Jacek Janowski, Head of the Department for Tourism Product and Regional Cooperation at Polish Tourist Organisation, inaugurated the meeting by welcoming guests on behalf of Robert Andrzejczyk, President of POT, and emphasised the significance of POT’s certification and recommendation programmes in boosting the local sector’s quality of services and its promotion.

 

Next, Aneta Książek of Poland Convention Bureau Polish Tourist Organisation discussed the scope of PCB POT activities planned for 2018. 3% of the overall Polish Tourist Organisation budget will be spent on the unit’s 2018 initiatives focused on the promotion of the meetings industry.

 

One of the main pillars of PCB POT enterprises will involve the promotion of Poland at national stands arranged for global meetings industry trade shows. In the case of 2018 their list includes, i.a. IMEX 2018 in Frankfurt, IMEX America 2018 in Las Vegas and the ibtm world 2018 show in Barcelona.

 

Presentations and workshops aimed at foreign markets, targeting planners of meetings and events in Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway will also act as an essential promotional tool. Speaking of Norway, an Oslo-set presentation planned for April 2018 will inaugurate the launch of PLL LOT flights from Warsaw to the Norwegian capital.

 

2018 will also be synonymous with numerous meetings on the domestic market. Among them, mention is due to the Meetings Week Poland in Warsaw (March), actions intended to raise the quality of services by continuing certification programmes for congress organisers, incentive travel organisers and convention bureaux, the latest edition of the annual Gala of Polish Congress Ambassadors (Poznań, 27 September), as well as on-going cooperation with convention bureaux and the industry while working on Poland Meetings and Events Industry Report 2018.

 

Next, Andrzej Szumowski, President of the Polish Vodka Association and the venue’s host, spoke about the Museum of Polish Vodka, currently in development, and the chances of cooperation between the venue / association and the meetings industry.

 

Nevertheless, the presentation of PCB POT recommendations was the unquestionable number one item on the agenda. Two-year certificates were presented to 12 congress organisers and six agencies specialising in incentive travel arrangements. The recommended companies first had to demonstrate that they boast an appropriate organisational experience, technical background and a well-trained team of employees.

 

“The recommendation programme was developed to satisfy the needs of the meetings industry – both domestic and international. The companies that stage first-rate events in Poland and provide professional services will certainly successfully complete the registration process and receive the Poland Convention Bureau Polish Tourist Organisation recommendation. This will solidify their position in bidding processes, on the international arena and, most importantly, offer them access and prioritisation to benefit from offers of trade show trips, presentations held abroad or fam trips staged by PCB POT”, says Aneta Książek, Chief Conference Expert, Poland Convention Bureau Polish Tourist Organisation.

 

Below you will find the list of companies that received recommendation for 2018-2019 broke down into categories:

 

a) PCO:

• Business Service Galop (Katowice)
• Aktiv Tours Reisen (Gdańsk)
• Centrum Kongresowe Plus (Zakopane)
• DMC Poland (Kraków)
• FSWO Sp. zo.o. (Kraków)
• Global Congress (Warszawa)
• Holiday Travel (Warszawa)
• MAZURKAS Congress & Conference Management (Warszawa)
• RELAGO (Poznań)
• SYMPOSIUM Cracoviense (Kraków)
• Targi w Krakowie (Kraków)
• TARIFA Corporate Events (Gdańsk)

 

b) ITC:

• Allegro Smart Communications (Warszawa)
• Aktiv Tours Reisen (Gdańsk)
• DMC Poland (Kraków)
• Exprofesso (Kraków)
• Furnel Travel International (Warszawa)
• Viventum (Warszawa, Krynica Zdrój)

The companies thus joined the list of entities recommended for 2017-2018:

 

a) PCO:

• ICP - Poland Concept DMC Poland (Warszawa)
• Targi Kilece (Kielce)
• Viventum (Warszawa, Krynica Zdrój)
• International Poznan Fairs – Poznan Congress Centre (Poznań)
• Furnel Travel International (Warszawa)

 

b) ITC:

• Intercrac (Kraków)
• ICP - Poland Concept DMC Poland (Warszawa)
• MAZURKAS Travel DMC Poland (Warszawa)
• MAESTRO Meetings & Incentives (Warszawa)
• Vengo s.c. (Warszawa)
• Jan-Pol (Kraków)
• Travel Projekt DMC Poland (Warszawa)
• Teja Tur (Sopot)

 

The meeting ended with a drawing of free participation in the MP Power Awards, a competition on the lookout for the very best projects and practices in all sectors of the meetings industry.