On January 8, 2024, the Silesia Convention Bureau launched a notable endeavour called Silesia Ambassador Day at the International Congress Center in Katowice, Poland (Międzynarodowe Centrum Kongresowe w Katowicach). The Poland Convention Bureau actively endorsed this significant initiative in Silesia, fostering collaboration among academia, business, and the MICE industry. Polish Tourism Organisation supported this event.

Silesia Ambassador Day (#SilesiaAmbassadorDay) is a series of meetings that bring together regional congress ambassadors, representatives from the academic and business sectors, as well as professionals from the meetings industry. We are pleased to have provided substantive support to the organizers as the Polish Tourism Organisation - Poland Convention Bureau, in collaboration with SKKP | Stowarzyszenie Konferencje i Kongresy w Polsce.

During the meeting, Aneta Ksiażek head of the Poland Convention Bureau said:

"On January 12 of last year, the Silesia Convention Bureau was established. Today's meeting, like the entire Program of Polish Congress Ambassadors, serves both to appreciate your role as Congress Ambassadors and to support you in the process of acquiring further meetings and events. From this place, to both you - our guests, and the organizers and hosts of today's meeting, I wish the organization of exceptional meetings and events in Silesia that will achieve goals in terms of knowledge exchange, networking, and financial support for the local economy."

Poland consistently affirms its attractiveness as an ideal country for organizing international meetings and business events. For over two decades, the meetings industry has been a key focus of the Poland Convention Bureau (PCB) POT. The promotional efforts led by PCB POT are targeted towards three main audience segments:

• International associations, serving as the primary organizers of meetings such as congresses and conferences.
• International organizers, encompassing event clients, with special consideration for organizers of incentive trips and corporate events.
• Stakeholders in the meetings industry on the domestic market.

Acquiring and organizing events, especially international congresses, is a complex and time-consuming process that requires the involvement of numerous stakeholders in the meetings industry. It is a task that demands collaborative efforts. Continuing the sports analogy, one of the key players in this field is the destination marketing office. Currently, there are 15 such offices in Poland—one national, five regional, and nine municipal. The role of the Poland Convention Bureau is crucial in building the image, communication, and collaboration with entities at the regional level directly involved in the promotion and sale of products.

Ambassador Programs in the meetings industry

Ambassador Programs are effective tools successfully used in many countries, harnessing local intellectual potential to attract conferences and congresses. According to research, the decisive factor in choosing a congress destination is the reputation of the location, along with its communicative and economic accessibility. However, success in securing association meetings often depends on the support of regional or municipal authorities and the determination of the Congress Ambassador. Ambassadors, collaborating with convention bureaus or Professional Congress Organizers, play a crucial role in attracting and organizing events.

International associations also evaluate the contribution and involvement of the community, the level of knowledge in a specific area, and financial support directly aimed at a particular congress or conference. Success often doesn't come immediately, emphasizing the need for teamwork and determination in the fight for the organization of the desired conference or congress.

Ten years ago, the then-member of the Polish Congress Ambassadors Program, Professor Woy-Wojciechowski, prepared a statement for the informational brochure on the Polish Congress Ambassadors Program. The Professor sent a beautiful text that captivated readers. A few years later, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the technological revolution, further emphasizing the value of real-time meetings and reminding me of the words of the Professor, which are worth recalling:

"Never will the internet, phone, or satellite transmission replace contact with a living person. Only during congresses, meetings, and conferences do direct conversations, exchange of experiences, and direct discussions take place. Only during such meetings do friendships form, and the opportunity for the exchange of thoughts and international cooperation, assistant training, etc., arise. You can also get acquainted with the achievements of organizers on the spot, such as hospitals, research laboratories, construction facilities, etc. During international congresses, one gets to know (and usually starts to like) the country of the organizers, something that no film or brochure can provide. Years later, people often don't remember the 'latest achievements' presented at the congress, but they recall social meetings, a fleeting scent, candlelit evenings, a fragment of a concert, the taste of a national dish, and people they would like to meet again."

Aneta Książek concluded her speech in Katowice by saying: "From this place, I wish both to you—our guests—and to the organizers and hosts of today's meeting the organization of exceptional meetings and events in Silesia, which will achieve goals in terms of knowledge exchange, establishing and maintaining relationships, and financial support for the local economy.

#PolandCVB #SilesiaAmbassadorDay

@callmejaro