau.  

The Polish presentation at the workshops was complemented by a dedicated newsletter, in which the Polish Tourism Organisation presented industry news, including:

• Information about selected recommended MICE organisers (PCO and ITC),
• Warsaw having won the title of European Best Destination,
• announcement of the host of Velo-city 2025 - Gdansk.

BBT Online based in Belgium is a media company whose mission is to provide reliable information, implement tools supporting the process of organising events, as well as initiating and organising events to integrate the sector and increase sales. Its offer reaches 10,000 readers from the Benelux countries and 10,000 contacts in neighbouring countries (the Netherlands, France, the UK and Germany).