News from Krakow

On Friday, 8 December, the “Złoty Spinacz” [“Golden Paperclip”] Award, the top prize in Poland’s largest PR competition, was awarded to the Fair in Krakow in the Commercial Event category for communications strategy for the 25th Annual Meeting International Book Fair in Krakow®. 

Summing up the year 2023, we cannot forget about market research and reports as well as awards or contests, in which both the activities of the Krakow Convention Bureau and partners were appreciated and honoured. We encourage you to read on!

The year 2023 in Kraków and Małopolska was marked by the "Wide Open for Meetings" campaign, implemented as part of the "Małopolska – travel destination" project. Cooperation with congress organisers, numerous conferences and a record number of inspection visits foster optimism for the upcoming year 2024!

In shop windows, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, as well as in well-illuminated, free-standing display cases – this year nearly 40 nativity scenes will be set up in Krakow’s urban space. With the help of a free walking guide map, you will be able to view them at your own pace, while organised walks will provide additional stories about selected fairy-tale structures. The nativity scenes are on display from 8 December.

Małgorzata Marcińska, President of the Management Board of Arena Krakow S.A., joins us for an interview, in which she talks about the solutions implemented at the venue in line with the sustainability goals, outlines how the management policy of TAURON Arena Krakow has changed over the course of nearly 10 years, and shares insights about the projects the largest sports and entertainment hall in Poland is involved in.

With funding from the "Destination: Małopolska" project, in 2023 the Krakow Convention Bureau team participated in IMEX Frankfurt, IBTM Barcelona, IMEX Las Vegas, the 62nd ICCACongress in Bangkok, as well as five B2B meetings as part of The Meetings Space and M&I Forum.

The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached a long-awaited consensus. This is a landmark decision, made possible thanks to the long-standing efforts of the Alliance of European Cities, of which Krakow is also a member. The new regulations will allow local governments to more effectively combat the phenomenon of illegal renting, a problem that has been affecting European cities, including the capital of Małopolska, for years.

The ICE Krakow Congress Centre, an integral part of Krakow’s cultural landscape, is celebrating its ninth birthday, remaining at the forefront of venues building the city’s competitive edge. More than 1.5 million participants and 1,300 organised events constitute an impressive balance sheet of nine years of intensive operations.

In 2023, the GDS project saw significant growth. The GDS-Index featured 100 destinations from 11 countries around the world, including as many as 42 new cities, sending a clear message of willingness to cooperate and change. 86% of the destinations improved their previous performance.

We are extremely pleased to announce that the Wide Open for business meetings campaign has made it to the finals of the MP Impact Awards in the Campaign Category! The contest finale and the winners' announcement ceremony will take place during the "MP Impact: summit, awards, report" meeting on December 12 at the Copernicus Science Center!