Poland will be present at PCMA Convening EMEA for the second time – one of Europe’s most important gatherings for leaders of the international meetings industry. This year’s edition will take place in Lisbon from 13–15 September 2026. Following its debut in Rotterdam last year, the Polish Tourism Organisation is further developing its cooperation with PCMA and once again joining the event as a partner.
Convening EMEA
Convening EMEA is PCMA’s (Professional Convention Management Association) flagship event for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Each year, it brings together representatives of international associations, corporations, professional congress organisers, convention bureaux, venues and other organisations shaping the business events industry.
More than 600 meetings industry professionals will travel to Lisbon. The three-day programme will include educational sessions, networking opportunities and formats designed to facilitate the exchange of experience and discussion around the key directions shaping the future of the sector. The event will begin on 13 September with Lisbon Exploration Tours and the Welcome Party, while the main programme will take place at FIL – Feira Internacional de Lisboa.
Poland Partners with PCMA Convening EMEA 2026
Poland’s presence at this year’s event extends beyond the participation of Poland Convention Bureau representatives in the conference itself. The partnership provides an opportunity to increase Poland’s visibility within the international PCMA community and reach professionals who influence destination selection for future congresses, conferences and corporate events.
The scale of this community is significant. According to PCMA data, organisers connected with the Convening EMEA community delivered more than 12,000 events in 2025, generating expenditure of over USD 733 million.
– I am proud that Poland Convention Bureau POT is a partner of PCMA Convening EMEA for the second consecutive year. International partnerships are extremely important today, as they allow us not only to exchange experience, but above all to learn in practice from meetings industry leaders from around the world. Events such as this demonstrate particularly clearly how theory translates into concrete action and real impact.
PCMA’s organisers take a sustainable approach and design engaging, innovative formats for sessions, discussions and panels that encourage knowledge exchange, relationship-building and the co-creation of solutions for the future of the industry. This approach not only strengthens the meetings sector, but also helps create lasting value for the economy, society and local communities.
I am delighted that we can be part of this community and work together towards a more responsible, innovative and inclusive future for events – said Aneta Książek, Director of Poland Convention Bureau POT.
Recommended PCOs Join Poland Convention Bureau in Lisbon
At this year’s edition of Convening EMEA, Poland will be represented together with partners from the Polish meetings industry. Through a special competition for Recommended Professional Congress Organisers of Poland Convention Bureau POT, two organisations were selected to participate in the conference alongside Poland Convention Bureau as accompanying partners: Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie – Grupa MTP and Symposium Cracoviense.
Applications were assessed primarily on the organisations’ effectiveness in attracting international events to Poland, their involvement in Poland Convention Bureau POT programmes and initiatives, their experience in representing Poland at international industry events, the networking and business potential of their representatives, and the impact of their activities on promoting Poland as a destination for meetings and business events.
Both selected PCOs have extensive experience of working with international associations and securing congresses and conferences. Their well-developed industry networks were also an important criterion, as these contacts can be used during Convening EMEA to establish new relationships and identify further events with the potential to be attracted to Poland.
Including Recommended PCOs in the Polish delegation strengthens the business dimension of Poland’s presence at the event, combining the promotional activities of the national convention bureau with the experience of organisations directly involved in bidding for and delivering international congresses. An announcement opening applications for the 2027–2028 Recommendation Programme will be published shortly.
Find out more: Recommended PCOs in Poland for 2025–2026
From Rotterdam to Lisbon – the Second Year of Cooperation with PCMA
Poland’s presence in Lisbon continues the cooperation launched in 2025. Poland Convention Bureau POT took part in Convening EMEA for the first time during last year’s edition, held in Rotterdam from 14–16 October. The event brought together more than 600 meetings industry leaders and strategists from over 45 countries.
Read the conference recap in the article Poland Convention Bureau at PCMA Convening EMEA 2025.
At the time, the Polish Tourism Organisation – Poland Convention Bureau was an event partner and actively contributed to the conference programme. Aneta Książek, Director of Poland Convention Bureau POT, took part in the Micro Lab session “Striking the Meeting Design Balance: Navigating the High vs. Low Touch Landscape”, which explored how to balance the use of technology with the need to retain the human dimension of meetings.
The discussion also featured examples of good practice from Poland, including solutions involving sensory zones designed to support the comfort, calm and regeneration of participants at large-scale events. See how LSSR works.
Knowledge, Relationships and the Promotion of Poland
For Poland Convention Bureau, Convening EMEA is not only a platform for destination promotion and building business relationships, but also an opportunity to exchange knowledge about the changes shaping the global meetings industry. This year’s programme will address topics including the future of the sector, responsible leadership and the design of events that respond to the evolving needs of participants.
Participation in PCMA Convening EMEA 2026 forms part of Poland Convention Bureau POT’s consistent activities within the international meetings market, focused on increasing Poland’s visibility, developing relationships with organisers and creating new opportunities to attract congresses and business events to the country.
PCMA Convening EMEA 2026 will take place in Lisbon from 13–15 September 2026. Further information is available at conveningemea.org.
