On 5-9 December representatives of Scandinavian meetings industry’s key companies stayed in Poland for a fam trip staged by Poland Convention Bureau POT, supported by Stockholm-based Polish Tourism Organisation International Office (ZOPOT) and conducted in cooperation with Warsaw Marriott Hotel, Warsaw Convention Bureau, Kraków Convention Bureau, Małopolska Tourist Organisation and PURO Kazimierz in Kraków.

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The fam trip’s agenda was well-received by Scandinavian planners, who were looking for places to host conferences and incentive travel both for small groups of max. 50 participants and larger events for 500 guests. They especially appreciated Polish hospitality, the highly diverse offer, affordable prices, delicious cuisine and professional customer services available in particular venues.

The trip was inaugurated by an inspection of Warsaw Marriott Hotel, which also housed a tasting dinner offering participants a chance to enjoy a panorama of the capital. On the second day, the Warsaw-based part of the agenda spotlighted venues such as Palace of Culture and Science (featuring an exhibition of metal sculptures), PGE Narodowy Stadium with a winter town, Royal Castle with the Kubicki Arcades, as well as the Koneser complex with the Polish Vodka Museum. An additional highlight involved a tour of the Old Town and a visit to Christmas market in the Barbican.

While staying in Kraków the planners admired Expo Kraków, which housed a presentation arranged by Kraków Convention Bureau, Tauron Arena - Poland’s largest entertainment and sports venue, one of the world’s most advanced examples of the category, as well as the calling card of Kraków’s congress offer - ICE Congress Centre along with Grand Sheraton Krakow, where a lunch was staged to showcase the regional flavours of Małopolska. The holiday ambience of Kraków was emphasised by an evening visit to the Christmas market in the Old Town Market Square, gingerbread baking workshops in MAK Confectionery and Bakery at PURO Kazimierz hotel, as well as glass bauble making workshops at Lipowa 3 Glass and Ceramics Centre. It is worth noting that art glass manufacturing made a huge impression on the guests, who declared that they would definitely include it in future trip agendas. The Wieliczka Salt Mine, another place to draw crowds of tourists and meeting planners alike, hosted a farewell dinner combined with sightseeing the mine’s tourist route and the business-centred section of this truly unique venue.

Thanks to PCB POT’s cooperation with local partners, the discussed project was a resounding success from the beginning to the end and showcased the strength of the Polish meetings industry. PCB POT would like to thank all of the fam trip’s partners for their dedication and demonstrating the Polish hospitality to our Swedish and Norwegian guests.