IBTM World 2024, hosted at Fira Barcelona from 19–21 November, concluded with outstanding results: over 73,000 business meetings were held, representing a 19% increase year-on-year. The event also saw a 10% rise in visitor numbers, an 18% boost in Hosted Buyers, and participation from more than 2,350 exhibitors. Among the highlights, Poland’s National Stand captured a record number of visitors, with coffee infused with salt from the historic Wieliczka Salt Mine an unexpected crowd-pleaser.
Poland’s Dynamic Presence
At this year’s IBTM World, Poland became an attractive and fast-evolving MICE destination. The Polish National Stand H100 featured various partners, including convention bureaux, professional congress organisers, DMCs, the national carrier LOT, and top-tier congress and exhibition venues.
The event provided an ideal platform to position Poland as a destination that is not only “ready to be discovered” but also equipped to host events of the highest standards. Thanks to a well-curated offering and a carefully crafted marketing strategy, Poland’s stand drew considerable attention from attendees.
Wieliczka Salt Mine also played a key role, in delivering a sensory marketing experience. Visitors were treated to an exceptional coffee, blended with salt from Wieliczka, chilli, and chocolate, prepared by professional baristas. This unique taste quickly became one of the most talked-about features at the stand.
Key Participants
Representatives at the Polish stand included:
- Poznań Congress Center – Grupa MTP
- Poznań Convention Bureau
- Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT
- Mazurkas DMC Poland
- ICE Kraków Congress Centre
- JAN-POL DMC Poland
- DMC Poland
- Travel Projekt DMC Poland
- Bespoke DMC Poland
- Silesia Convention Bureau
- Warsaw Convention Bureau
- Mazovia Convention Bureau
- Kraków Convention Bureau
- EXPO Kraków
- Gdańsk Convention Bureau
- Convention Bureau – Wrocław
Strategic Highlights
This year marked the 20th edition of IBTM World in Barcelona, and from the perspective of someone who attended the event 20, 15, or even 10 years ago, I can confidently say that the transformation of Poland`s MICE industry has been extraordinary. Today, we are much more deliberate in shaping our message, and our stand consistently attracts interest, including visits from influential figures in the global events community such as Rob Davidson, Shonali Devereaux – host of the New in Events IBTM podcast – and event industry guru Julius Solaris. Visitors also had the spontaneous opportunity to meet and listen to our musical ambassador, Brian Allan of Rock Your Business – said Aneta Książek, Head of Poland Convention Bureau, Polish Tourism Organisation.
The IBTM World trade show in Barcelona also provided an excellent opportunity to showcase a new promotional video featuring renowned Polish athletes inviting visitors to Poland: Katarzyna Niewiadoma, this year’s winner of the Tour de France Femmes, and Jeremy Sochan, an NBA player and member of the Polish national basketball team. The campaign slogan, “Poland. More than you expected”, was developed for the Polish Tourism Organisation and funded by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.
The theme of this year’s IBTM World – People, Power, Potential – was reflected in many of the conversations held during the event, accompanied by coffee specially prepared by our baristas. Enhanced with chocolate and salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the coffee undoubtedly brought out a deeper flavour profile and provided energy as a source of valuable microelements. Coffee with salt is definitely a choice for those open to new flavours and culinary experiences.
Once again, we demonstrated that Poland is professional (People), strong and full of potential (Power and Potential), and capable of surprising – not only with the new location of our stand but also with its openness and unique flavours. See you next year!” added Aneta Książek.
DMC Poland perspective
This year’s edition of IBTM World was highly successful. The time spent on conversations was incredibly valuable. Hosted Buyers had the opportunity to approach us for scheduled meetings and spontaneously, allowing them to sit down and talk at ease. We also had their full attention, which I find extremely important as it enabled us to present Poland and our offerings more effectively. I feel that Poland is currently in a very advantageous position that we should capitalise on to the fullest. We are still perceived as a destination to discover – a yet unexplored country, but one that is truly worth getting to know. This sentiment frequently came up during conversations held at the Polish stand at IBTM World in Barcelona. I believe now is the perfect time for us to actively promote Poland and attract both large and smaller events – said Ola Pietras, Managing Partner of DMC Poland.
According to Pietras, the new location of the Polish stand at Fira Barcelona Gran Via was a perfect choice. „Being close to the Hosted Buyers’ entrance and one of the first stands they saw was a huge advantage. Such positioning significantly increases our visibility and interest in Poland,” Pietras emphasised.
Additionally, the unique coffee proved to be an excellent idea. „Many people mentioned they were heading to Poland for coffee. While it doesn’t directly translate into financial results, it creates a positive buzz around our country and is extremely effective in building our image,” Pietras added.
Hosted Buyer perspective
Looking from the perspective of Hungary, we see that Poland offers one of the best, if not the best, value-for-money ratios in the region. The products and services are exceptional, with fantastic new venues and hotels that stand out for both their design and style, all at a price that, in our opinion, is currently unbeatable in this part of Europe. And it’s not just about the price—the quality that accompanies it is unique and truly top-notch compared to other options in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Róbert Révész, co-owner of HotelPremio Group, one of Hungary’s largest event agencies, organising over 1,000 events annually.
During conversations, I learned about the event capabilities offered by the Wieliczka Salt Mine. It was something new and exciting for me. When people mention Wieliczka, it’s known as a tourist attraction, but meeting planners and incentive travel organisers are often unaware that events can be held there. The fact that a conference for 600 participants can be hosted there is simply amazing. We need to convey this message to our clients so they can understand the immense potential of this venue in Poland,” added Révész.
Claudia Hall, Director of IBTM World, said: „These were three absolutely exciting days, not least because we celebrated a very special 20th anniversary of hosting the event in Barcelona. As every year, our wonderful IBTM World community arrived with a thirst for knowledge, a desire to explore new industry solutions, and enthusiasm for networking that will continue to strengthen the global events industry.”
Additional photos from IBTM World are available on the website.
Photo credit: Natalia Wisniewska Photography.
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