On 15–17 December, the Hotel Vienna House Warszawa, Mokotów hosted the 16th Winter Convention of the Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry, one of the most important annual gatherings of the trade fair and events community in Poland. These were three intensive days of discussion about the state of the industry, business challenges, global trends and directions of development, but also a time for networking, exchanging experience and building relationships.
Day one – talks among industry peers
The first day of the Convention began with meetings of the industry sections, which traditionally provide a space for more direct conversations and for sharing experiences and problems from the day-to-day practice of companies operating in the exhibition industry. The first day’s programme also included a presentation by Jan Szofer of Abyss entitled “The uncertain world of trade fairs – how to regain peace of mind?”.
The evening brought the less formal part of the Convention: networking, carol singing and long conversations, which, as every year, proved just as important as the official presentations. It is at moments like these that ideas, initiatives and partnerships are born which later materialise as real projects. Another pleasant touch on the first day of the Convention was a cake to mark the approaching 30th anniversary of Targi w Krakowie. It was a moment of shared celebration, conversation and congratulations that gave the event a warm, less formal character.
Day two – industry conference and the key challenges facing the market
The second day began with the official opening of the 16th PCEI Winter Convention by Tomasz Kobierski, Chairman of the PCEI Council. This was followed by the Industry Conference of the Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry, during which participants heard a presentation by Ewa Woch, President of Targi w Krakowie, who summarised the key conclusions from the UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry meeting in Hong Kong, outlining global trends and directions of development in the exhibition market, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.
Next came the panel discussion “Business in the exhibition industry – opportunities and threats”. The discussion, moderated by Michał Hempowicz (FAIRteam), covered, among other things, changing business models, customer expectations, cost pressure and the need to adapt to new market realities. The experts taking part were Krzysztof Szofer (BWS EXPO Plus), Krystian Majer (Meliński Minuth), Magdalena Mąkosa (Expo Construct) and Łukasz Paluszek (NEO Expo Media).
Law, technology and security – topics that cannot be ignored
The later part of the conference addressed specific, practical issues that companies are facing today:
- “What are the biggest challenges awaiting companies in the switch to the mandatory KSeF (National e-Invoicing System)?” – this topic was presented by Marta Śmigielska, Finance Director of BWS EXPO Plus, who pointed to the real consequences of the systemic changes for organisations.
- AI in marketing – Tomasz Graszewicz, AI expert and CEO of AI Wizards, Job’n’Joy and Shake the Cake, showed how artificial intelligence is genuinely changing communication, sales and marketing activities, and talked about how to be more creative.
- Outbound marketing and lead generation on LinkedIn – effective strategies were discussed by Szymon Gorlak, Operations Director of Sembility.
- Cybersecurity – a topic presented in an exceptionally light yet very practical way by Kamil Porembiński, a cybersecurity expert, in a presentation entitled “You will lose your entire company faster than you can read the title of this presentation – or how not to get hacked”.
The conference programme concluded with the CENTREX-PCEI Team Meeting, devoted to further directions of development and cooperation in the area of auditing and trade fair statistics.
Gala evening – anniversaries, awards and thanks
The evening featured a formal gala, honoured by the presence of, among others:
- Ms Agnieszka Ciećwierz – Director of the Promotion Department at the Polish Investment and Trade Agency
- Ms Karolina Niementowska – Director of the Promotion Department at the Industrial Development Agency
- Mr Karoly Nagy – Honorary Member of the Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry
During the gala, anniversary diplomas were presented to the following companies:
35 years in business:
- MAXPOL sp. z o.o.
- Partner Zenon Żurek
- Universal Express sp. z o.o.
20 years:
- RUGER FAIR Sp. z o.o.
15 years:
- BCS Software S.A.
- Netlog Polska sp. z o.o.
10 years:
- FAIR TEAM – Michał Hempowicz
Diplomas were also presented in the Exhibition of the Year competition, along with diplomas for new PCEI members who joined the Chamber during the year now drawing to a close. The diversity of the new companies, representing different areas of the trade fair and events sector, confirmed once again that the strength of the industry lies in its varied perspectives, experience and skills.
Farewells and a symbolic close
A special moment of the evening was the Farewells segment, which honoured people concluding their activity both within the PCEI structures and in the exhibition industry. It was a time to give thanks for years of work, decisions and commitment that genuinely shaped the exhibition community.
Those invited onto the stage were:
- Tomasz Kobierski – Chairman of the PCEI Council
- Włodzimierz Słomiński – President of BWS EXPO Plus
- Wiesław Pernak – Director of the Board Office at Poznań International Fair
- Jan Studencki – Deputy Director of the Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry
The official part was followed by a gala dinner.
On the third day of the Convention, a meeting of the Council of the Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry was held, at which important decisions were taken. Following the resignation of Tomasz Kobierski as Chairman of the PCEI Council, the Council appointed Andrzej Mochoń, President of Targi Kielce, to the post. As Vice-Chairman, the Council appointed Krzysztof Szofer of BWS EXPO Plus. The second Vice-Chairman remains, unchanged, Paweł Montewka of Montexpo. These decisions open a new stage in the work of the Council and set the direction for the Chamber’s further activities in the period ahead.
Every convention different, every one special
The 16th PCEI Winter Convention was made possible by the commitment and support of the event’s partners. The Convention’s partners were: Ecat Expo International, Expo Construct, EXPO XXI Warszawa – Międzynarodowe Centrum Targowo-Kongresowe, Targi w Krakowie, BWS Expo Plus, Maxpol Targi, PERFO TexConcept and Moss Inc. The whole event also took place thanks to the support of its technical partners – EMG Events, which provided the Convention’s fantastic multimedia setting, and BCS Software, which supplied the participant registration system.
We thank all the companies and individuals who were with us and helped to create this event.
The 16th PCEI Winter Convention showed once again that the strength of the exhibition industry lies in its people, in conversation and in a readiness to look for solutions together. Every Convention is different, but each one leaves behind new ideas, plans and inspiration that keep working long after it has ended.
