THINK MICE JULY-SEPTEMBER 2018 by THINK MICE

JULY-SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSN 2543-4497

THINK MICE W W W. T H I N K M I C E . P L

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION AND CONVENTION CENTRE EXPO KRAKOW This modern and multi-purpose venue can host all types of events. It will suit you! THINK DESTINATION MONTENEGRO â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A NEW PLACE ON THE MICE MAP?

PROFILE DEBORA PIOVESAN: EVENTS ARE LIKE ART S P EC IA L ED I T I ON

TECHNOLOGIES SHINING TRIANGLES OF LAMBORGHINI

EDITORIAL

KEEPING YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND You are now holding this year’s third English-language edition of THINK MICE that contains a solid and hopefully interesting dose of knowledge and information about all fields of the MICE industry. This time there is an aboveaverage number of materials discussing events - both staged in Poland (the magazine’s country of origin) and abroad. In particular, I wish to draw your attention to the content of the “Technologies” section dedicated to the Russian launch of Lamborghini Urus. The first article is a general overview of the event, while the second one was written by an expert - the head of one of Poland’s largest companies specialising in providing technical, multimedia and lighting services. His analysis will make it easier to grasp the craftsmanship of the organisers of the discussed event. There is a highly important conclusion to be drawn from our expert’s text. Based on materials available online, the author argues that the success of the production can be attributed to… its underlying concept. Rather than advanced technology (which, obviously, was necessary for the production to come into being), it was its creative application that proved essential for the spectacular final effect accomplished by authors. While this opinion on the role of technology in events and human creativity is not isolated, I believe it is worth recalling, especially since this time it is voiced by a professional that knows technology inside out. I would like to take this opportunity to share a reflection: the people most in-the-know about all the latest technological novelties are usually also the ones to most appreciate the role a human touch plays in the whole process. And what do you think?

More or less the same thing could be said about figures. Many of us appreciate specific data. In other words, when learning about an issue, a phenomenon or a trend we pay particular attention to whether the information includes any concrete figures and data. While this is hardly surprising, in such cases I am always reminded of a statement the renowned Polish economist Prof. Marek Góra once made at a conference. He said that he remains highly sceptical about anyone going overboard with figures and data, because he knows how easy it is to manipulate the latter. Once again, the reason I am writing all of this is because this particular issue has no shortage of figures. Obviously, I am referring here to reports included in the final section of our magazine. By no means I am encouraging you to ignore them or stay suspicious of their findings. I am simply saying that reading carefully and keeping your feet on the ground is preferable to adopting an uncritical approach to figures. In this manner, it is much more probable that you will actually benefit from knowing them.

Maria Krzos

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MICE & MORE MEDIA GROUP THINK MICE Business Link PGE Narodowy Al. Ks. J. Poniatowskiego 1, 03-901 Warszawa tel. +48 690 12 12 69 redakcja@thinkmice.pl www.thinkmice.pl www.facebook.com/thinkmice/

EDITOR Maria Krzos maria.krzos@thinkmice.pl

Photo: MarcinTarkowski-Piximo

COVER PHOTO: INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION AND CONVENTION CENTRE EXPO KRAKÓW

EDITORIAL TEAM Michał Kalarus michał.kalarus@thinkmice.pl

ADVERTISEMENT Aleksandra Lublińska aleksandra.lublinska@thinkmice.pl

SUBSCRIPTION prenumerata@thinkmice.pl

THINK DESTINATION 22 Lublin open to MICE 26 Discover Podkarpackie Region – the hub for innovative industries 29 Montenegro – a new place on the MICE map? 31 Emerging market

THINK MICE

Photo: Agency Sila Sveta

Photo. Andrea Piovesan

PROJECT MANAGER Anna Łukasik think@thinkmice.pl

THINK MICE is a magazine dedicated to the Polish and international meetings industry (MICE – meetings, incentives, conferences, events) and its scope encompasses all of the segments in question: meetings, incentive trips, congresses and conferences. By adopting an in-depth and multifaceted approach to all covered issues, we present the role and signiﬁcance of the industry for, i.a. broadly deﬁned marketing communication, employer branding and destination marketing.

THINK THE MEETINGS SHOW 12 The Meetings Show back with a new style

THINK INCENTIVE 20 Winning client’shearts through stories

DESIGN Iwona Borowska Roman Borowski studio@thinkmice.pl

ISSN 2543-4497

NEED TO KNOW 06 Polish Vodka Museum available also for the MICE sector 08 Global Events Congress for the ﬁrst time in Poland 08 Warsaw to host European Design Awards 2019 10 ICCA discusses the industry’s future in Wiesbaden

THINK VENUE 17 Perfect MICE venue in the heart of Poland 18 International Exhibition and Convention Centre EXPO Kraków

reklama@thinkmice.pl

©COPYRIGHT BY MICE & MORE MEDIA GROUP

THINK EVENT 14 World's Biggest Guestlist Festival 16 endorﬁna events celebrates Rossmann’s 25 years in Poland 16 Land Rover’s off-road tour of Poland

Ksenia Bednarek, Agnieszka Jurewicz Maciej Kompała, Monika Kowalska, Agnieszka Rybak, Jacek Słowik

PRINTING HOUSE TAURUS

Photo:. Rudger.com

THINK MICE

PROFILE 32 Debora Piovesan: Events are like art

TECHNOLOGIES 36 Shining triangles of Lamborghini 37 Lamborghini Urus launch: power of creation INSPIRATIONS 40 The dragonﬂy syndrome – various perspectives of motivation and self-actualization

REPORT 43 Small meetings: numbers, participants, challenges 45 An in-depth look at reports

NEED TO KNOW

ROBERT ANDRZEJCZYK Vice-President of European Travel Commission

President of Polish Tourism Organisation Robert Andrzejczyk was appointed the new VicePresident of European Travel Commission (ETC). The voting took place at the organisation’s 95th General Meeting on 24 May. Andrzejczyk garnered the votes of 50% of representatives of ETC member states. His opponents were the presidents of Serbian and Slovenian national tourism organisations.

“This is a great honour and an enormous distinction. I am very glad to be supported by so many members. Thank you for your trust – I promise to work hard for the sake of the European tourism community”, said Robert Andrzejczyk. The Polish candidate received the votes of 13 representatives from 26 countries. The president of Serbia’s national organization got 6 votes, and his Slovenian counterpart – one less. Two people abstained from voting. As the first Pole to hold the position of ETC vicepresident, Andrzejczyk will be responsible for the area of advocacy. Among his main objectives, mention is due to streamlining the process of granting visas, especially in the Schengen Area, and making Europe increasingly accessible. Vicepresident of ETC gets elected for a two-year term. European Travel Commission is an international organization established in 1948 and responsible for the promotion of Europe as a tourist destination, manly in the overseas markets. kos

Photo: E. Dufaj/KBF (2)

Three Kraków venues sign A DECLARATION OF INTENT

International Exhibition and Convention Centre EXPO Kraków, ICE Kraków Congress Centre and TAURON Arena Kraków signed a Declaration of Intent on 19 June. In this way, the venues declared their willingness to collaborate in the field of creating a complementary offer for the organisers of business, cultural and sport events. As a result, actions will be undertaken to make sure events

stay in Kraków and are not transferred to venues in other cities. This particularly concerns situations when a given venue is already booked or lacks the required technical/technological infrastructure and capacity. In such cases, the so-called recommendation policy will be implemented, enabling organisers to become familiar with the comprehensive offer of all three venues. kos

MPI AWARDS Wojciech Liszka Wojciech Liszka, founder and CEO of Z-Factor, founding member and long-time President of MPI Poland Chapter, received the RISE Award for Member of the Year presented by the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) association. The recipients of RISE (Recognising Industry Success and Excellence) Awards were announced during the 2018 World Education Congress (WEC18), one of the flagship MPI events, staged in Indianapolis on 2-5 June. The award recognises the efforts of Wojciech Liszka in the global meetings industry and his contribution to the sector’s growth in Poland. Liszka started his career with the Foxwoods Resorts & Casino in Connecticut. After coming back to Poland, for 11 years he remained involved with the Radisson Blue hotel brand in Szczecin, Warsaw and Kraków. He launched Z-Factor in 2015. mk

Paweł Niewiadomski voted the PRESIDENT OF ECTAA President of the Polish Chamber of Tourism is now also the president of the European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations (ECTAA). The new executive board of the organisation was elected at its General Assembly staged in Kuala Lumpur in early May. ECTAA associates the economic self-governments of 30 member states, members of the European Union and the European Economic Area, representing the interest of close to 70,000 travel agents and tour operators in the whole of Europe. The organisation acts on behalf of the tourism industry in relations with EU authorities and is an esteemed consultation partner on legal acts developed in Brussels. The President of Polish Chamber of Tourism since 2012, Paweł Niewiadomski has joined its authorities back in 2002. His responsibilities mostly include international affairs, i.a. representing the Chamber in ECTAA. Until now he has been acting as the VicePresident of ECTAA for three terms. kos

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NEED TO KNOW

NEW EDITION of MeetingPlanners Russia The already sixth MeetingPlanners Russia will be staged in Moscow on 10-11 September. The networking meeting is aimed at organisers and suppliers of MICE services interested in establishing business relations in the Russian market and in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The key item of the agenda focuses on individual meetings between buyers (meeting planners from corporations and associations) and MICE service providers (representatives of agencies, DMCs, PCOs, bureaus involved in promoting destinations). In addition, many side highlights have been planned – networking sessions and joint lunches and dinners are particularly noteworthy. The high point of the educational section, a presentation on effective communication and the recognition of human attitudes, has been prepared in cooperation with the British Meetology Lab. MeetingPlanners Russia is attended by approx. 80 hosted buyers and 60 exhibitors. THINK MICE is the event’s media patron plus will be distributing its English-language issue. mk

IT&CMA – business and education

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IT&CMA (Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia) is one of the largest events dedicated to the MICE industry in the region of Asia-Pacific. Its annual edition will be staged on 18-20 September. The main objective of the event is to develop the MICE market – both at a local level and in the international arena. Its last year’s edition involved more than 800 exhibitors representing 299 companies and organisations plus close to 440 hosted buyers. According to the organisers, as many as 87% of the latter considered their participation to exceed expectations and declared they will be coming back for future editions. Based on the quality of the held talks and established relations, 89% of exhibitors expect to launch business cooperation with IT&CMA attendees in a period of less than 12 months. Together with Corporate Travel World Asia-Pacific (CTW), dedicated to presenting an offer connected with business travel, IT&CMA creates a unique doublebill event featuring a section dedicated to business education. mk

POLISH VODKA MUSEUM available also for the MICE sector

Launched in the Warsaw district of Praga, the Polish Vodka Museum is Poland’s first and simultaneously world’s only institution of this kind. Furthermore, it boasts all the assets required to become an attractive venue for MICE events. The Museum is located in the premises of the Koneser Praga Centre, in a historical building of a former distillation and rectification plant operating since the nineteenth century. The whole area, set between Ząbkowska, Markowska, Białostocka and Nieporęcka streets, is consecutively revitalised. For many years it used to house the “Koneser” Warsaw Vodka Factory, which produced some of Poland’s best-known vodkas, such as Luksusowa or Wyborowa. Today it is becoming an increasingly important place on the cultural-business map of not only Praga, but also the whole city. The discussed building was designed in such a way as to seamlessly combine museum and commercial functions. It features spaces that can be successfully applied by business visitors – for meetings, training sessions, conferences, as well as events. Among them, mention is due to a spacious foyer, the ¾ Bar (together with the VIP Zone) which on a daily basis serves cocktails with Polish vodka as

their main ingredient, the Vodka Academy Bar, where tasting sessions are staged, and a cinema. The building of the Museum also encompasses the 24-hour WuWU Bistro and the ZONI restaurant, where guests are seated at tables set above the enormous historical furnaces of the former factory. With the Museum closely cooperating with ZONI on the organisation of corporate events and catering, the restaurant can supply food services for events staged at the Museum. Moreover, besides tours of the exhibition and spaces available for adaptation by MICE guests, the Museum’s offer includes many additional highlights intended to make the stay of visiting business tourists even more pleasant. Mirosław Nizio’s architectural studio was responsible for preparing the concept of the Museum’s interiors and exhibition. The main intention of the authors was to preserve the original, post-industrial components of the interior finishing and combine them with advanced multimedia installations. The museum section is composed of five thematic galleries and a cinema (the tour through several centuries of Polish vodka’s history takes about an hour and starts with a short film). mk, kos

NEED TO KNOW

#VISITPOLAND – Poland through the eyes of YouTubers #VisitPoland is a joint undertaking of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism and Polish Tourism Organisation. At the invitation of the two institutions, seven prominent video bloggers representing several tourism markets of key importance for our industry will visit Poland. “Influencer marketing is now among the most efficient promotional tools. The nearly unlimited territorial reach and influence of YouTubers offer a remarkably effective method of promotion. I believe that the invited YouTubers will create content fully showing to what degree our country is intriguing, dynamically growing and attractive”, says Minister of Sports and Tourism Witold Bańka. The discussed group of YouTubers includes: Louis Cole of Great Britain (FunForLouis), Alan Estrada of Mexico (Alanxelmundo), Christian Le Blanc of Canada (Lost LeBlanc), Marko and Alex Ayling of United States (Vagabrothers), Pau Clavero of Spain (Clavero), Conner Sullivan of Germany (Conner Sullivan), and Angela An of Japan (InternationallyMe). The project is already being implemented and you can see the first results of influencers’ work on their social media profiles. Google Polska acts as the strategic partner of #VisitPoland. kos

GLOBAL EVENTS CONGRESS for the ﬁrst time in Poland The eighth edition of Global Events Congress, an international congress of the meetings industry, was held in Warsaw in mid-July. This was the first time that the event was hosted in Poland. Warsaw School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, member of the Vistula Group of Universities, acted as its local organiser. The agenda mostly focused on issues connected with event planning and management. The discussed issues included, i.a. the correct application of new technologies and effective building of participant engagement. There was also no shortage of discussions on the role convention bureaus play in promoting destinations, talks about trends and future of the industry, and local touches – a brief overview of the meetings sector in Poland. An in-

teresting solution had each day of the conference staged in a different Warsaw venue. On the first day the participants debated at Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Convention Centre. They spent the second day on the Vistula Group of Universities campus, followed by the Palace of Culture and Science on the third day, and the Warsaw Google Campus on the final day. In addition to educational sessions, the agenda also featured a wide range of additional highlights, i. a. sightseeing the city, a cruise on the Vistula, a tour of the Polish Vodka Museum, and ceremonious dinners. Guests could also take part in a weekend post-tour staged in Kraków. Global Events Congress was held on 10-13 July. mk

WARSAW to host EUROPEAN DESIGN AWARDS 2019

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The 2019 edition of European Design Awards, an award ceremony aimed at European designers, will be staged in Warsaw. The process of securing the prestigious event, including issues connected with preparing the capital’s offer, participating in a destination competition and arranging a fam trip, was coordinated by Warsaw Tourism Organisation - Warsaw Convention Bureau in cooperation with the Cultural Department of the Warsaw Municipal Office and the local community of graphic designers. Polish Graphic Design Awards and the organiser of Element Talks, a crucial graphic design conference, are the key partners of ED-Awards in Warsaw. In addition, the list of trade associations invited to cooperate on submitting the offer included the Association of Applied Graphic Designers, the SAR Marketing Communication Association and the Polish Branding Club operating as its part, the Faculty of Design at the Academy of Fine Arts, the Poster

Museum in the Warsaw district of Wilanów, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The managing director of ED-Awards visited Warsaw on 28-30 March. The main objective of the stay was to meet with the local design community, regional partners and representatives of Cultural Department of the Warsaw Municipal Office. In addition, the European Design representative toured venues that could host the awards ceremony and the accompanying conference and workshops (Nowy Theatre, Dramatyczny Theatre, Studio Theatre, Palace of Culture and Science, POLIN Museum). Finally, cooperation with Warsaw Tourism Organisation members - AutorRooms, Belvedere, InterContinental Warszawa, Novotel Warszawa Centrum, Palace of Culture and Science, POLIN and the Museum of Modern Art - was also not without significance for successfully securing the event. kos

NEED TO KNOW

Inspirations and networking at BALTIC FOR EVENTS FORUM

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More than 200 organisers, customers and professionals connected with the event industry from countries in the Baltic Sea region took part in the second edition of Baltic for Events Forum. In addition to an educational section, participants particularly appreciated the networking character of the event. Baltic For Events Forum is staged by Baltic Event Industry Club (BEIC), an organisation associating agencies specialising in event marketing operations from ten countries in the Baltic Sea region. Its first edition was held last year but focused exclusively on the Baltic states and a part of Scandinavia. This time, the territorial scope of the event was slightly expanded, with Poland among the countries joining the undertaking. “The first Forum showed us how important it is to cooperate with each other and what impressive benefits we can achieve this way. Our inaugural event made it possible for many companies to start working together. This year the Tallinn-based Theatre NO99 housed more than 200 professionals connected with the event industry from the entire region. Each specialises in his field and has something to offer for other participants. This combination generates considerable business opportunities”, said Maria Kirilova, Managing Director, Baltic For Events Forum. This year’s Baltic for Events Forum included many Polish features. Przemysław Kurdziel (Walk), Maciej Ledzion (endorfina events) and Wojciech Ostrowski (Allegro Agency) introduced participants to the potential of the Polish industry. In addition to basic information about its size and growth, their joint presentation showcased three key trends and directions that are inspiring the Polish event market. Finally, a nice touch involved the Allegro Agency winning the Baltic Event Award competition for the best cultural event and the Grand Prix award for the event of the year in the whole Baltic Sea region. The discussed awards acknowledged Empik’s 2017 Bestseller gala event. THINK MICE was the event’s media patron plus was distributing its English-language issue. mk

ICCA DISCUSSES the industry’s future in Wiesbaden

More than 40 participants from eight countries attended the annual conference of the Central European Chapter of International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), which this time was staged in the German city of Wiesbaden. The central theme of this year’s conference was “Industry Challenges: Are you prepared for the future?” putting a spotlight on global trends that can prepare the meetings industry for challenges awaiting us in the future. The attendants attempted to answer questions, such as “Are companies more successful if they have democratic structures?” or “How does digital transformation look like in practice and what changes it will bring?”. They also discussed new ways of working. For the first time ever the ICCA conference was held simultaneously with MEXCON – Meeting Expert Conference, staged every two years in Germany. The latest MEXCON attracted more than 450 guests. “By combining the two meetings and joint networking events we had an one-of-a-kind opportunity to share experiences with experts representing the German meetings sector”, says Anna Górska, Business Development Director at Expo XXI Warszawa and Head of the ICCA Central European Chapter. The conference began with a joint inaugural lecture for MEXCON and ICCA participants given by Marc Stoffel of Haufe-umantis AG. Stoffel spoke about how employees react to the company’s structure getting modernised and the obstacles he encountered in this process. In the subsequent lecture, Matthias Schultze, Managing Director at German Convention Bureau, explained how the organisation deals with the chances and challenges resulting from digitalisation. He also

emphasised that there is more to digital transformation than simply technology. Another item on the agenda, the “New Work – New Challenges” discussion panel had participants sharing the experiences with new ways of working (Mateusz Czerwiński, Vice President of the Board with Warsaw Tourism Organisation, was among the speakers). The programme also featured a tour of Wiesbaden-based Panasonic headquarters, or to be more specific – the Panasonic Business Solution Center. The Center is divided into several areas (Innovation Corner, Digital Signage Gang, Live Production/Broadcast Gallery, Security Center and COMMs-CUBE) showcasing the latest accomplishments of the company in the fields of technology and digitalisation. The whole event concluded with a presentation of the “EventCanvas” methodology. Based on a visual-centred approach and project thinking, it constitutes a noteworthy tool for event development. Anna Górska was the moderator of the entire conference. Organisers also guaranteed that the participants had their share of additional highlights making it possible to learn more about the host destination, i.a. a joint dinner with MEXCON attendants at Jagdschloss Platte castle, an evening tour of Wiesbaden by foot, and a visit to the Eberbach monastery. The conference was staged in the recently launched RheinMain CongressCenter (RMCC) in Wiesbaden on 20-22 June. With 168 members from 19 countries, the Central European Chapter is currently the world’s largest ICCA chapter. Anna Górska, mk

THINK THE MEETINGS SHOW

THE MEETINGS SHOW back with a new style The dawn of a new era is how The Meetings Show organisers were lauding its sixth edition. And even though at the end there was no revolution to speak of, the event’s novelty value was high indeed - both as regards what was going on in the exhibition area and the overall format. Sardinia separately, Monterrey in Mexico, and the Flemish Region in Belgium all unveiled their offer in the Olympia London exhibition centre.

SHORTER BUT STILL INTENSIVE

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This year’s edition of The Meetings Show was attended by approx. 1,000 hosted buyers and more than 600 exhibitors – representatives of convention bureaus of cities and regions, PCOs, DMCs, hotel chains, conference centres, new technology suppliers, etc. Companies operating in the British Isles continued to dominate, but other destinations were also highly visible, not only from Europe but virtually from all over the world. Visit Portugal, Meet Bristol, VisitScotland, Marketing Shefﬁeld, Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, Liverpool Convention Bureau, Conference Leeds and VisitYork4meetings were among the organisations applying their booths to host a wide range of smaller events (e.g. refreshment breaks, cocktail receptions and presentations) in order to gain recognition and attract a larger number of visitors. As usual, many destinations were showcasing their offer for the very ﬁrst time. Representatives of the Canary Islands, Ruanda, Oman, Argentine, Brazil, Spain’s Costa del Sol, Italy and

Nevertheless, the most important and prominent brand-new aspect involved the fact that this was the first Meetings Show to last not three, but two days. The decision was made already a year ago, based on the feedback received from both exhibitors and visitors. Most of them believe that a shorter stay in London does not impact the benefits generated by participating in the show and establishing corresponding business relations. It does, however, help reduce costs and save time, which is not without meaning in the high event season of June. Held at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel on the day before the main event, the so-called Pre-Show Conference played the role of a “substitute” – at least in the field of education – of the cancelled third day of The Meetings Show. Another crucial new feature distinguishing the 2018 event from its previous editions, the Pre-Show Conference focused on professional education and showcasing the potential of technological innovations that play an increasingly large role in the MICE industry. The conference was attended by about 350 guests and had John Straw, Senior Advisor at McKinsey and IBM Watson, delivering the opening speech. “The technological progress made in the last twothree years changed everything that we are doing. The changes are so natural we have not even noticed most of them. On the other hand, I do not believe that new technologies will lead to job reduction. Their application makes it

possible to complement, but not replace our efforts”, said John Straw. The participants were then divided into several smaller groups matched to the functions they fulﬁl on an everyday basis. As a result, some lectures were aimed at agency representatives, others at association meeting planners, and still others at corporate professionals responsible for commissioning events. A networking meeting Hosted Buyer Welcome Reception - was staged on the same day at London’s Science Museum.

VALUE ADDED All visitors who did not feel like leaving Great Britain once The Meetings Shown wrapped up were given an opportunity to take part in one of the four post-tour trips – to Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle/Gateshead or Belfast. Fam trips accompanying trade fairs are a common practice at this type of events in the MICE sector and now a decision was made to introduce them as part of The Meetings Show. Moreover, after a one-year break, the sixth edition’s agenda once again featured the Cocktails for Charity initiative developed together with MPI Foundation. ”We are really pleased to renew cooperation with MPI Foundation this year. Cocktails for Charity offer an opportunity to have a good time and establish relations plus simultaneously obtain funding for the industry’s growth”, says Chloe Modaberi, Manager Marketing at The Meetings Show. The Meetings Show was staged at the Olympia London exhibition centre on 27-28 June. THINK MICE was a media partner of the event and organised a group of hosted buyers. An English-language edition of our magazine was also available in London. Michał Kalarus

THINK EVENT

WORLD'S BIGGEST GUESTLIST FESTIVAL 54 artists, almost 149,000 participants and more than 112 millions of impressions in 91 countries worldwide - World's Biggest Guestlist Festival (WBGF) was the greatest charity event to be held anywhere on Earth in 2017. The two days packed with concerts and performances by top Bollywood stars and more were dedicated to one goal - collecting funds making it possible to pay for the education of about 100,000 young people in India.

Photo: Rudger.com

Each of the artists performing at the festival did so for free. Similarly, companies arranging the event were involved free of charge or at a reduced price. Interestingly, this was also a free-entrance event with funds for the noble goal obtained through the sales of gadgets, beverages and food. All money raised in this way was donated to the Magic Bus foundation, which helps Indian children climb out of poverty, i.a. by ﬁnancing their education.

WORLD'S BIGGEST GUESTLIST FESTIVAL Venue: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, India Date: 2-3 December 2017 Organiser/customer: Guestlist4Good LLP, http://guestlist4good.com, United We Are Foundation, https://foundation.djhardwell.com Number of participants: 62,500 (day 1), 86,400 (day 2)

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Even though this was a charity event, the organisers made sure it had an appropriately spectacular character. The almost 100-metre-wide and approx. seven-ﬂoor-high stage was designed in the Netherlands. As the largest construction of this kind in Asia, it was accompanied by LED screens of almost 330 m2 plus about 3,000 of all types of lighting devices and lasers, display pyrotechnics devices, as well as more than 200 speakers. The whole project was organised by Shailendra Singh, founder of GuestList4Good (company conducting a social mission) in cooperation with the Dutch DJ and music producer Robbert van de Corput (Hardwell). The initiative was awarded in the latest edition of the Eventex competition, where it was ranked ﬁrst in the Best Festival category, third in the Best Cause Event and won the People’s Choice Event award. MK

THINK EVENT

ENDORFINA EVENTS CELEBRATES ROSSMANN’S 25 YEARS IN POLAND Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the brand’s launch in Poland, a two-day gala for Rossmann’s workers and business partners was held in Sopot on 17-18 May. The endorfina events agency was responsible for its production, while the internal communications team handled the event’s coordination on the part of the customer. The discussed gala was staged on the beach in front of Sopot’s Grand Hotel, where a tent hall of 5,000 m2 was set up. The 25th anniversary gala was divided into two days, during which a wide range of highlights and performances was arranged for the participants. 2,100 employees and business partners of Rossmann attended the evening event on the first day on 17 May. The banquet dinner ended with a concert by top stars of Polish popular music. The next day was entirely dedicated to employees. During the day they could participate in such attractions, as a theatrical production at the Szekspirowski Theatre, a catamaran cruise, an improvisational theatre show at the Opera Leśna amphitheatre or visiting the Łaźnia Centre for Contemporary Art and the Museum of the Second World War. More than 1,400 employees representing the Rossmann brand took advantage of this exceptional opportunity. The day was crowned by a ceremonious seated dinner with concerts by Margaret, Video and Oddział Zamknięty as the unquestionable high point. In charge of the event’s production, the endorfina events agency developed its creative concept, obtained all the permits, handled the assembly and conceptual works, booked bands, arranged transfer, as well as prepared and coordinated the entire enterprise. kos

LAND ROVER’S OFF-ROAD TOUR OF POLAND Poland’s very ﬁrst three-week off-road event of the Land Rover and Range Rover brands was staged in spring this year. The Above & Beyond Tour 2018 visited the Moto Show Tradeshow in Poznań, Gdynia, Warsaw, Kraków and Katowice. The Ministry of Creativity agency was responsible for organising the event.

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In each of the host cities, the main highlight involved a special off-road track composed of a lift and a ramp, making it possible to become familiar with the characteristics of Land Rover models when driving down from a 40-degree slope plus their angles of approach, departure and the ramp angle. The guests had at their disposal 10 test vehicles, including two for ramp driving, and additional cars supplies by regional dealers. As a result, more than 300 participants in each of the cities had a chance to thoroughly get to know the full range of Land Rover and Range Rover brands. With the Above & Beyond Tour 2018 sites set in popular, centrally-located points of the visited cities, the urban space presence of brands was automatically boosted. In each case the event lasted for two or three days and was mostly aimed at business clients. The Above & Beyond Tour 2018 centres occupied an area of about 1,200 m2 and its assembly took eight hours. On the other hand, the dismantling was two times shorter, which made it possible to open a new site already 32 hours after the previous one was pulled down in another city. Almost 20 people were involved in the project, not counting the customer’s representatives. Finally, each event was supported by a local promotional campaign on the radio and online. kos

PERFECT MICE VENUE in the heart of Poland Set in the very centre of Europe, the diverse nature, architecture and an extensive cultural offer of Poland annually attract hundreds of millions of tourists from all over the world. The MICE industry is also discovering the impressive advantages of this destination. In the heart of Poland Centrum Kulturalno -Kongresowe Jordanki (Jordanki Cultural and Convention Centre) is among the most noteworthy recently launched venues. It is located in the picturesque and charming Toruń, a dream-come-true for specialists of the meetings industry, congresses, trade fairs and authors of cultural events. TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES AND MODERN SOLUTIONS Designed by Spanish architect Fernando Menis, the Jordanki Cultural and Convention Centre boasts numerous assets, among which special mention is to its mixed-use and modular character. Applied solutions make it possible to produce corporate galas and major conferences and congresses. CKK Jordanki encompasses two concert halls that when combined create a single event space, both in a ﬂat surface and theatre set-up. The venue’s infrastructure also includes professional lighting and audio, multimedia projectors, mobile trapdoors, a mobile ceiling system for optimizing acoustics and equipment offering the option of multichannel sound recording. In addition, the centre’s offer incorporates modular conference rooms, an open-air stage, an underground car park, a three-level foyer, a rehearsal room, a patio and a restaurant.

Heritage List in 1997. Each year the city is visited by more than two million tourists from Poland and abroad. Right next to the Jordanki Cultural and Convention Centre you will ﬁnd all the largest four-star hotels, restaurants, cafés and stores. Finally, visitors are drawn by world-renowned cultural and sport events. In other words, the irresistible city wins the hearts of all guests.

BOLD CONCEPTS Professional event agencies take advantage of the diverse equipment and modular character of the Jordanki Cultural and Convention Centre in Toruń to deliver an unforgettable experience. Clients particularly appreciate its one-of-a-kind architecture and the opportunity of unique spatial arrangements. In the case of some of the produced events the guests of

balls, galas or banquets were invited to a concert hall stage. Two-level stage trapdoors were used to lift a car, a drink bar or decoration components onto the stage. By applying curtains, stage designers were measuring out excitement, gradually revealing successive surprises to the gathered guests. In addition, the lighting and decorations of an event can beneﬁt from the use of many stage barrels and smart lighting devices. In the case of this conﬁguration the auditorium can be applied as an artistic space. The participants of the discussed meetings were awed by the opportunity to appear on stage in the main role. The Jordanki Cultural and Convention Centre in Toruń invites everyone for on-site inspections, the best method to learn more about its architecture and technical potential.

SETTING Toruń boasts convenient rail and road access to Poland’s largest cities. Thanks to the near-by A1 highway linking Scandinavia with Mediterranean countries the city has great transportation connections with northern and southern Poland and Europe. Its unquestionable advantage involves the proximity of airports in Bydgoszcz (50 km) and Gdańsk (less than a two-hour highway drive). Moreover, Toruń is a seminal economic, scientiﬁc, academic and tourist centre. The local Old Town was included on the UNESCO World

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT US AT WWW.JORDANKI.TORUN.PL OR CONTACT US DIRECTLY: KAROLINA SZCZEPANOWSKA Head of the department for cultural events, concerts and shows Tel. +48 516 278 017 k.szczepanowska@jordanki.torun.pl

DOMINIKA NOWICKA Event manager - conferences, congresses and corporate events Tel. +48 516 277 766 mice@jordanki.torun.pl

MACIEJ TREICHEL Space rental specialist - rental of conference rooms, training sessions, direct sales Tel. +48 516 277 832 m.treichel@jordanki.torun.pl

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THINK VENUE

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION AND CONVENTION CENTRE EXPO KRAKÓW

DOSSIER Name: International Exhibition and Convention Centre EXPO Kraków, www.expokrakow.com Destination: Kraków, Poland Launch date: 14 May 2014 Number of rooms: 2 halls (Wisła – 5,000 m2, Dunaj – 4,000 m2), 5 modular seminar rooms (Bratysława – 648 m2, Wiedeń – 282 m2, Lwów – 234 m2, Budapeszt – 207 m2, Praga – 138 m2), meeting rooms, Bistro Galicja restaurant, lobby with an area of 1,400 m2 Area: 13,000 m2, including 9,000 m2 of conference area

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Kraków and the region of Małopolska have been attracting both leisure and business guests for many years now. Still, several years ago the lack of an exhibition and congress infrastructure constituted a major disadvantage of the city. This state of things has changed for the better thanks to, i.a. EXPO Kraków. From the very outset, masterminds behind the venue and its designers were inspired by an idea of maximum multi-functionality. As a result, the interiors of EXPO Kraków are now available not only for trade fairs, but also large conferences and congresses combined with product exhibitions and poster sessions plus events, training sessions, corporate meetings, ceremonious galas, banquets, product presentations, as well as culture and entertainment events (i.a. exhibitions, concerts, fashion shows, sport competitions, etc.). The building’s construction also makes it possible to implement film and TV productions. “We have placed emphasis on a mixed-use environment friendly for staging all types of events. Besides vast capacity in this field, we also offer assistance and support in the process of staging events”, says Ewa Woch, Vice President at Targi w Krakowie, the owner and operator of EXPO Kraków. Importantly, the usable areas of the venue have been designed in such a way as to make their arrangement optimally flexible, as the spaces of halls are not limited by partition walls or pillars. In addition, special wooden girders and partially reinforced ceiling construction make it possible to suspend even very heavy elements. In turn, this allows for the development of appropriate setting and lighting matched to the individual needs of clients. MK

Photo: Fotolia

WINNING CLIENT’S HEARTS THROUGH STORIES NO ONLY HAS STORYTELLING BECOME AN ESSENTIAL MARKETING TOOL, IT IS ALSO INCREASINGLY OFTEN APPLIED BY INCENTIVE TRAVEL COMPANIES.

20 THINK MICE

“Thank you for being here” is how a narrator in a grocery store advertisement sums up statements made by centenarians about what is most important in life. A pensioner learns foreign languages to talk with his grandchildren in an advertising spot of an e-commerce website. A boy from a divorced family visits his father and finds a room arranged just like the one in his mother’s apartment. He immediately feels better in an advertisement of a chain of furniture stores. All of these stories pull at heartstrings. We remember their protagonists much longer than the spot in which they appeared. These examples show storytelling in action. Marketing encyclopaedias define storytelling as the creation of an original story connected with the world of a given brand and product. People-centred stories about the origins of a company, the fortunes of its employees and even the development of particular products make it easier to win over a customer. After all, stories create bonds and evoke “private” emotions. No wonder then than incentive organisers are attempting to adapt this effective method. “Storytelling had become trendy, distinctive and generates added value in incentive programmes”, comments Beata Koziarska, Executive Director with ICP Group. Everyone can provide attractive hotels, flights, trips and branding. An engaging agenda based on valuable content and aimed at achieving

business goals is exactly what distinguishes incentive agencies from travel bureaus.

NO FILTERS How does a trip applying storytelling differ from a standard incentive trip? “A much larger emphasis is placed on the impact of real-life stories and making participants join direct interaction with local residents”, explains Łukasz Nitwiński, Incentive Director at Bespoke. “If we want to tell the story of a country, a city, people, a culture, then storytelling makes it possible through real stories, with no need to ‘amp up” the emotions as it is usually the case. The medium plays a key role here – the discovery of another world through the mouth of someone that belongs to it. A local resident cannot be replaced by even the very best, professional guide”, adds Nitwiński. To illustrate the phenomenon he gives the example of an event featuring the so-called “Mickey Mouse” concept. It involves trips to exotic countries, dress-ups, references to pop culture, the latest trends or corporate leitmotifs: harder, better, faster, stronger. Participants are guided by a non-resident. “The ‘Mickey Mouse” idea tends to be implemented in a slightly infantile and forced manner; on other occasions, the concept gets the expected results with participants usually not attaching much importance to it. While this idea

is often a successful tender strategy, its implementation is a different thing altogether. Contrary to ‘Mickey Mouse”, storytelling places emphasis on authenticity without any redundant ideas and cultural ornaments. We do not pretend to be anything that we are not. It is the local residents that welcome us into their world, which is not necessarily happy or matches the client’s expectations”, explains Nitwiński. ”There are many sides to storytelling”, argues Beata Koziarska, who believes that an intriguing story featuring the protagonists of books, ﬁlms and pop culture icons can be the foundation of an entire trip concept. This was the case several years ago when her company was arranging a trip inspired by Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. One of the book’s protagonists, Robert Langdon, acted as the narrator, drawing participants into successive tasks. What counts is that they helped produce a noteworthy agenda, with participants exploring Paris and authentic destinations known from the novel. Still, storytelling can also be only one of many components of a trip’s concept, which might also include mini-stories at the bonﬁre, sightseeing with a local guide or meetings with interesting people. Agnieszka Lewandowska, co-owner of Incentive Care, admits that while the term ‘storytelling” is not particularly popular in the incentive industry, many productions focus on authenti-

THINK INCENTIVE city. “In each trip we try to come up with a leitmotif that is genuine and characteristic for the region we are visiting”. The African tours staged by Incentive Care are a good example. Princess Teresa Sapieha, daughter of Eustachy Sapieha, is a local resident. At 64 years, she was born in Kenya and lived there all her life but speaks good Polish and considers herself to be a Pole. The princess is also an author of Wayside Flowers of Kenya, a safari guide and currently a guide’s examiner in Kenya. She knows her way around horses and enthusiastically discusses history, animals and plants. Teresa Sapieha also feels good in any company. She starts her day with a glass of whisky, does not lag behind in the joke department, and easily wins the sympathy of visiting groups. On a number of occasions the participants were even invited for a lunch staged in her gardens. Łukasz Nitwiński discussed two successful projects. “We arranged a trip to India inspired by Gregory David Robert’s autobiographical book Shantaram. Its protagonist escapes from an Australian prison and spends ten years in India, Mumbai to be speciﬁc. The city was also our starting point. We invited participants into the world of the book and visited the places it described. In the meantime we also saw all the tourist highlights but did not focus on them. We were appropriately developing the agenda so that it contained both entertainment and consumption, but put the spotlight on genuine exploration and meetings with people straight from the pages of our literary inspiration”. The second storytelling event was held in the Kola Peninsula, in Murmansk and surrounding regions stretching for hundreds of kilometres. Its participants were intended to discover the secrets of the Russian soul. The chosen season (wintery, freezing and dark March) certainly helped create the expected ambience. “The event involved several local residents in the role of narrators. They would come out of the forest carrying a dog, taking a break from logging, an axe in hand, and invite us for a tea. They shared their experiences. What is it like in Siberia when a woman is in labour and there are complications plus you need to walk a day and a half to get to the closest railway station? These authentic stories told in cold and wind made a lasting impression”, relates Nitwiński.

NO BEGINNERS Nevertheless, the organisers emphasise that storytelling is not an offer for everyone. Not all clients can or want to become immersed in stories. Some might feel that they are not treated seriously. What is more, young groups rewarded for reaching a given corporate target simply want to enjoy themselves and have a good time. Older participants, who became financially successful at a later stage in their life, tend to make up for lost time and appreciate more obvious trip ideas. They want to experience what they have not seen before. Also sales clients will rather motivate participants to undertake further activities than look for an authentic message. If, however, we are dealing with a group composed of experienced incentive travellers or people who have done a lot of globetrotting on their own, their expectations will be completely different. Often they will prefer a tent on a lonely beach to a five-star resort hotel, because something banal is no longer on their menu. “Storytelling is precisely the right offer for this type of specialised, sophisticated clients”, argues Nitwiński, who believes that organisers applying storytelling face an incomparable challenge. It is not enough to take a look at the agenda and simply add some local residents here and there. The trip of this kind needs to have a scenario and a skilfully built narration from the beginning to the very end. “You cannot create a good storytelling programme in two days”, confirms Beata Koziarska. An offer, in which a story is the lead motif, has to be tailor-made for a client. Otherwise it will not be authentic and will fail to engage the participants. You need to know your group really well, understand their needs and be able to introduce values that they cherish.

A STORY MUST BE THERE Is the discussed type of projects more difﬁcult? According to Agnieszka Lewandowska “That is not necessarily the case. If you have a good story, a topic and people who will make it happen, then you should not expect many problems. Trying to do something out of nothing is a worse scenario, which requires a lot of effort. The story has to be right there, waiting for you, if it is supposed to make an interesting foundation”.

Sometimes a local resident will not appear on time, another one turns out to have a speech defect, and a yet another one is not waiting in the designated place with lunch, as you have planned earlier. However, experience shows that clients of this kind of enterprises are more satisﬁed and willing to forgive potential missteps. Bespoke is now planning its latest storytelling event to be held in the nearest future. “I am not allowed to go into details, but we will be travelling to an expensive destination and still the agenda does not feature any of its three top highlights. It is like going to Paris and skipping on the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles. We decided to take a risk and while our programme differed considerably from the expectations, it was selected out of a total of nine submitted offers. It was also the second cheapest one”, says Nitwiński. Are mixed programmes a possible option? This is actually the most frequent solution. Agnieszka Lewandowska assures that storytelling can be successfully made a part of standard incentive trips, for example by setting lunch in a restaurant with an interesting backstory. “Take your group to a Greek tavern, which has been run by the same family for generations, and give the participants an opportunity to dine and learn its background. Let them meet the grandfather that founded the place and now is sitting somewhere on a bench by the restaurant. This will be the highlight of the whole day that will generate emotions and be remembered by the group for a long time”, argues Lewandowska. Beata Koziarska too believes that storytelling can be combined with, for example, brand experience. If a trip is attended only by the top salespersons of a car brand, its programme can include rides, safari tours, racing, etc. using the brand’s vehicles. In this way we pay attention to brand identiﬁcation and emphasise the company’s image, with storytelling making other activities possible. Nitwiński is of the opinion that mixed projects are arranged – deliberately or not – by Poland’s top agencies. While storytelling can be discussed at an academic discourse level, customer satisfaction is the most important and more daring programmes tend to be tempered. Agnieszka Rybak

21 THINK MICE

Photo: MarcinTarkowski-Piximo

THINK DESTINATION - PROMOTION

LUBLIN OPEN TO MICE

LUBLIN IS THE LARGEST AND MOST DYNAMICALLY DEVELOPING CITY IN EASTERN POLAND. MORE AND MORE OFTEN IT IS CHOSEN AS A DESTINATION FOR LARGE AND IMPORTANT EVENTS, THUS BECOMING A MAJOR PLAYER NOT ONLY IN THE DOMESTIC BUT ALSO IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS MARKET. Lublin (the capital of Lubelskie Voivodeship, with ca. 350 thousand inhabitants) has been developing systematically for several years at many levels. Thanks to the availability of EU funds, the condition of road, communication and hotel infrastructure, so important for the MICE industry, is improving year by year. As a regional academic, economic and cultural centre, the city attracts many new events.

NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE

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Conferences, business meetings or sector workshops are only some of the numerous events held in Lublin and the region. Undoubtedly, the city's attractiveness is increased by the relatively new, but dynamically operating Lublin Airport, which after six years of operation is being expanded by a new terminal, so that it can accommodate even more

passengers. Accommodation facilities are a significant addition to the high quality of services offered by Lublin's entrepreneurs. New hotels of well-known chains are being built all the time in Lublin, such as the Arche Group (132 rooms), Ibis (110), Focus (75) or Hampton by Hilton (121). The latter brand recently welcomed its first guests. The noticeable development of the meetings industry is, of course, due to the newly created conference and congress infrastructure, but also to the effect of the activities of the Lublin & Region Convention Bureau, which is the first point of contact in the region for the organisers of business events. Moreover, positioning themselves among the regions of Eastern Poland, Lublin and the entire voivodeship use their competitive advantage resulting from their potential in the area of smart specialisation, i.e. bio-economics, medicine and health, low-carbon power engineering, as well as

information technology and automation. All this resulted in Lublin appearing in the latest edition of the prestigious ranking of the International Association of Conferences and Congresses (ICCA) as one of the six Polish conference destinations included in this ranking (Poland as a country was classiﬁed in the top twenty).

Photo: MarcinTarkowski-Piximo

EXTENSIVE TOURIST OFFER However, Lubelskie Voivodeship is not only about newly created conference facilities, hotels, transport and economy. What attracts tourists is the fact that it is one of the most picturesque lands in Poland, which tempts visitors with many wonderful attractions. When visiting the Lublin Region, one should not miss such places as the Old Town in Lublin, the Castle Museum or the Lublin Countryside Museum. The region is dominated by Roztocze National Park, charming Kazimierz Dolny, Nałęczów and Zamość Old Town complex included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The region has always been famous for its openness and hospitality – the route

LUBLIN CONFERENCE CENTRE The facility, which has been in operation since 2016, has an area of 13,000 square meters, nine floors (including six above-ground floors), eleven conference rooms for 20 to 500 persons, Business Centre rooms and a spacious atrium. Its advantage is not only the variety of rooms offered ( the LCK together with the neighbouring the Centre for the Meeting of Cultures and the Philharmonic form a unique conference complex in the city centre) or very good technical facilities of the rooms (in the form of Digital Signage screens, info kiosks, live streaming cameras, Telepresence system), but also the interesting layout of the building itself. The building has a shape of a solid with a rounded glass corner, which makes it possible to observe what is happening inside the complex from the outside. The atrium, which measures 20 metres, is also used in an interesting way. There is, among others, a café, an impressive futuristic fountain, where water logotypes can be displayed, as well as trees which are an original blend of nature and modern design. On the top floor, from which there is a beautiful view of the city, there is also a restaurant serving regional cuisine.

connecting Europe with Asia and the East, which runs through Lublin many years ago, has made the city an important centre of trade, attracting various nations and cultures. Traces of old times can still be seen today, not only in architecture, but also in the regional cuisine. It combines the ﬂavours of Jewish, Ukrainian, Russian and Armenian cuisine, which Lublin restaurateurs blend with regional vegetables and fruit from organic farming. Lubelskie is a well-known host of cultural events which attract great interest among the inhabitants who take part in them in large numbers (such as the Night of Culture, the Magicians' Carnival and the Jagiellonian Fair).

CONFERENCE FACE OF THE CITY The Lublin Conference Centre (LCK), together with the neighbouring the Centre for

the Meeting of Cultures (CSK), the Philharmonic Hall and the Musical Theatre, offers 7.5 thousand square meters of the highest quality modern event space. In total, several dozen rooms, adjusted to the needs of the most demanding customers, make up the perfect conference facilities of the city. The possibility of changes in the layout, interior design and multimedia shows the great potential of these complexes. Some of the very important events that Lublin attracts are medical conferences. This is because medicine (and health) is one of the four smart specialisations of the voivodeship. The city has a long tradition of organising professional conferences on these subjects. In recent years, it has hosted, among others, the 10th International Chromatographic Conference, the 2nd Polish-Japanese-Hungarian Surgical Symposium “Triangle Symposium”, the 11th

23 THINK MICE

Photo: MarcinTarkowski-Piximo

THINK DESTINATION - PROMOTION

International Symposium on oesophageal and stomach diseases, The Lublin Gastroenterology Days and the 5th Congress of the Polish Society of Oncological Gynaecology.

LUBLIN CONFERENCE CENTRE

24 THINK MICE

These and many other medical conferences are held at the largest conference centre in the city - the Lublin Conference Centre (LCK). As LCK Director Radosław Dudziński admits, the facility was created as a response to the growing importance of business tourism in the region. It quickly turned out that this investment was very much needed in the entire Lublin region. - For over two years during which the LCK has been operating there has been a dynamic expansion of the meetings industry - the Centre has held an impressive number of over 300 events, which were attended by approximately 50 thousand participants in total. That is not the end of the story. By the end of 2018 and 2019, we already have over 100 more ﬁrm bookings said Radosław Dudziński. – The ﬁrst years of LCK's activity have shown that Lublin needed an investment dedicated to the organisation of

THE CENTRE FOR THE MEETING OF CULTURES The Centre for the Meeting of Cultureses (CSK) is a cultural institution with a prestigious artistic programme, but also a facility for the organisation of commercial events - located in the centre of Lublin, close to hotels, with direct access to the airport, railway and coach stations. The 25,000-square-metre building has several rooms for smaller workshops, which can accommodate up to 1,500 persons at a time. All rooms are ﬁtted with modern multimedia systems. Interestingly, the Municipal Artistic Apiary operates on the viewing terraces of the CSK, which is part of the centuries-old tradition of beekeeping in the Lublin region, complementing the activities of outstanding bee-keeping training centres, such as the only beekeeping college in the world (14 km from Lublin) and the University of Life Sciences in Lublin. The entire venue, with its beautiful roof viewing terraces, but also restaurants and cafes, encourages the organisation of business events accompanied by art and culture.

conferences and business meetings. We record a 30% year-on-year increase in the number of events. Our advantage is the excellent location, comprehensive offer and the effect of novelty – many organisers are happy to choose Lublin, which now has the appropriate conference facilities for events of international importance. Our activity is also a stimulus for the development of the hotel market in the city and other sectors complementary to the MICE industry – added Dudziński. Apart from the aforementioned medical congresses, the LCK also hosts Polish and international events on economic, local government and social issues. The most important ones include, among others, the International Economic Conference “Food Markets: Evolution in times of change”, the 4th Polish Congress of Enterprise, the 2nd Metropolitan Climate Forum, the ML&TIIM2017 Conference – Management Challenges in a Network Economy:

Creativity and Education - Business Collaboration – Economic Activity – Information Technology, the Polish-Eastern Conference Lub-Invest or such original events as the International Fashion Festival “EAST Fashion” and the Architecture and Design Gala „“Lublin Design”. What is important, the mission of the LCK is not only to create opportunities for conferences, congresses, workshops, etc., but also to promote the brand of Lubelskie Voivodeship as a meeting place, inspire cooperation between players from the MICE sector at the regional and international level, and support the development of smart regional specialisations – being an integrator between science and business. For this reason, the LCK is happy to initiate and organise its own events, such as the European Innovation Week, or engage in CSR activities, a great example of which is the Lublin Business Round charity event.

One of the most RECOGNISABLE cities of Poland Birthplace of NICOLAUS COPERNICUS Legendary taste of TORUÅ&#x192; GINGERBREAD One of Europe's most PICTURESQUE AND UNCHANGED for centuries OLD TOWN Visited by over 2,3 MILLION tourists every year Place of many international CULTURAL & SPORTS EVENTS One of the best UNIVERSITY IN POL AND Included in the register of UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST

www.torun.pl www.visittorun.com

PROMOTION

DISCOVER PODKARPACKIE REGION – THE HUB FOR INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIES The Region of Podkarpackie – a gateway to European Union, land of modern economy, unpolluted natural environment, wealth of culture and opportunities. Here, innovative technologies of aerospace, information and automotive industries come side by side with active leisure, mountain adventures, multiculturalism and creativity.

Located in the south-east of Poland, the Podkarpackie Region comprises an area of 18,000 km and has population of over 2 million. The meeting point of three national borders: Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine, external border of the European Union, modern airport with international passenger and cargo terminals, East-West motorway, Via Carpathia designed to connect North and South in the future – these are only a few of the assets of Podkarpackie, a leader among the regions of Eastern Poland. Today, the region is favoured by investors seeking location for their business in the macro-region of Eastern Poland. Such a choice is encouraged by the availability of the areas designed for investments, existing economic zones offering preferential conditions for business operations and resources of well-educated young people are the reasons why global companies bring their business here. Dynamic development of the region is built around its four smart specializations, namely Aerospace, ICT, Automotive and Quality of life. The achievements each of them showcase innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the local industry, and many examples of successful internationalization (foreign firms make up a significant part of almost 15,8% out of all companies in the region). And after work? Anything goes! From atmosphere of urban cafeterias, pubs, theaters, concerts to recreation activities on the ground, on the water and in the air, amidst wildfile, Carpathian landscapes, and legends of Bieszczady, Roztocze and Beskid Niski. On the top of that, one can absorb the culture, architecture and art of borderland, and find time and place for leisure, creativity and taking bird’s eye view of the hectic world, from above.

AEROSPACE:

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Particularly dynamic in recent years has been the growth of Aerospace industry in the region and the development of the Aviation Valley cluster,

which dominate the region’s modern economic image. 160 members of Aviation Valley include multinational global leaders, SME’s, scientiﬁc research centers, as well as educational and training facilities. Aviation Valley is responsible for 90% of the output of the industry in Poland, and it is the most important place in Central Europe for the development and implementation of aerospace projects.

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY: Automotive industry is another sector which has played an important part in reshaping the region’s image in recent years. Many companies for years have been active players in the European and global supply chains. This led to the establishment of East Automotive Alliance which is ensuring a stronger voice for local manufacturers and suppliers, who operate on rapidly growing scale.

ICT: Eastern Poland IT Companies Cluster groups individuals and entities which contribute to the development of the Polish IT sector. This sector is currently booming in the region, but also has already well established international players that operate around the world, such as Asseco Poland and G2A.com. The latter is a global digital marketplace which specializes in gaming products.

QUALITY OF LIFE: Podkarpackie is one of the greenest regions of Poland. Over one third of the region’s area, including remnants of the ancient Carpathian primeval forest, is protected and therefore offers a home to numerous rare animal and bird species. The region offers hundreds of miles of tourist trails with scenic panoramic views and there are over 1 100 miles of cycling routes with varied level of difﬁculty. The region is rich in historic and heritage sites, telling the story of many nations. Traditional wooden architecture is the region’s unique feature. The Wooden Architecture Route in Podkarpackie can take you to over 130 unique places, some of them listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Podkarpackie’s so-called “Flavours Trail”, due to its rapidly growing wine-making, and the bio agri-food production characterized by most numerous certiﬁed regional products, has been included as one of the seven modern wonders of Poland.

BYDGOSZCZ | POLAND Excellent hotels with conference facilities Modern conference and exhibition space Good transport accessibility Experience in organising large events Great oďŹ&#x20AC;er of leisure activities

www.visitbydgoszcz.pl ready to host your event

THINK DESTINATION

MONTENEGRO – A NEW PLACE ON THE MICE MAP?

The MICE industry in Montenegro has just started developing, but this does not mean that the country does not have anything to offer business tourists. On the contrary, the awareness of beneﬁts generated by investments in the meetings sector has been on the rise for several years now, along with the know-how of local agencies as regards the expectations of business travellers and corresponding services of appropriate quality (the coastline is the leader in this ﬁeld). The geographic and landscape variety (Dinaric Alps in the north, Adriatic Sea in the south) plus the relatively small distance between very different sceneries make Montenegro a place where it is easy to develop one-of-a-kind programmes for groups, combining various types of activities – virtually all year round. No wonder then Montenegro hosts mostly three-- and four-day incentive trips. According to local organisers, this type of requests constitutes as many as 70-80% of all projects they handle. On the other hand, some clients are interested in organising medium-sized conferences and congresses (mostly representing the pharmaceutical sector).

IN WINTER AND SUMMER Particularly popular in winter, the mountains (i.a. areas of Kolašin and Žabljak) are applied for arranging snowmobile trips – the seasons lasts from December to early May and hundreds of kilometres of mountain trails

Fot. THINK MICE/ Michał Kalarus (2)

DIVERSITY IS THE TERM THAT HOLDS THE KEY TO MONTENEGRO. NEW INVESTMENTS AND GOVERNMENT BACKING NOW HAVE THE SMALL COUNTRY EMERGING AS AN INTRIGUING DESTINATION OFFERING GREAT POTENTIAL FOR ORGANISING INCENTIVE PROGRAMMES.

offer an opportunity to take your guests on long trips lasting even several hours and rendered increasingly diverse by stops made in viewing spots. Also a popular choice among clients of incentive trips, snowshoe hikes do not require any special skills as everything is done under the watchful eye of experienced instructors. They usually go well with bonﬁres, rakia tasting and building an igloo, which later plays the role of an ice bar at the evening party and is even used for an overnight stay. Wintertime rafting down the Tara River in the Durmitor National Park is also highly recommended. Everyone hungry for adrenaline and getting up close and personal with nature can sail down the Tara River canyon on log or inﬂatable rafts even

when the temperature falls below zero. Besides mountain rafting and the highly popular jeep safari tours, incentive groups in summer opt for resorts located along the coastline, such as Herceg Novi, Kotor, Tivat and Budva. Water activities (i.a. PWCs, speedboat cruises), beachside lunches and dinners, open-air games on one of the near-by islands are the ﬁrst-choice activities of programmes implemented in the discussed region. The offer in question is complemented by bustling nightlife (especially in the high season) and the impressive culinary scene. Tours of the Ćemovsko polje vineyards are staged in the area of Podgorica, the country’s capital. The best-known Plantaže features the so-called Šipčanik, a tunnel carved in rock once used for storing army equ-

29 THINK MICE

THINK DESTINATION nues across the country exceeded the record-breaking level of 900 million Euros. Mention is due to the growing share of the MICE industry.

Fot. THINK MICE/ Michał Kalarus (3)

QUALITY OF SERVICES

ipment and planes, now adapted for a wine cellar and a restaurant.

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

30 THINK MICE

Organisers of MICE events should also be aware of the fact that the hotel and conference infrastructure in Montenegro represents a quite reasonable level. This is mostly true for the coastline resorts, a traditional tourist favourite ever since the times of Yugoslavia. This is where you will ﬁnd many new high-class venues, most of which feature conference rooms and event spaces. Moreover, some already existing hotels have been renovated and adapted to match the expectations of present-day clients. Recent years have also seen the opening of several modern coastline marinas with luxury residences and brand-new hotel and culinary venues (i.a. Portonovi Montenegro in Herzeg-Novi, Porto Montenegro in Tivat). Interestingly, the so-called island of millionaires, the high-end Sveti Stefan hotel complex owned by Aman Resorts, is located on a rocky Montenegrin island of the same name. Although the mountain areas of the country feature slightly fewer upmarket establishments, MICE groups still should not have any problems with ﬁnding the right lodging. This is a result of, i.a. the country’s authorities being perfectly aware of how crucial tourism (both of the business and leisure kind) is for the general

growth of Montenegro. In consequence, they offer their full support – by funding direct promotion of the destination (i.a. the “Montenegro – Wild Beauty” campaign) and creating all types of bonuses and streamlining intended to encourage investors. Montenegro today is among the region’s leading countries as regards tourism-related investments. The hotel sector is one of the preferred industries that can count on the government support. A system of fiscal incentives and special legal facilitations has been designed specially for foreign investors interested in building new four-and five-star hotels in Montenegro. The list includes, i.a. assistance in getting all the essential formalities and permits, subsidisation of investment loans, tax reductions (both VAT and property tax), and making land available for construction at attractive prices. In addition, other infrastructure investments are being continuously carried out, with special emphasis on transportation. This approach brings desired effects, such as last year’s report of European Travel Commission (a non-profit organisation responsible for the promotion of Europe as a tourist destination) ranking Montenegro second (after Iceland) among European countries recording the largest growth of foreign visits (25% in comparison with 2016). According to Montenegro’s Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, in the first nine months of 2017 tourism-generated reve-

In addition to infrastructure, the quality of local services (i.a. DMCs, PCOs, subcontractors) is another significant aspect that encourages the choice of a given MICE destination. As with hotels and conference spaces, the coastline is once again at the top of Montenegro’s list. Companies operating in the region have daily contact with business tourism and thus are familiar with expectations of this particular group of clients. Still, the country’s small distances make most of them also provide services in other parts of Montenegro, thus assuring that their overall quality is not different from the generally accepted standards. At any rate, new solutions aimed at making the offer increasingly attractive are being implemented all the time. A greater obstacle that to some degree continues to hamper a more dynamic growth of Montenegro’s meetings industry involves the relatively underdeveloped network of direct flights (with only two main airports in Podgorica and Tivat). While this state of things does not pose a greater threat for leisure tourism, local MICE event organisers themselves admit that some corporate clients are not interested in flights with layovers or flying with the so-called low-cost carriers. In other words, this is a significant impediment that sometimes discourages potential travellers. True, new flights are launched every year (Polish clients should be particularly interested in the Warsaw – Podgorica flight which PLL LOT is expected to add in early June), but the situation is far from perfect. The neighbouring Croatia is naturally among the region’s competitors taking advantage of this state of affairs. In a broader perspective, the same clients that think about bringing their events to Montenegro are usually also considering the offer of Spain, Portugal or Italy. What certainly speaks in favour of Montenegro is that here you can develop an attractive incentive programme at a more reasonable price. The satisfying price-quality ratio of available services is also noteworthy. Michał Kalarus

THINK DESTINATION

EMERGING MARKET Michał Kalarus sat down to discuss the Balkan MICE market with Miha Rott, Senior Project Manager at Liberty Adriatic. Liberty Adriatic is among the largest DMCs in the region of the Adriatic Sea, but you only began to make your presence known in Montenegro. Why did you now become interested in this destination? We have observed a dynamic growth of the interest shown by business guests in Montenegro. Besides its tourist attractiveness and improving infrastructure, the fact that this is a brand-new, as yet unexplored destination is also significant. This is particularly true for organisers and clients of MICE events that want to offer their participants a chance to become familiar with places they have not visited before. We all perfectly know that most people attending incentive trips already had an opportunity to explore the most popular destinations. Now they want something new and this is where Montenegro comes in. I am certain that in a year, maybe two, it will become one of the most frequently visited countries in the whole region. Hence our presence in the discussed market. Where in the Balkans is the MICE industry at its most thriving? Croatia, or the region of Dubrovnik and Split to be precise, remains the local number one. While this is where the largest numbers of business tourists flock, it does not mean that other places, equally interesting in my opinion, cannot be found in the Balkans. We are making efforts to promote them among clients. They are noticeably cheaper, less crowded and still highly attractive and well prepared to handle MICE groups, both as regards the available infrastructure and additional highlights that can be arranged. When talking about Croatia, mention is certainly due to the areas of Zadar, Šibenik or the northern Istria peninsula. Slovenia also attracts huge numbers of tourists. From Ljubljana you only need to drive 40 or 50 minutes to reach Lake Bled in the Julian Alps, an hour to get to the seaside and let us not forget about the near-by Postojna, Europe’s largest cave. As in the case of the abovementioned Montenegro, all of this makes it possible to develop diverse programmes for groups and combine staying in the mountains with seaside leisure. Belgrade is also in high-demand and enjoys a well-deserved status of a party capital, with numerous high-class clubs, bars, pubs and restaurants. Clients visiting Belgrade often ask us to arrange a cruise down the Danube, complemented by dinner and live music, all at very reasonable prices. Finally, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains the only blank spot on the map. This certainly does not mean that nothing is happening in the country, but its status of not the easiest place to organise events discourages many business groups. Which countries do your clients come from most often? While proportions vary, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Germany are the first to come to mind. In recent years we have also been recording a considerable growth of arrivals of Poland. The number of Scandinavian clients is still relatively small. Even though European guests constitute the vast majority here, increasingly often we are seeing representatives of other continents - North America (USA and Canada), South America (Brazil, Argentine), even Australia. These clients are particularly profitable, as the distance they have to cover automatically makes the commissioned incentive trips slightly longer (lasting approximately seven days). In addition, they are distinguished by a more diverse programme of onsite highlights. Interestingly, when coming to the Balkans the most faraway guests usually do not connect their stay with visits to other parts of

Europe. At most they move between particular Balkan countries. As a result, we might set some agenda items in, e.g. Slovenia, and others in Croatia or Montenegro. You have mentioned the increasingly numerous groups from Poland... Poland is among the markets I am responsible for - already for four years. During this period I have noticed many positive changes. I am not going to lie - things were not easy at the beginning. The majority of Poles perceived Balkan countries only in the context of low-cost leisure holidays. As a result, the budgets at their disposal were really small and the expectations - as it is usually the case - quite high. In comparison with many Western European countries our region boasts reasonable prices but everything has its limits. This is especially true when clients dream about, e.g. staying in Dubrovnik, where the prices are different from other cities. Now all of this has changed. First, groups of Poland are more interested in our offer. Second, the resources allocated for this purpose are much more realistic. This allows us to develop intriguing programmes and present clients with different scenarios and highlights. Croatia continues to be the most popular choice among Polish visitors, with Slovenia ranked second. However, I am sure that Montenegro will soon be joining this list. Only this year we have received several inquiries about incentive stays in this country.

31 THINK MICE

THINK MICE

Photo. Andrea Piovesan

PROFILE

EVENTS ARE LIKE ART FROM ACTING TO ORGANIZING MICE EVENTS. LISTENING TO DEBORA PIOVESAN YOU BECOME AWARE OF HOW MUCH EVENTS HAVE IN COMMON WITH THE THEATRE. THEY REQUIRE GREAT ATTENTION TO DETAIL, CAREFUL PLANNING AND NEED TO AWE GUESTS. IN ADDITION, THEY ARE SUBJECT TO A NUMBER OF PROCEDURES AND CODES. THE LATTER IS PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR EVENTS OF THE MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR, WHICH OUR PROTAGONIST SPECIALIZES IN.

It all began in Venice… Sounds great, does it not? Debora Piovesan arrived there for college when she was 20. While family paid her tuition, she had to support herself on her own. To make ends meet she worked as a waitress on weekends, sharing ﬂat with six other students in an old town house by one of the Venetian canals. Piovesan recalls with a smile the “tall windows overlooking singing gondoliers rowing tourists. Venice boasts a one-of-a-kind charm. A swimming city of art and monuments - how could I resist?”. This is why, despite post-colonial languages being her main degree subject, Debora Piovesan quickly began taking evening theatre classes. “I recalled that already in secondary school I fell in love with Medea [the tragedy by Euripides - ed.]. When for the ﬁrst time I saw its staging starring Mariangela Melato [Italian theater actress - ed.] in the lead role, I discovered that the theatre is a world I would like to become a part of, a path I would like to take. The warm, sometimes blinding lights, the creaking boards under your feet, the aroma of stage makeup and, most of all, the exceptional contact with the audience. I was in my element”, reminisces Piovesan.

A change of plans Still, fascination with acting ultimately did not shape the career path of our protagonist. To stick to theatre jargon - life had a different scenario in mind. Still, it did not stray too far from what she was doing in the theatre. But let us move one step at a time... At 29 Debora found herself in Rome. She moved to the Eternal City because her partner was working for the local TV. “I was auditioning for major roles, taking part in many castings. Unfortunately, the most proﬁtable proposals remained out of reach. In the meantime, the money

I was making in the theatre was not even enough to pay the bills”, admits Debora. A change was needed to start earning a decent living. Her ﬂuency in foreign languages earned her an attractive job offer with the buying department of Ericsson. She accepted it. “Soon afterwards my boss, a methodical engineer, perhaps a bit old-fashioned, but an exceptionally elegant and intelligent man, entrusted me with the company’s travel management. In addition, I was also responsible for organising all types of meetings”. It could be said that this is when her career in the MICE industry started for good. Why, then, did not we simply tell the story of Debora Piovensan from this moment? While this would probably make it more concise, some of its meaning would also be lost. The picture would be incomplete… Piovensan herself admits that nothing in life happens without a reason. She also emphasizes that the development of high-class, original events is not that different from staging a theater play. “I studied to be a stage actress in Venice and Rome, gained experience as a director in Canada and then back in Venice. The process of organising and managing projects in the MICE industry is remarkably complicated. Still, please believe me when I say that theatre productions are also exceptionally complex and their implementation poses a great challenge. The audience watches the outcome of preparations lasting many months or even years. Does this sound familiar? After all, this mode of operation is similar in the case of events, regardless of their type and size. The same thing goes for the need to keep the invited guests interested and engaged. This is why the theatre and the MICE sector have so much in common. In the theatre I was looking for energy, the magic that is borne when you share powerful emotions with other people. Now I have found it in events! Have you experienced the same type of pathos? If not, then obviously you did not have a chance to participate in one the events I work on”, laughs Debora Piovesan.

33 THINK MICE

PROFILE What she mostly appreciates about her work is the fact that, similarly to the theatre, there is no time to be bored. Each event is an entirely new project even if its implementation replicates already proven formats. “Add to that the faces of delegates that, just like the theatre audience, admire the event you are organizing. It gives me a great pleasure to stand somewhere in the back and watch them”, she adds.

After a short period of time spent working for the medical department of Merck, which was responsible for the majority of events, one of the most important moments in the career of Debora Piovesan had her joining Daiichi Sankyo, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, where she focused solely on organizing events, then in high demand. “Almost everyone is saying the same thing. That it was easier to work 20 years ago. The budgets were larger, we had fewer external regulations and internal procedures. In addition, MICE events were still a novelty for the majority of clients, who were more easily impressed”, says Debora. Things are different today. People travel much more and the vast communication opportunities have effectively made the world seem smaller. The onslaught of advertisements made us virtually numb to them, with the exception of only most unique examples. “This forces organizers to leave their comfort zone and place their bet on innovative, novel solutions. This creativity also tends to be inspired by budget cuts”, smiles Debora. At the same time, while some seem to forget it, she emphasizes that what should really count is generating the opportunity for participants to meet new, interesting people. Making them not only shake their hands but actually spend time together and freely talk with each other. This is her recipe for success.

Thrown in at the deep end

34 THINK MICE

Debora recalls the time spent at Daiichi Sankyo as her formative years in the MICE industry - a highly creative and intense period of gaining essential professional experience and know-how. Mention is also due to the somewhat specific character of the medical and pharmaceutical industry as far as its organization of events and cooperation with agencies is concerned. As Debora emphasizes, on the one hand, meetings of this sector are among the leading and most advanced branches in the whole MICE industry. Procedures developed back in the 1980s were aimed at their more efficient organization and, simultaneously, optimization and maximum effectiveness. Today, all these established practices have evolved over the years and are functioning as Strategic Meeting Management. They became a milestone in the development of event management strategies and their connection with broadly defined marketing activities in many other industries. On the other hand, while conferences, training sessions and events for the medical and pharmaceutical sector are remarkably significant, they are also distinguished by numerous limitations, i.a. restrictive regulations in the field of promoting products. “I consider it to be one of the most difficult and demanding areas in the whole meetings industry”, admits Debora Piovesan. The fact that all kinds of legal

Photo. Andrea Piovesan

You need to stand out

arrangements and codes of conduct differ between particular countries and regions can be troublesome for international corporations. “For example, in Italy companies of this kind are also bound by an additional internal Code of Professional Conduct, one of the most rigorous in Europe. It was developed by Farmindustria, an association of the pharmaceutical industry”, explains Debora. The code in question regulates not only relations between companies - association members - but also their relations with the scientific and medical community. The underlying idea is to guarantee desired and transparent conduct. “I do not want to discuss here the document’s detailed provisions, but rather make you aware how difficult it might be to organize an event that, on the one hand, will comply with regulations and, on the other hand, will remain sufficiently engaging or, in other words, simply attractive enough for the participants. This is why you need to be exceptionally creative to reach the intended goal and not violate any arrangements in the process. The word ‘engagement’ is actually forbidden but that does not change the fact that an interesting event format and captivating content submitted in its course can help you attract the attention of your guests”, she adds.

On the other side Despite all these difﬁculties Debora decided to maintain her presence in the pharmaceutical industry. By joining ESOT (European Society for Organ Transplantation) she gained a new perspective on the market - this time that of an international association client rather than a corporate event planner. “In this type of association education is at the heart of all

PROFILE experiences and best practices. I am no longer forced to tackle all this by myself, confronting only superiors who on a daily basis are involved in completely different things. We might not have all of the corporate procedures but that makes the available range of options much broader and often allows us to make decisions more quickly and, consequently, work more effectively”, says Debora Piovesan. She also emphasizes that the exchange of knowledge between particular markets is really happening, which is why UNICEO focuses on delivering educational content centered mainly on live communication. Networking is obviously the second foundation. “We believe people to be most important and it is our mission to connect them. A good example is provided by the UNICEO European Congress held in Budapest in late June. It was attended by specialists such, as Laura Schwartz, former White House Director of Events, Bob Bejan, Global Manager: Global Events at DEBORA PIOVESAN Microsoft, and many other well-known figures”, she adds. Piovesan considers it to be one of the best arguments that, A native Italian. As the Head of Events with UNICEO (United regardless of industry, face-to-face Networks of International Corporate Event Organizers) she meetings continue to be essential and is responsible for planning, managing and organizing events. Previously Congress Director of ESOT (European Society cannot be replaced by new technologies. for Organ Transplantation). Earlier involved in developing “Virtual meetings are not enough. events and business trips in companies such as Daiichi Personally I am a fan of hybrid events. Sankyo, Merck and Ericsson. Graduate of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. During college she attended the Teatro True, they require greater preparations Stabile del Veneto drama school in Venice and completed an but they also make it possible to save some internship at the Accademia D’Arte Drammatica “Silvio activities. Medical professionals are oblimoney and additionally boost attendance D’Amico” in Rome. After graduating she collaborated with, ged to continuously build their competenfigures and delegate engagement. The i.a. the Tarragaton Theatre (Toronto) where she was in charge of producing theater shows focusing on cultural ce, while sales teams in pharmaceutical attendants choosing remote participation exchange between Canada and Italy. companies have to boast appropriate scienwill sooner or later feel the need to come tific expertise about products plus develop in person. And vice versa - if for some their sales skills. This is why when reason potential guests are not able to working for an association in the medical or pharmaceutical sector you make it to the event, at least will they participate virtually. This solution can feel like you are still in college. Conferences and training sessions are brings benefits to everyone involved”, explains Debora Piovesan. an everyday reality”. As if that were not enough, some months ago Debora Piovesan joined UNICEO (United Networks of International Corporate Events Organizers), which associates corporate meeting A large amount of free time is a benefit that event planners certainly planners from all over the world. She is responsible for organizing events cannot expect. “In our job we might not be saving people’s lives, unlike and applies them to, i.a. develop structures in Europe, Russia and Asia. the many remarkable physicians and surgeons I encountered along the “I can say that right now my career dreams came true. Just imagine how way. However, we do support others to make them feel comfortable, exciting it is for someone involved in events for a large part of her career knowing that everything is under control”, Debora explains. “It makes to pursue her passion and experiences all over the world, within an our job highly involving, as we have to be available almost all the time”, international association, with partners from various countries”, she adds. she admits. While performing her everyday duties Debora is naturally struggling This is by no means an easy task, especially if you have a family. You with assorted issues that, as she admits, are identical with the ones she always need to be ready to take calls, even on holidays, on a beach or by was dealing with when working in corporations. They mostly involve the pool. “Sometimes I manage to completely ‘switch off ’ but these are sudden changes of plans and concepts of events to be held, limited truly rare occasions. The truth is that I’m lucky enough to have relatives budgets allocated for their implementation and the often mismatched, who comprehend that the reason I dedicate a lot of time to work is not exorbitant expectations of customers. “What is different now is that because I do not care about them, but because my job is a part of me with UNICEO I have the priceless opportunity to cooperate with about my passion and life”, she sums up. 2,000 members. These are meeting and event specialists representing well-known global brands. People doing the same job have similar Michał Kalarus needs and problems, which we are trying to solve together, sharing

Private life

35 THINK MICE

TECHNOLOGIES – CASE STUDY

SHINING TRIANGLES OF LAMBORGHINI

THINK MICE

Photo: Agency Sila Sveta

Photo: Agency DEPARTÁMENT

Photo: Agency Sila Sveta

“I FEEL SORRY FOR YOUR COMPETITION” IS WHAT A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EMBASSY OF ITALY IN RUSSIA DECLARED AFTER THE MOSCOW LAUNCH OF LAMBORGHINI URUS. INDEED, THIS WAS AN EVENT THAT IMPRESSED WITH IS TRULY SPECTACULAR CHARACTER.

Lamborghini’s plans of showcasing its Super SUV have been discussed for a long time. The anticipated launch had to go together with an equally exceptional setting. Two agencies – DEPARTÁMENT and Sila Sveta – were responsible for its production in the Russian market. By no means was this their ﬁrst joint project. On the contrary, the companies have already implemented several other enterprises, car launches among them. Nonetheless, their representatives conﬁrm that this time the bar has been set exceptionally high. The discussed project was intended to receive a lot of publicity and be remembered by its participants. A decision was thus made to place emphasis on a breath-taking character. The concept was implemented at the Museum of Moscow, but the prestigious venue did not play the most important role and instead was dominated by creation and a multimediaheavy show. Through its content and an advan-

ced application of the latest technologies, the event was designed to refer to the creative work of Lamborghini engineers responsible for designing Urus. The whole concept was based on 3D animated mapping displayed directly on moving volumetric boards (56 bright triangles in total). The latter were moving on kinetic winches, every moment changing their position and creating various images. In the crowning point together they created a shape resembling the new Lamborghini Urus and simultaneously evoking elements distinguishing the brand as a whole (i.a. air intakes). From the tech viewpoint, the most innovative part of the spectacle involved the programme that, specially for this occasion, arranged the movement of all 56 triangles and appropriately matched projections (from different angles, at different times and with different intensity). We have reached out to TSE Group experts to analyse the event from the perspective of

advanced technological solutions and challenges facing the people responsible for their implementation. See pp. 37-38 to see what in their opinion constituted the greatest difﬁculty. For video coverage of the event see the YouTube channels of the Sila Sveta and DEPARTÁMENT agencies. MK

DOSSIER Event: Russian launch of Lamborghini Urus Date: 15 February 2018 City: Moscow (Russia) Client: Lamborghini, www.lamborghini.com Organisation/production: DEPARTÁMENT agency, www.departament.com, Sila Sveta agency, http://silasveta.com

TECHNOLOGIES – CASE STUDY

LAMBORGHINI URUS LAUNCH: POWER OF CREATION THE RUSSIAN LAUNCH OF LAMBORGHINI URUS INVOLVED A SHOW COMBINING MOVEMENT WITH PROJECTION MAPPING AND LIGHT EFFECTS THAT USED KINETIC TOOLS IN ADDITION TO LIGHTING AND MULTIMEDIA. The analysis below is based on video footage prepared by the Sila Sveta agency. This is a brand we are familiar with, having watched many of its productions. The Lamborghini Urus launch is one of the latest materials available online. The main camera used to shoot the show was set in the position of an audience member watching the spectacle from a centrally located front seat.

HOW DID THEY DO IT? The space hosting the launch was narrow and elongated, with vertical screens (probably LEDs) set up on both sides. A large main screen was positioned in the back, opposite the camera (our spectator). The space between the screens was filled by kinetic stage design based on a network of light triangles. LED strips were installed along the outline of each one of them, with every top suspended to winches – this is how they were steered. During the show the triangles were placed at different angles to each other, in various spatial configurations, thus each time creating a different plane. The planes developed in this way were used for displaying graphics. Importantly, the latter were not presented when the planes were moving (eliminating, for example, the need to use BlackTrax or other system tracking the movement of objects in space). At the moment when the triangles were moving along with the planes they created, only their outlines were shining – simultaneously, the floor was also illuminated and images were moving dynamically on side screens and the main screen. As a result, spectators were under the impression that the graphics and

animations are also displayed while the planes are moving. Let us focus on the triangles for a while – each of them was simply a part of the screen, a separate plane for projection that together created a three-dimensional projection surface. During the show the triangles were set in various conﬁgurations, with matching projection components creating particular 3D mapping sequences on a dynamically changing foundation. All of the discussed elements were programmed in time code. This made it possible to synchronise the winch movement with graphics, lights and music. In addition, the precision and accuracy of each sequence was maintained.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE USED TECHNOLOGIES… The movement speed of the triangles and their positions were programmed by means of winches, on which they were suspended (steered by a DMX signal). Winches were also used to provide power supply and signal to LED strips surrounding the triangles. The graphics were prepared and produced with the help of Disguise (formerly known as d3) media servers, which make it possible to build a 3D world and programme the show in a virtual environment. Authors of the discussed show could build a 3D model of each successive position of the screens-triangles on a PC monitor and while programming see an actual graphics component on an actual screen, displayed in exactly the same way as it would be displayed in reality. Thanks to the Disguise media servers you can freely build the planes

of screens and model them in space, subsequently project actual graphics on them and map appropriate sequences, the whole time controlling the image quality and cohesiveness on a monitor. In consequence, each graphic was precisely “shot” into the triangle position planned already at the stage of virtual programming, with no need for costly and incredibly time-consuming programming in a venue just before the event. What is more, after the equipment is set up in a venue and it usually turns out that the physical setting of a projector differs from the parameters assumed at the programming stage, you only need to update its location in the programme and the media server will automatically correct the displayed images, adjusting the virtual map to the reality. The Disguise technology is also applied by several leading companies in Poland, ours among them. The visual content and its graphic concept are based on the triangle that refers to the look of Lamborghini vehicles. The brand’s cars are well known for their geometric solids and sharp angles. The graphics are simple but well arranged, perfectly complementing and binding the whole projection space. Sequences are created centrifugally or centripetally. Lighting was also appropriately selected and matched with a special effect - the heavy smoke in the bottom section that enriched the visual side of the whole project, but also made it possible to conceal minor shortcomings of the show, such as the movement of projection. If you take a good look, you will see the projector’s light several times going beyond the outline of triangles; a result of slight errors

37 THINK MICE

Photo: Aagency DEPARTÁMENT

CHALLENGES

38 THINK MICE

The probably most time-consuming task of the show’s authors involved mapping the position of kinetic triangles in the media server and then repeating at least similar positions at rehearsals and preparations in the venue. On the other hand, we do not know how producers programmed live the successive positions of triangle movement – you can do it manually, setting the position of one winch after another (which takes up a great deal of time) or take advantage of advanced capabilities of the Disguise server, making it possible to automatize the process. Still, the main advantage of the show was not focused on technology, but rather a highly inventive and cutting-edge application of components suspended on winches, with the key ingredient involving the concept and time required for its effective implementation. Most probably the whole show had earlier been programmed virtually and then, to eliminate the risk of errors, tested in actual conditions, in a rented studio where all the equipment was set up and possible errors corrected. Next, the ready material was transferred to the venue hosting the actual event and presented to the audience. The winches used for the purposes of the show in question are naturally also available in Poland. Our company has at its disposal

precisely the same type of equipment and proposes similar solutions for which we have come up with methods allowing for smooth and automatic programming of position in space.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF… A technology that was not used here but would have a signiﬁcant impact on the show makes it possible to, i.a. project graphics on kinetic elements and is implemented with the help of the BlackTrax system (we are Poland’s only company to have it available for rental; it is compatible with the Disguise server, a similar system of winches and other kinetic devices). In the show arranged by the Sila Sveta agency when the triangles are moving they are actually black and only their LED outlines are shining. The application of the BlackTrax system would make it possible to display graphics with the very same precision when the triangles kept moving and creating planes. Let us try imagining how the show would look like using this solution. The application of BlackTrax would not change the time required for arranging a show of this kind. The discussed system also calls for assembly and calibration. One device - a mini digital transmitter - would have to be

SUMMARY In our assessment the Lamborghini show was highly successful even though it did not push any technological boundaries. All technologies, available also in the Polish market, were applied in an optimal way. The numerous variables and the time spent on programming the position of triangles made this a highly complicated project from a conceptual point of view. The omission of the BlackTrax system or a similar solution certainly needs to be perceived as intentional. In conclusion, I would like to emphasise that the discussed project is another proof that only creation gives a genuine competitive edge. Tools no longer limit us - now imagination is the only limit. Łukasz Kubiak

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Łukasz Kubiak, owner and general manager of companies belonging to the TSE Group. At 13 left for France, where he spent a large part of his life. Studied history of art in Paris. Came back to Poland in the mid-1990s having acquired impressive knowledge and experience. Started career in an emerging nonpublic television broadcaster as a production manager. Kubiak produced TV programmes, major events and concerts. This was also when he met his future business partners. Founded TSE Laser & Sound with Piotr Basek in 1996. Up to this day they continue to manage this and similar companies under the joint name of TSE Group, providing tech services for more than 500 events each year. The French episode left him with a passion for punk rock and good wine. Fluent not only in French, but also English and Spanish. Kubiak credits his success to the ability of consistently striving towards an objective. “When I start doing something, I want to ﬁnish it with the best possible result” is how he describes himself.

Fot. Materiały prasowe

in positioning the winches as seen in the video footage. Nevertheless, for spectators experiencing the live show the “wow” effect must have been powerful. They could get the impression that the whole show is very dynamic and the graphics are simply everywhere. Even after watching the video footage for the ﬁrst time it is hard to realise that graphics are not displayed when the triangles are moving – so much is going on around them.

installed on each triangle. In addition, an appropriate number of cameras tracking the transmitter parameters would have to be set up. We would have to dedicate about two days to tests confirming if the planned show components are working fine, whether sensors are not obstructed when the triangles are moving, etc. Obviously I am referring here to two days of virtual tests on PC monitors. Next, it would be recommended to examine everything in actual conditions, testing the virtually programmed show on a prepared studio construction to correct all mistakes resulting from devices operating incompatibly. To sum up, the amount of work would be similar to the one conducted by authors of the Lamborghini launch, but the final effect of graphics displayed on several score moving planes would enthral all spectators.

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INSPIRATIONS

The dragonfly syndrome – various perspectives of motivation and self-actualization A dragonfly might seem like a delicate insect, but representatives of other orders of the same class have a lot to be afraid of. A dragonfly is a heavyweight predator, a perfect assassin that mastered this deadly art. It can be compared to an employee that in the name of making a corporation’s vision come true can overcome numerous obstacles and failures on the way to success. The key element is that he or she should be appropriately motivated and strive towards accomplishing a joint goal.

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Which tools of inspiration did ancient Romans apply and which do modern-day corporations use? Which ones are present in the animal kingdom and which we use to motivate ourselves when making our way to the top of the career ladder? What can inspire? How are particular systems of motivation working? What should you do to motivate without playing a key role? How to build the magical zone of cooperation by treating your customer-partner in a friendly way?

Motivations in global research function in an endless number of systems and solutions. At the same time, it is worth considering them mostly as tools intended to help instead of a crucial component of daily operations. Non-cash rewards have ﬂourished amazingly in the last decade or so, especially among U.S. companies. About 30 years ago more than 30% of entities were applying them, while today the number exceeds 80% (2016 data of Incentive Federation). This state of things was

influenced by i.a., the growing significance of non-material values, the changing legal opportunities and technological growth. As non-cash rewards have been popular for millions of years, another analogy comes to mind. Dragonflies have been here for ages and roamed the earth already more than 300 million years ago. In other words, despite the advancing evolution they survived numerous problems, conflicts and disasters. Similarly, the process of rewarding a well-performed job,

INSPIRATIONS development or reaching the next limit of growth is also subject to evolution. However, the difficulty lies in managing the processes in a professional way matched to your recipients. While the results of annually published research explain the effectiveness of non-cash rewards, it is also crucial to obtain information from everyone participating in the discussed process, including owners of programmes and, most importantly, their participants. It is precisely by listening to end users that you get an opportunity to define their needs, pay attention to their interests or select the final form of reward. The goal of the 2017 research commissioned by Incentive Research Foundation was to understand the viewpoint of a programme manager: what do purchasers recognize as essential and fascinating in this field? The analysed end users spent from 25,000 USD to millions of dollars a year on programmes encompassing one or several following types of rewards: travels, bonus points, merchandise, gift cards and brand products. A wide variety was reported as regards the complexity of programmes, the awareness of the industry, the trust of suppliers and the experience in reward management. The research outcome confirms that programme owners are not under pressure to shift emphasis to cash or reduce general expenditures. As for the end users, they are convinced about the benefits of non-cash rewards and declare that their executive teams generally share these views. From the smallest and most recent programmes to their multi-million counterparts operating for years – investments in non-cash rewards are perceived as complementing cash awards and often serve an entirely different organisational purpose. As a rule, cash is recognized as compensation, a fundamental component of an ongoing contract between a company and an employee. It is the basis of an employment contract that, in turn, constitutes an example of a business transaction. On the other hand, non-cash rewards are highly memorable and easier to discuss in the course of social events than cash. They generate enthusiasm that cash cannot guarantee among the employees, the management and depending on the award - also among the employees’ family. This social aspect exerts a

direct impact on organisational culture visible celebrations and rewards influence the sense of a friendly rivalry, being proud of your team and community. The research outcome also made it possible to determine that many retailers have reward and recognition programmes at a brand level, including technology and reward platforms. Depending on goals and performance, at a store level managers and local human resources teams have a considerable monthly discretionary budget at their disposal. The local budgets are often entirely independent of a corporate platform and store managers or their assistants visit other local retailers to purchase gift cards or rewards. Often they are given only limited corporate guidelines on informing about such practices, there is no coordination and no best practices are shared. Moreover, it has been found out that major companies based on intellectual capital of a nationwide reach have corporate reward and recognition programmes, with additional operations and expenditures at an individual level. Among programme owners non-cash rewards are regarded as an important tool but also to a large degree a supporting mechanism. Managers responsible for performance-related programmes, such as sales incentives or the productivity of employees, place larger emphasis on the reward aspect in their programmes than on their counterparts aimed at recognition, but still perceive the latter as key for building efficient teams. Now back to the dragonflies… An essential aspect that is worth pointing out involves the fact that the discussed insects take full advantage of their gifts of nature. Quickly and nimbly moving in all directions, they apply the full range of their capabilities. At this point we should ask: what is the range of capabilities in the case of incentive programmes? Let us take a closer look at four select examples.

METHODS OF MOTIVATION The spreading and availability of gift cards created a helpful point of departure for managers interested in adding non-cash rewards to their programmes. They appreciate gift cards as easy to obtain and administer, offering participants an illusion of choice. While some managers of incentive program-

mes include open gift cards in their reward selection, others notice that they offer an impressive choice but cannot guarantee a level of excitement and enthusiasm on par with that of a brand gift card of similar value. Restaurant gift cards are a favourite among employees with families and offer a social experience of utmost importance for programme owners. Grocery and fuel gift cards were mentioned by managers responsible for, e.g. employees of stores and call centres. A large emphasis is placed on offering gift cards matched to the needs of employees. Another motivation method involves bonus point programmes offering a chance to earn and exchange premium points. They introduce a larger administrative complexity combined with increased design flexibility. Using premium points is not limited to the largest programmes. The smaller ones are often handled manually, with a selection of awards manually managed by a programme administrator. Larger programmes are most frequently administered with the help of a technological platform designed with this purpose in mind. Incentive travel is the third method that is worth noting. Travels are often applied as rewards for top employees and programme managers acknowledge the positive emotions generated by trips of this kind. An individual travel as a reward can be arranged in cooperation with a travel agency or purchased as part of a package tour. Despite logistics complexity these rewards are popular among programme owners. The trips are frequently arranged for families, especially when the main participant often attends business trips. In such cases, the family, employees and managers all appreciate an individual trip even more. Finally, let us discuss incentive package tours distinguished by a higher entrance level than many other rewards available for programme owners but, simultaneously, easily remembered and generating enthusiastic reactions. By design, the rewards have a social and ceremonious character, fulfil needs connected with exploring organizational culture as well as involve benefits resulting from tangible rewards. In the case of larger companies, incentive package tours can act as an introduction to non-cash sales incentives.

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INSPIRATIONS A SYMBOL OF SELF-ACTUALIZATION AND RESILIENCE Many perceive a dragonfly to be a symbol of self-realization and resilience. It is precisely the combination of these two factors that serves as the best description of phenomena affecting corporate employees in the twenty-first century. This makes it even more pertinent to ask if the remuneration system is changing nowadays. Are there new opportunities to appreciate improved, more effective and efficient work? In the majority of contemporary organisations working consists of solving problems, analyses, applying distinctness, creativity and in-depth cooperation with colleagues and other stakeholders. The more interesting, creative and purposeful the work, the more it can act as a reward all by itself (Pink, 2006; Deci, Koestner and Ryan, 2001). As a result, many traditional remuneration systems are trying to keep up with the changes, as they have partially been designed in a way matched to the industrial era (Ariely, 2016, IRF, 2017, Welbourne, 2015). More than 80% of the market value of listed companies today is attributed to non-material values. Wise and experienced leaders know that values such as manpower, stability, trust and a good team lead to the emergence of resilient and calculable organizational cultures. Building relations between an employee and his company is key to all motivation methods and the main goal of activities. Many perceive the everyday struggle in business and private relations as an inconvenience distinguishing

the twenty-ﬁrst century. The various motivation perspectives discussed by authors as part of the Incentive Research Foundation or the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence research projects constitute guidelines for managers in charge of motivation in their companies. However, we should keep in mind that an employee in the twenty-ﬁrst century mostly strives for self-realisation. This is the crucial thing considered to be one of the key aspects of everyday life.

NEW ROLE OF MOTIVATION The new role of non-cash motivation is predominantly synonymous with an analysis of all possible factors and available methods. Programme owners should not focus exclusively on rewards, but also pay attention to source motivations – for example, goal and signiﬁcance, autonomy, inclusion, learning, status, well-being and professional growth. Specialists planning motivation systems should take into consideration various types of non-material non-cash rewards (e.g. recognition, health beneﬁts and the opportunity to learn) to reinforce internal motivators. Concrete material non-cash rewards (e.g. gift cars, travels) should be applied for their enhancement and strengthening. The diverse potential and combinations offered by programmes and systems is also worth recalling. They are a perfect foundation of a matrix of activities applying a wide range of motivation that are the best match for a potential target group. Finally, it is important to

Fot. Materiały prasowe

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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DR KRZYSZTOF CELUCH is a speaker, an academic lecturer, an entrepreneur and certiﬁed trainer (CMM, CITE, CIS, HMCC, CED). His company Celuch Consulting specializes in the meetings industry and event marketing helping organization in a journey from content to impact. Head of the Poland Convention Bureau Polish Tourist Organization (2009-2017). Krzysztof gained professional experience by working in convention bureaus, being involved in international associations and organisations, as well as by conducting scientiﬁc research. As a lecturer he cooperates with, i.a. San Diego State University, Skema Business School and several Polish universities. He is an author of articles and books dedicated to the meetings industry, reports and research projects, including The Economic Impact of Poland's Meetings Industry. Finally, Krzysztof has been distinguished by numerous international awards and distinctions, i.a. MPI Rise Award, Events Industry Council Pacesetter Award and presented by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Poland, the honorary distinction "For contributions to tourism".

look in such a way as to spot details. While the strength of a company is the strength of its employees, the key is in suitable perception or, more explicitly, in using your sight in a valuable and perceptive manner. Just like the abovementioned dragonfly, whose eyes are composed of 30-40,000 lenses and its brain forms the registered images in a larger whole. Its extensive field of view makes it possible to detect the slightest move. A dragonfly has excellent vision and, importantly, can apply it in a broader perspective. Specialists responsible for programmes should adopt a similar approach. They must take a wider motivating environment into consideration. They need to remember that if incentives are applied as the sole motivating factor and are constantly available as the proverbial carrot, then their effect becomes diminished. Moreover, when rewards are intended to reinforce recognition, they play an important role in supporting universal human motivators (goal, autonomy, interaction and learning). Finally, the benefits generated by non-cash rewards programmes encompass a considerable non-material value. While hard to measure, the benefits can compete with the financial effect of a programme. The dragonfly syndrome can help and make the estimated impact and values of non-material benefits show the various perspectives of motivation and self-actualisation. In this case it is not only worth remembering these different opportunities and applying them, but also examining how the surrounding and employees change. Motivation specialists using non-cash rewards are perfectly equipped to design and propose rewards for accomplishments. However, it is worth moving in all directions and not confining oneself to a circle of motivation methods you are already familiar with. Instead, perceive the world as a part of social capital that has a positive impact on the growth of your internal ecosystem and the external world of a global network of connections. While the phenomenon of motivating is now quite trendy, only some methods have the desired “effect” and combine peacefulness with unexpected experiences. Go ahead and start using them! Krzysztof Celuch

REPORT

SMALL MEETINGS: NUMBERS, PARTICIPANTS, CHALLENGES According to the Small Meetings, Big Value report prepared by the Business Travel Executive portal, events classified as small account for the vast majority of all business meetings. In turn, Cvent (a provider of event management software and hospitality solutions) estimates that they constitute from 70% to even 80% of business meetings. WHAT DOES “SMALL” MEAN? For the purposes of its report dedicated to the trends in organising small meetings, the Successful Meetings portal asked a group of industry specialists about the tactics of creating such events. Respondents included corporate planners (41%), association planners (29%) and third-party planners (30%). For 38% a meeting can be described as small if the number of participants does not exceed 25 people. 31% believe that this category describes meetings with maximum 50 participants. 12% of respondents qualify a meeting with 100 guests as small, and 19% reserve this term for meetings attended by less than 10 people. When asked about the number of small meetings they will be arranging in 2018, the meeting planners’ answers were quite diverse. The most popular option, chosen by 35% of respondents, is 5 or less. 28% declare that they will be organising from 6 to 10 small meetings, and 21% - from 11 to 25. The remaining categories (from 26 to 50 meetings and over 50 events) got 7% and 9% respectively. The discussed survey also confirmed what lead times, from the viewpoint of meeting planners, are optimal when working on a small meeting (the respondents had several answers to choose from). A lead time of 1 - 3 months was selected by 45%, while 35% of respondents opted for 3 months to even 6 months. 27% selected 2 - 4 weeks, and 22% - 612 months. Every fifth meeting planner believes that a small meeting can be prepared in a period of less than two weeks, and 8%

ORGANISATIONAL GOALS BEST ACCOMPLISHED IN THE SMALL MEETING ENVIRONMENT

76%

71%

61%

26%

25%

16%*

Training

Creating corporate culture

Strategizing

Promoting the organization

Teambuilding

Selling product

*Respondents could select multiple answers

answered that they consider an optimal period to be over one year. At this point, differences connected with the working environment come to the forefront. A signiﬁcantly higher percentage of corporate planners (25%) assure that they will prepare a meeting of the discussed kind in less than two weeks.

WHERE SHALL WE MEET? The issue of destinations for small meetings received much more compatible answers. As many as 73% of specialists answered that they stage or will stage such meetings exclusively in domestic destinations. 25% of respondents do not favour their home turf and are equally inclined to choose international destinations. Only 2% declared that they consider international destinations to be the only solution for hosting a small meeting.

Once the geographic latitude is agreed on, one needs to think about a concrete property. In this category city centres (57%) reign supreme, followed by resorts (47%), conference centres (43%), airport hotels (34%) and day centres (23%). Third-party meeting planners in particular favour city centres (the respondents could select several properties they consider most popular).

SUBCONTRACTING? YES, BUT WHAT KIND OF? Despite their relatively small scope, the organisation of small meetings often features the issue of outsourcing certain tasks. The majority of meeting planners (as many as 70%) willingly applies RFPs (requests for proposal) to ﬁnd an appropriate contractor or subcontractor. More than one-third of respondents (36%) often take advantage of services provi-

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REPORT MOST CHALLENGINGS FACTORS TO DEAL WITH WHEN PLANNING A SMALL MEETING Finding available dates: 63% Negotiating room rates: 53% Finding suitable function space onsite: 48% Getting what you need from the A/V staff: 20% Arranging F&B: 18%

Booking speakers: 16% Creating event themes: 13% Getting what you need form the banquet staff: 11% Booking airfare: 11%* *Respondents could select multiple answers

If someone chooses this form of promotion, then Facebook is the most popular option (41%), followed by Twitter and LinkedIn (30% each). Virtual meeting platforms (13%) and Instagram (12%) were next in line, while Pinterest ranked last, selected by only 3% of planners. What is interesting is that corporate planners are far less likely to use Twitter than the rest of the respondents (17% vs. 40%). For corporate planners Facebook is the tool of choice (34%).

MOST CHALLENGING FACTORS ded by destination marketing organisations operating in the event’s host destination or tourist boards. Slightly fewer (27%) declare that they cooperate with destination management companies, and only 19% admit to using mobile applications. In an interesting paradox, despite the huge popularity, if not downright domination, of the Internet and social media, only few small meetings involve a live broadcast or online

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sharing. As many as 71% of specialists answered that online components were applied in only less than 10% of the small meetings they were working on. Only 6% of respondents apply the new technological solutions on a regular basis. Another surprise might involve the low level of using social media tools to promote small meetings. 44% of respondents replied that they are not using social media in general.

Most planners believe that finding an available date is the most challenging task when planning a small meeting. Negotiating room rates was ranked second, followed by finding suitable function space onsite that would match the subject matter and participant profile. The respondents also mentioned audio/visual issues and participant transfer among the more problematic issues. Jacek Słowik

REPORT

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT REPORTS If any reports are each year impatiently anticipated by the global meetings industry, then this is certainly the case of ICCA and UIA publications. What makes them so important? With the latest UIA ranking launched in the second half of June, we are looking for the deﬁnite answer. International Meetings Statistics Report by the Union of International Associations (UIA) is one of the key documents presenting the state of the global market of conferences and congresses staged by associations – similarly to the annual report compiled by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). The two publications have been held in high esteem for many years, and their latest editions are anxiously awaited by representatives of convention bureaus of cities and regions, organisers and customers of events all around the world. Why are they so special?

CRÈME DE LA CRÈME The answer is straightforward – it is the money. High budgets make association meetings one of the most desirable events in the MICE sector. As a rule, these are major conferences and congresses gathering several hundred or even thousand participants. This fact alone generates substantial revenues for the host destinations. But that is not all. The discussed events are also relatively long; they usually last several days and are accompanied by a diverse agenda of side highlights (tours of the destination, ceremonious dinners, less formal cocktail receptions, etc.). All of this makes the funds allocated for their arrangement generally multiple times higher than in the case of corporate events or incentive trips. The figures may reach even several million euros. As a result, it is safe to say that the UIA and ICCA rankings reflect the state of one of the most profitable branches of the whole meetings industry. At the same time, this is its most extensive sector, with thousands of the discussed events staged each year across the globe. Published continuously since 1960, the latest

METHODOLOGY Data published in the UIA report are founded on two sources: International Congress Calendar (UIA-owned database of different types of meetings staged worldwide) and Yearbook of International Organizations (also run by UIA, a database of international associations and organisations). Upon this basis, the UIA report distinguishes the following three categories of events: TYPE A - FUNDAMENTAL AND CRUCIAL. ALL DATA DISCUSSED IN THIS REPORT REFER TO THIS GROUP. organiser: “international organisations”, i.e. associations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) included in UIA’s Yearbook of International Organizations. minimal number of participants: 50 (or number of participants unknown) TYPE B organiser: any duration: at least 3 days (or of unknown duration) minimal number of participants: 300 (or events featuring a concurrent exhibition) other: at least 40% of the participants are from countries other than the host country and at least 5 nationalities are represented TYPE C organiser: any duration: at least 2 days (or of unknown duration) minimal number of participants: 250 (or events featuring a concurrent exhibition) other: at least 40% of the participants are from countries other than the host country and at least 5 nationalities are represented

UIA ranking discusses as many as 10,786 meetings staged in 166 countries and 1,104 cities on all continents. At this point it is worth mentioning that the UIA report, similarly to the ICCA document, covers data from the year preceding its publication. For professionals responsible for organising events, the two rankings constitute a crucial source of information about trending destinations. In turn, they are not without consequence for decisions concerning the choice of setting for arranged conferences or congresses. Ranking leaders never fail to attract more events, as they are perceived as trustworthy partners – boasting the right infrastructure and know-how plus capable of ensuring safety and high-

-quality services. This is why for all bureaus involved in promoting destinations a position in the UIA and ICCA rankings is (or at least should be) of utmost importance.

BEST IN THE WORLD On a global scale there were no changes this year in the category of countries. According to UIA South Korea is the leader as regards the number of recorded meetings, replacing the USA at the top of the list. The top four was completed by Belgium, Singapore and Austria. The USA slid to ﬁfth spot but can take solace in the fact that it continues to be the most popular destination for both Americas. South

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REPORT

UIA’S TOP INTERNATIONAL MEETING COUNTRIES IN 2017 (TYPE A) 1. South Korea (total meetings in 2017 - 1,105/global % - 11.7%) 2. Belgium (804/8.5%) 3. Singapore (802/8.5%) 4.

Austria (545/5.8%)

12. Canada and Switzerland (227/2.4%)

USA (536/5.7%)

14. The Netherlands (184/2.0%)

Japan (425/4.5%)

15. Australia (174/1.8%)

Spain (379/4%)

16. Portugal (168/1.8%)

Germany (343/3.6%)

17. Italy (160/1.7%)

France (337/3.6%)

18. United Arab Emirates (157/1.7%)

10. Thailand (301/3.2%)

19. Denmark (145/1.5%)

11. Great Britain (287/3.0%)

20. Finland (140/1.5%)

UIA’S TOP INTERNATIONAL MEETING CITIES IN 2017 (TYPE A) 1. Singapore (total meetings in 2017 - 802/global % - 8.5%) 2. Brussels (757/8%) 3. Seoul (639/6.8%) 4.

Vienna (488/5.2%)

12. London (153/1.6%)

Tokyo (247/2.6%)

13. Madrid (143/1.5%)

Bangkok (223/2.4%)

14. Montreal (135/1.4%)

Paris (205/2.2%)

15. Lisbon (124/1.3%)

Berlin (172/1.8%)

16. Copenhagen (122/1.3%)

Pusan (171/1.8%)

17. Helsinki (99/1.1%)

10. Geneva (158/1.7%)

18. Dubai and Jeju (96/1%)

11. Barcelona (155/1.6%)

20. Stockholm (95/1%)

Africa leads the way for the African continent, Belgium for Europe, the abovementioned South Korea for Asia, and Australia – for the Australasian-Paciﬁc region. The greatest number of events is organized in the continents of Europe and Asia, which are becoming the giants of the industry. In the category of top international meeting cities Brussels was overtaken by Singapore (classiﬁed both as a city and a country). This time the Belgian capital had to content itself with the second place. There were no changes on the third spot, which this year was once again secured by Seoul.

UIA VS. ICCA

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UIA is a research institute and documentation centre based in Brussels, focused on analyses concerning association meetings. ICCA, in

turn, is an association representing more than 1,100 meetings industry-related organisations of all type and from all over the world. Its head office is located in Amsterdam. The two organisations also differ as regards the results of the reports they work on. For example, while UIA ranked South Korea first in the category of countries, the Asian destination is placed on the relatively lower 13th position in the ICCA ranking. According to ICCA the largest number of events is staged in the USA, which is ranked fifth in this year’s UIA list. The same applies to the ranking of top cities favoured by meeting organisers. Singapore snatched the first spot in the UIA report, but is sixth in the ICCA ranking. Barcelona leads the pack according to ICCA, but occupies the 11th spot in the case of the UIA publication. Despite

these differences, the two documents should not be treated as mutually exclusive. On the contrary - they complement each other and in the process create a bigger picture of the market. All of this is due to the criteria that, albeit overlapping in certain areas, are distinct and thus make it possible to cover various types of events. The discussed differences in criteria result from, i. a. incompatible research methods and terminology. It is impossible to clearly deﬁne which ones are more rigorous – they simply are different. In consequence, approx. 80% of international organisations recorded in the ICCA databases are also eligible for the UIA listings. However, the remaining 20% do not meet the required conditions. As a result, the events they implement are not taken into consideration in the reports compiled by UIA. In addition, the UIA databases contain many associations that are not included in the ICCA data collections. First, this is happening because UIA – contrary to ICCA – does not focus exclusively on events that take place on a regular basis, rotate between a minimum of three different countries and host at least 50 participants. Second, the ICCA report covers events that are exclusively arranged by non-governmental organisations. In turn, UIA also takes into account events produced by international governmental organisations (IGOs). Finally, ICCA and UIA base their information on different sources (although naturally some of them are consistent – the data collected from associations organizing meetings). The difference is that ICCA also obtains information from its members and UIA – from tourism organisations (national, regional, etc). The ICCA rankings contain slightly more events (at least in the case of this year’s edition) – 12,558 to be exact, whereas the UIA document analysed 10,786 meetings. The full version of the latest edition of UIA’s International Meetings Statistics Report is currently available exclusively for the association’s members. Starting with September, it will be made available for the public for 1,100 euros (PDF ﬁle) or 1,340 euros (print). In the case of orders made before September 1st promotional pre-publication prices apply: 888 euros (PDF) and 1,139 euros (print). Michał Kalarus