‘Meetings Industry in Krakow 2021’ – report already available!

You can now read the report summarising the activities of the Krakow meetings industry in 2021. It was a year in which the Krakow economy and other sociocultural dimensions had to adjust their meetings and events industry to new conditions.

In 2021, the meetings industry was gradually reinvigorating its activities after the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 2091 business meetings were held in Krakow, an almost 9 percent increase from the previous year but a 75 percent drop from the numbers of business meetings in 2019. The fact that 75 percent of the events were in-person meetings is an important change –  half of the 2020 events were virtual.

The structure of events in the capital city of Małopolska was similar to the structure observed in previous years; conferences and congresses accounted for the largest share of the total number events, at over 50 percent. In turn, the distribution of meetings was determined by the pandemic situation in Poland and worldwide, therefore it did not demonstrate the seasonality characteristic for the industry. An interesting fact is that the greatest numbers of participants were reported at meetings organised in Krakow in the autumn, i.e., from September through November. Business events organised in the city last year lasted more than 2 days. It is worth noting that, despite a slight decrease in the number of participants in events, the percentage of international participants increased in the last quarter of the year.

Krakow has a wide range of conference facilities available: 180 establishments were available in 2020 with the total of 733 rooms of different types. The city infrastructure changed last year; new hotels with conference facilities and one dedicated conference facility were opened. The high flexibility and adaptability of the industry that adjusted to the new realities is worth noting.

Attention should also be drawn to the actions taken by the Krakow Convention Bureau, i.e., the continuation of the communication strategy with its narrative based on the local strengths and resources such as the IT industry, medical establishment, sustainable energy, Krakow universities, the achievements of local scientists, professors and physicians and last but not least the timeless legacy and culture of the city. The main communication objective is to build the image of the city as The Host City ready to organise international congresses, to show that organisers can find a professional partner and professional facilities in Krakow. It is the image of a future-facing modern city that’s aware of its value and which draws on both its centuries-old heritage and a full range of technical and technological resources. The promotion takes place on the available KCB social media – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, at www.convention.krakow.pl and in the Newsletter.

The full contents of the ‘Meetings industry in Krakow 2021’ report with the summarising infographics are available here.