Recent months transformed the state of business meetings worldwide. There are ongoing efforts dedicated to analysing operations in the new reality. Launched by Polish Tourism Organisation as its latest project intended to support the meetings industry, a new self-certification programme available at bezpiecznyobiekt.pot.gov.pl is aimed at conference and congress venues operating in Poland. 

By listing available self-certified venues and offering an opportunity to use a relevant visual symbol it will not only be an effective marketing tool, but also a method of building trust among event planners and organisers. According to the most recent study conducted by Idea Profit in cooperation with trade partners, Polish organisers are indeed highly interested in returning to work on real-time events and have high hopes of venues being available for them.

“As we realise that the safety of tourists, business travellers and venue staff comes first, we joined forces with the industry to develop two self-certification programmes. After all, we recognise trust as fundamental both in everyday life and business, including tourism and the meetings sector. All you need to do is register at bezpiecznyobiekt.pot.gov.pl”, explains Robert Andrzejczyk, President of Polish Tourism Organisation.

To meet the discussed needs, the “Hygienically safe venue” programme has been opened for accommodation establishments in early June; up to now, more than 1,300 venues have registered. In mid-September Polish Tourism Organisation and Poland Convention Bureau operating within its structures launched the “Safe MICE venue” programme intended to provide business travellers, meetings and events customers and professional congress organisers with access to information about venues capable of delivering services in accordance with regulations of Chief Sanitary Inspectorate and Ministry of Development.

Greater emphasis is now placed on hybrid events and smaller domestic events with more stringent requirements related to hygiene standards and social distancing. It is essential to build the trust of your clients and provide them with a sense of security and comfort. First business inquiries will be addressed to these venues, whose image guarantees a professional welcome received by event participants and safety concerns reduced to a minimum.

The new programme is aimed at all businesses whose scope of activity is connected with staging trade shows, exhibitions and congresses in Poland. Its assumptions were consulted with the industry’s practical experts, members of the Polish Conference and Congress Association, and representatives of Poland’s destination marketing organisations.

“The main goal of our Association is to support the growth of conference and congress services in Poland. As a result, we were very glad to receive Polish Tourism Organisation’s invitation to collaborate on the ‘Safe MICE venue’ project and consult its postulates. I am convinced that the programme in question will make it much easier to build a positive, safe image of Polish MICE venues. The option of using a certificate authorized by POT will unquestionably boost the credibility of our offers among event planners and organisers”, said Paula Fanderowska, President of Polish Conference and Congress Association.

Registration is free and voluntary. The programme’s partners can use its visual symbol for marketing operations for 12 months since acknowledging relevant rules and guidelines. In the second stage of the project, Poland Convention Bureau POT and regional and local convention bureaux will conduct site inspection of randomly selected venues.

The official launch of the “Safe MICE venue” programme took place at this year’s edition of Meeting Week Poland on 16 September.