The IMEX International Fair in Frankfurt has been defining development directions for the global meeting, event and motivational travel industry for years. The event, founded in the early 2000s, evolved from the European contact exchange into a powerful, worldwide business platform. Every year, the Messe Frankfurt halls become a place where thousands of selected organizers (so-called hosted buyers) and exhibitors from more than a hundred countries decide on the location of multi-million dollar conference contracts. This year’s edition confirmed the status of the fair as a barometer of moods in the industry – the halls were bustling with life, gathering opinion leaders, event agencies and corporate planners looking for fresh, safe and well-connected destinations.
Poland in the vanguard of the European offer
The Polish meeting industry has returned to Frankfurt with an extremely coherent and modern program, organized under the aegis of the Poland Convention Bureau of the Polish Tourist Organization. The Polish National Stand (No. A455) has become one of the most dynamic points in Hall 8. The promotional strategy was based on the slogan “Better Together – More Than You Expected”, which perfectly reflected the spirit of cooperation between the regions. This year, the special partner of the stand was the Szczecin Convention Bureau, but the strength of the Polish exhibition was in diversity – from professional destination management companies (DMCs), through key hotels, to the national carrier PLL LOT. An intensive networking program, including business “Musical Mornings” and evening meetings “Eventprofs Meetup”, attracted hundreds of foreign partners, facilitating relationship building in a less formal atmosphere.
United forces of the capital and the region
A key element of the promotional strategy for the heart of Poland was the joint presence of the Warsaw Convention Bureau and the Mazovia Convention Bureau. The presentation of Warsaw as a dynamic business metropolis in an ideal symbiosis with Mazovia – a region offering unique natural values, historical residences and the philosophy of slow travel – turned out to be a hit. This cooperation allowed to present a comprehensive offer: from large congresses in the infrastructure of the capital, to intimate, luxurious incentive trips and green meetings in the near Warsaw facilities. Foreign planners reacted with appreciation to such a coherent tourist product, combining urban professionalism with regional authenticity.
Key Benefits for Mazovia
The participation of the Mazovia Convention Bureau in this year’s IMEX Frankfurt is not only a prestige, but above all a measurable economic and image benefits for the entire Mazowieckie Voivodeship. B2b’s direct talks with foreign policymakers resulted in the acquisition of valuable bid inquiries (RFPs) for the upcoming seasons. For Mazowsze, this means a real chance to increase the number of international conferences and exclusive incentive trips outside Warsaw itself, which stimulates the local hotel, catering and event service providers market. The promotion of the region as a sustainable and safe destination perfectly fits into the current market trends. Thanks to the success in Frankfurt, Mazowsze has strengthened its position as a mature, ready to accept the most demanding customers, the leader of the Central European MICE market.
Photograph: POT/WCB/MCB
