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‘The Meetings Industry in Kraków 2020’ – report now available!

We invite you to read a report summarising the meetings industry in Kraków in 2020. The year, Krakow's economy and other socio-cultural dimensions of the city completely deviated from trends observed in previous years.

The meetings industry in 2020 experienced a radical reduction in activity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the restrictions imposed on the organisation of events, specific changes had to be adopted in gathering data to capture the new trend on the Kraków meetings industry market. The form for collecting questionnaires was expanded, in which, in addition to the recorded events organised on a stationary basis, meetings in a completely virtual formula (with no economic impact for Krakow) and a hybrid formula (with some impact) also appeared.

Last year, only 1,919 business meetings were held in Kraków, 77.2 % fewer than in 2019 and 76.5 % fewer than in 2018. It is worth noting that the pandemic caused the Kraków meetings industry to return to the level of 2012 when 1855 meetings were recorded, and above all influenced their formula – half of the meetings were virtual, 42 % were stationary (held in the first three months of the year), and 8 % of the events were held in hybrid fashion. As every year, conferences/congresses had the largest share in the structure of meetings, i.e., 54 % (about 1,000); however, it was not as dominant as in previous years (67 % in 2019), and traditional events of national character predominated (73.2 %). The distribution of meetings in Kraków in 2020 was determined by the pandemic situation around the world and in Poland. Therefore, it did not show the seasonality typical of the industry. Most meetings took place in January and February and in September. The smaller number of recorded meetings last year brought with it fewer participants. Over the year, the distribution of their number was also determined by the prevailing restrictions. Interestingly, the highest number of participants was recorded at meetings organised in Kraków in December, and these were participants in virtual meetings.  Business events organised last year in the city lasted on average 1.94 days.

The city's infrastructure did not change in the previous year, but the extent of its functioning was limited. It is important to emphasise the great flexibility and adaptability of the industry, which was able to adjust to new realities. Also worthy of note is the action taken by the Kraków Convention Bureau, that is, the adoption of a communications strategy whose narrative is based on the strengths and resources of the city, such as the IT industry, medical field, sustainable energy, Krakow's universities, the achievements of local scientists, professors, doctors, and Kraków’s timeless heritage and culture. The city's assets, which have been less 'affected' by COVID, are highlighted; they constitute a kind of genius loci of the city. The main objective of the communication is to build its image as The Host City, ready to host international congresses, and show that a substantive partner and professional facilities await the organiser in Kraków. It is a modern city with a technical and technological background that looks to the future, knowing its advantages and draws on its centuries-old heritage. Promotion is carried out through available social media.

KCB – FacebookInstagramLinkedInnYouTube and the website http://www.krakow.pl/ccb_en/convention_bureau/2630,glowna.html and the Newsletter.

The second fundamental document created in 2020 in the Tourism Department of the Kraków City Hall is Polityka zrównoważonej turystyki Krakowa na lata 2021-2028 (The Sustainable Tourism Policy of Kraków for 2021-2028).

Another city initiative was the development of Protokołu Kraków Network (the Kraków Network Protocol) starting in 2020 as part of the work of Kraków Network group, whose leader is the Kraków Festival Office. The document is to indicate directions and actions that will help to overcome the economic impasse.

The complete content of the report Branża spottkań w Krakowie 2020’(‘The Meetings Industry in Kraków 2020’)  with a summary infographic