The fifth edition of the “Łódź Creates Meetings” event, organised by the Łódź Convention Bureau, took place on 28-30 July 2024. As representatives of the Poland Convention Bureau, we had the opportunity to participate in this study trip, which was aimed at showcasing the latest venues, attractions, and places in the dynamically developing city of Łódź. Once associated mainly with the textile industry, the city is now becoming a hub of creativity and innovation, attracting many events, meetings and congresses.

Day One

The first day of the event began with the registration and checking in of participants in the Double Tree by Hilton hotel in Łódź. After a brief rest, the guests went to dinner in one of the hotel’s selected restaurants.

The hotel is more than just a hotel, as the guests found out when touring the place the next day. The DoubleTree by Hilton Łódź is also a convention and conference centre, which, thanks to its direct connection with the Wytwórnia Club, has the largest conference area in Łódź as it offers 5,000 m² of conference space, featuring 13 rooms equipped with modern devices and four concert-conference halls,  accommodating up to 1,200 participants in a single conference.

In the evening, the participants took part in concerts as part of Łódź Summer Festival. It is a free music festival that takes place every year on the last weekend of July to mark the occasion of the city’s birthday. For three days Łódź transforms into a big festival town, with multiple stages located in different parts of the city hosting concerts by Polish and international artists. The first edition of Łódź Summer Festival took place in 2023 to celebrate the 600^th anniversary of the city’s foundation and attracted a record 1 million guests.

Day Two

After getting acquainted with the offer of the DoubleTree by Hilton, the participants went to the Orientarium at the Łódź ZOO, one of the most modern facilities of its kind in Europe. Dedicated to the fauna and flora of Southeast Asia, the Orientarium features a separate entrance and a special connector to the rest of the zoo, making it ideal for organising events. It has six conference rooms, the largest of which can accommodate up to 350 people.

On the terrace of the Orientarium, participants attended creativity workshops and enjoyed refreshments, followed by watching the feeding of elephants. In addition, they saw the oceanic tunnel, which is a unique place for the organisation of festive dinners.

After a short transfer, the group visited the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź, named one of the Wonders of Poland by the National Geographic Traveler. Located in the historic White Geyer Factory, the museum not only presents the history of the textile industry, but also hosts temporary exhibitions, such as the current one, entitled “Arkadius. Powerful emotions. Confrontations”, available until 27 July 2025.

Right next to the museum is the Łódź City Culture Park, formerly known as the Open-Air Museum of Wooden Architecture, in which you can see five wooden houses, a summer villa and the oldest wooden building in Łódź – the church of St. Andrzej Bobola.

The Art_Incubator in the Art Factory is a place where event organisers got acquainted with a space supporting young artists and entrepreneurs. Before the war, these historic post-industrial buildings belonged to the factories of Karol Scheibler and Ludwik Grohman. Buildings A, B and C offer plenty of space for a variety of events, such as meetings, fairs, and festivals like the Łódź Design Festival and the Fotofestiwal - International Festival of Photography in Łódź. Visitors were most impressed by the glass hall between buildings B and C. In the latter, the Art_Inkubator also offers a concert/theatre hall for 200 people.

Then the group had lunch at the Księży Młyn Brewery (Browar Księży Młyn). The owners continue the tradition of brewing beer characteristic of Łódź breweries from the turn of the 19^th and 20^th centuries. The rooms are perfect for team-building events, conferences, trainings, fashion shows and concerts.

After splitting into teams, the group took part in “TamTu”, an urban game organised by Acora Events. This interactive game, using geolocation, tablets and gamification elements, allowed participants to discover the history of Łódź. Thanks to various tasks and challenges, they solved quizzes, took photos and recorded creative films, while getting to know places such as Ludwik Grohman Villa, Grohman Barrels, Źródliska Park, Museum of Cinematography, Karol Scheibler Factory, Herbst Palace Museum, Scheibler’s Side Track, and the famuły houses. The game ended at the Winoteka, where the participants could summarise their adventures in a pleasant atmosphere.

Winoteka - wine & more, located opposite Karol Scheibler’s cotton spinning mill, is a unique spot on the map of Łódź. Located in the heart of the historic workers’ estate on Księży Młyn, Winoteka also has a charming garden. The owners take care of every detail and ensure the highest quality of products. It is an ideal place for meetings for smaller groups who appreciate a unique atmosphere and excellent wines.

Another point of the walk around Księży Młyn was the Academic Design Centre, where the participants had the opportunity to see exhibitions of contemporary art. This place is also available for various types of meetings and events.

The evening ended with a visit to EC1 Łódź – City of Culture. Participants had the opportunity to go up to the observation deck on the cooling tower, which offered an impressive view of the city at sunset. The day ended with a gala dinner under the boilers, featuring a concert by Ewelina Hak – Jazzy Performance.

The EC1 machine hall is the largest and most impressive space of this complex. EC1 has hosted many prestigious events, such as the Light Move Festival, the European Universities Games 2022, the See Bloggers Conference, and the Routes Europe 2023 gala.

Day three

The day began with a visit to the tallest skyscraper in Łódź. Hi-Piotrkowska offers conference rooms on the first floor with a view of the Unicorn Stable. Then the group visited the event space on the 19^th floor of the skyscraper, soon to be open. The same floor also has an observation deck, offering panoramic views of Łódź from three sides.

On the way to the next point of the agenda, the group saw Stare Kino Cinema Residence in Łódź, a winner of the Polish Tourism Organisation certificate.

After a short walk down Piotrkowska Street, the group reached the Grand Hotel Łódź – the city’s most recognisable hotel, which, after renovation, became the first five-star hotel in Łódź. Built in the 1880s in the representative Piotrkowska Street, the building currently offers meeting organisers more than 150 rooms and suites as well as event rooms: Malinowa, Złota, the space of the Theatre with a foyer and the courtyard of the building.

The Theatre room became the venue for another interactive game, conducted and organised with the use of tablets and apps from the Łódź company Seven Events. Participants had the chance to discover fascinating facts and curiosities about Łódź, enriching their experience with new information about this dynamically developing city.

The next point of the programme was networking in the conference room of the Łódź Tourism Organisation in Piotrkowska Street. During 15-minute conversations in the form of speed dating sessions, meeting planners met other local service providers and representatives of hotels, cultural facilities and conference centres.

After taking the Trambus tourist trolley through the streets of Łódź, the participants visited the newly opened Pietryna Hotel. There, they were treated to an extraordinary attraction – the opportunity to visit a normally closed sukkah. The four-star hotel is located in a historic tenement house in ul. Piotrkowska, and the painstakingly renovated and intriguingly designed interiors offer over 50 rooms.

Following a brief presentation of the REGIO Initiative Centre for Development in the Pietryna Hotel’s conference room, participants set off on a staged walk organised by this institution, which protects the local heritage. The walk took the participants to the turn of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, where they could listen to fascinating stories of the daughters of Łódź manufacturers. Walking down Piotrkowska, representatives of the MICE industry visited the courtyard of a tenement house with the art installation Birth of the Day, The Industrialists sculpture, Róża’s Passage and the newly revitalised Plac Wolności, or Freedom Square. Period costumes of the guides attracted everyone’s attention, showing how such productions can enrich incentive travel programmes and other events.

The Black World workshop turned out to be the most moving moments of the day. Over 100 m² of carefully designed spaces, in total darkness, the participants had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of the blind. Under the watchful eye of an experienced blind guide, they could experience the daily challenges that blind people face, learning how they function in the world around them. This extraordinary experience made a deep impression on all participants, leaving them with a new perspective and understanding.

The last point of the day was a visit to Manuarte, an unusual place in Manufaktura. that combines the history of Łódź and Cuba with art, music and cuisine. The unique tour of the place was personally led by Agustin Egurrola. The celebrity choreographer vividly described Cuba and presented the various spaces of Manuarte, which can be used for organising events. It was here that the Łódź Club of Polish Congress Ambassadors was inaugurated last year.

The official end of the study trip took place during lunch in Manuarte, where the participants could summarise their impressions and make last-moment contacts.

Łódź Creates Meetings: a summary

Łódź Creates Meetings vol. 5 turned out to be an extremely inspiring and rich event. Participants had the opportunity to see how dynamically the Łódź is developing and what opportunities it offers for organising various events and meetings. The presentation of new hotels, museums, cultural spaces and creative places highlighted the city’s potential as a centre for nurturing cultural heritage and fostering innovation.

As representatives of the Poland Convention Bureau, we were very impressed both by the organisation of the event and the attractiveness of the presented places. Łódź certainly has a lot to offer and it is worth including in the plans of future events and meetings.

Additional information about Łódź and support in planning events can be obtained thanks to the Łódź Convention Bureau team and on the websites of Łódź Convention Bureau and Łódź Travel.

“With its unique industrial heritage and initiatives, Łódź is becoming an increasingly attractive place for organisers of conferences, congresses and other events. We are happy we could prove that our city is not only about history, but above all a future full of creativity and innovation. We would like to thank all participants for their presence, commitment and enthusiasm. We are convinced that the time spent in Łódź will result in new projects and ideas, which we will be happy to carry out together. We look forward to further cooperation and hope to see you at the subsequent editions of “Łódź Creates Meetings”, said Tomasz Koralewski, President of the Łódź Tourism Organisation.

“It is with great joy that we have wrapped up the fifth edition of the Łódź Creates Meetings study visit. This year’s event, which took place on 28-30 July 2024, was attended by 25 meeting planners from all over the country. It was a unique opportunity to present the potential of our city as an ideal location for organising various events. Each subsequent edition of "Łódź Creates Meetings" shows how dynamically our city is developing. This year’s edition was particularly successful – the participants had the opportunity to get to know congress venues, hotels and unique restaurants that Łódź has to offer. During these three days, our guests were able not only to see exceptional places, but also to establish valuable industry contacts. The agenda was full of various attractions – from sightseeing to creative workshops, urban games, networking with representatives of the Łódź industry and concerts during the Summer Łódź Festival. Thanks to this, the participants could experience the rich culture and creative atmosphere of our city”, said Jakub Rosły, head of the Łódź Convention Bureau.

“I relish every visit to Łódź, and every time I am in this city, I am surprised by its dynamic development and the amazing opportunities it offers. I am glad that the staff of the Łódź Convention Bureau organised such a rich and inspiring programme. It allowed the participants to not only see but also experience how Łódź combines tradition with modernity, offering spaces that are not only functional, but also unique. Here, history meets creativity, providing a one-of-a-kind background for conferences, congresses and business meetings. I encourage everyone to include Łódź in the planned events and to work with the team of Łódź Convention Bureau, which supports the implementation of each project with passion and commitment”,  said Jarosław Marciuk, Chief Marketing Officer of the Polish Tourism Organisation – Poland Convention Bureau.

 Author: Jaroslaw Marciuk @callmejaro, Photo credits: Marcin Faliński