On January 8, 2024, the Silesia Convention Bureau launched a notable endeavour called Silesia Ambassador Day at the International Congress Centre 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 organisers as the Polish Tourism Organisation – Poland Convention Bureau, in collaboration with SKKP | Stowarzyszenie Konferencje i Kongresy w Polsce.
Focus on Poland and Silesia
Poland consistently affirms its attractiveness as an ideal country for organising 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 serve as the primary organisers of meetings such as congresses and conferences.
- International organisers, encompassing event clients, with special consideration for organisers of incentive trips and corporate events.
- Stakeholders in the meetings industry in the domestic market.
Acquiring and organising 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.
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 organisers and hosts of today’s meeting, I wish the organisation of exceptional meetings and events in Silesia that will achieve goals in terms of knowledge exchange, networking, and financial support for the local economy.”
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 Organisers, play a crucial role in attracting and organising events.
support when selecting a host for a conference or congress. Success rarely happens overnight — it requires strong teamwork and long-term commitment.
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 once wrote a beautiful message that touched many readers. A few years later, the COVID-19 pandemic sped up the use of new technology, making real-time, in-person meetings feel even more valuable. It reminded me of the Professor’s words, which are worth remembering:
“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., arises. You can also get acquainted with the achievements of organisers 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 organisers, 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
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