Promotional Support Program for Meetings and Events

On February 15, 2025, the Promotional Support Program for Meetings and Events (PPWdSW) is launched, initiated and coordinated by the Poland Convention Bureau - Meetings and Events Bureau of the Polish Tourism Organization (PCB POT). The aim of the POT is to implement a cyclical program for the promotion of Poland in the event of acquiring and organizing promotional events carried out by external entities.

The Promotional Support Program for Meetings and Events (PPWdSW) is a tool for the Professional Congress Organizers Recommendation Program, the Professional Incentive Travel Organizers Recommendation Program and the Polish Congress Ambassadors Program, the functioning of which is specified in separate regulations.

The aim of the Program is to provide support by the PCB POT to professional organizers of meetings and events, Polish Congress Ambassadors and other entities that actively participate in the process of acquiring international meetings and business events of a cultural, scientific, political, sports or business nature in Poland.

The Promotional Support Program for Meetings and Events is the second program, after the National Support Program for the Meetings Industry, implemented at the beginning of 2025.

"The Promotional Support Program for Meetings and Events is a program whose goal is to support our industry in actively acquiring meetings and events in Poland. It is a pilot program that takes into account both the needs of the industry and the substantive resources and procedures regulating the financial management of the Polish Tourist Organization. We hope that the supported promotional projects will contribute to an increase in the number of international events organized in Poland, strengthen the position of our country as an attractive destination for business meetings and stimulate the development of the local economy through an increase in incoming tourist traffic. We hope that thanks to this program, we will not only be able to compete more effectively for key events, but also tighten cooperation with industry partners and local governments, creating stable foundations for the further development of the meetings and events sector in Poland," said Aneta Książek, manager of the Poland Convention Bureau - Meetings and Events Bureau of the Polish Tourist Organization.

Promotional Support Program for the Meeting Industry in practice

The following entities are eligible to apply for the Promotional Support Program for the Meeting Industry:

• Polish Congress Ambassadors,
• Polish Congress Ambassadors Program Chapter,
• Polish Tourism Organization, Conferences and Congresses Association in Poland,
• Representatives of Local Congress Ambassadors Clubs,
• city and regional Convention Bureaux, Congress organizers recommended in the Poland Convention Bureau POT program other business event organizers supported in the application by the city or regional Convention Bureau. In this case, the application requires a recommendation from the local Convention Bureau,
• congress facilities supported in the application by the city or regional Convention Bureau. In this case, the application from the facility requires a recommendation from the local Convention.

Circumstances related to obtaining a meeting or event for which a Promotional Package may be awarded: 

• Presentation of BIDs (offers) at the Event Owner, Organizer's headquarters or at the Event,
• where the final presentation of potential host cities takes place, Study visit/inspection visit to Poland for representatives of the Organizer (including PCO, event agency) or Event Owner (association, corporation, other),
• Online and offline promotional materials (prints, banners and films) and souvenirs from Poland for VIP guests,
• Rental and assembly of promotional stands aimed at promoting the host city at the preceding foreign event,
• PR activities on the Internet: production of promotional content and advertisements, 
• Invitation of an important speaker (expert) to Poland for the event, Activities influencing the reduction of the event's carbon footprint.

Promotional projects that are to result in the acquisition of:

• International meetings/events with the participation of at least 100 foreign participants (package 1) and over 150 foreign participants (package 2),
• Meetings/events not shorter than 2 days (min. 1 night),
• Meetings in the following formulas: conferences, congresses,
• fairs, workshops, meetings with incentive travel elements and other cyclical business meetings, the history of which dates back to at least 2 editions or a corporate event of an integration, training, motivational or cognitive nature for employees, distributors or invited guests,
• Meetings/events for at least 45 days from the date of commencement of implementation,
• Meetings/events in the bidding stage, when Poland is on the so-called short list max. 5 destinations,
• Other meetings/events where the Organizer expresses the will to cooperate with the POT in order to promote Poland as a place where the meeting/event takes place or considers the substantive participation of the POT in preparing the meeting/event program. 

The verification process for the application to the Promotional Support Program for Meetings and Events is as follows:

• Promotional projects submitted to the program are verified in terms of content, image and finances by the PCB POT.
• The decision to promote Poland during a given project and the amount of funds allocated for this purpose (i.e. for the purchase of package 1 or 2) is made each time by the POT based on the information provided in the application and the POT budget resources signed for this purpose in a given calendar year.
• The value of the package for the completed promotional activities depends on the nature of the meeting/event and the scope of the project, i.e. 
• Package 1 – up to PLN 12,000 gross 
• Package 2 – up to PLN 24,000 gross
• The POT decision is final and is not subject to an appeal procedure. Offers that do not meet the requirements are subject to rejection.
• The application will be considered within 21 days of its receipt by the POT.
• If the POT decides to purchase a package during the indicated promotional event, the POT concludes an agreement with the Applicant specifying the principles of cooperation.

The Promotional Support Program for Meetings and Events is being introduced on 15 February 2025. Recruitment for the Promotional Support Program for Meetings and Events will be conducted once a quarter until the POT budget resources allocated for this purpose in a given calendar year are exhausted.