“We are already looking forward to the moment in September 2026 when we will welcome MSPO participants to the new facility,” said Dr Andrzej Mochoń, President of the Management Board of Targi Kielce, during the ceremony of laying the cornerstone for the new exhibition hall on Friday, 3 October. With an area of 15,500 square metres and a height of 15 metres, the facility is currently the largest ongoing investment in the exhibition industry in the country.
“During the opening of the International Defence Industry Exhibition 2026, we will be hosting representatives of the Polish government as well as high-ranking officials from several dozen countries around the world and chiefs of general staff. I assure you that in my speech I will congratulate and thank Strabag for having built the facility for us so superbly and on time. We are confident that everything will go according to plan, but as professionals we do, of course, have a plan B,” stressed President Dr Andrzej Mochoń.
Wojciech Trojanowski, Member of the Board of Strabag, noted that work on the project is proceeding according to plan. “Under the contract, construction is due to be completed in June next year, and that deadline is binding on us. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for sunny weather all the way through. We will need it. Thank you for your trust, and I hope that our cooperation will continue to go well. As far as building construction is concerned, this is our first investment on such a scale in the city of Kielce,” he said.
Agata Wojda, Mayor of the City of Kielce, also spoke of the good experience of working with Strabag. In her speech she focused on Targi Kielce. “This is a team that is not afraid of ambitious challenges and that works small miracles on the spot. You are the pride of this company, but it is you who are building a company that is the pride of the city,” she said, addressing the Targi Kielce team. “This is a historic moment, because over the years this is one of the bigger infrastructure challenges Targi Kielce has faced. The hall that will be built here will change the face of the exhibition centre and will be our showpiece. Today we are laying a cornerstone with a message for future generations. We trust that this will be a facility that serves many generations. It is also a symbol of our municipal, Kielce ambitions – that we are capable of doing great things.”
Placed inside the cornerstone were messages to future generations from the Board of Targi Kielce, the Mayor of the City of Kielce and the Board of Strabag, an album published to mark the 30th anniversary of the International Defence Industry Exhibition, the current issues of the daily newspapers “Echo Dnia” and “Rzeczpospolita”, and coins with a price list showing what can be bought today for PLN 1, 2 and 5.
The mortar for the cornerstone was laid by Dr Andrzej Mochoń, President of the Management Board of Targi Kielce, Vice-President Bożena Staniak, Wojciech Trojanowski, Member of the Board of Strabag, and Agata Wojda, Mayor of the City of Kielce.
The cornerstone, weighing 180 kilograms, was brought to the construction site with the help of a telescopic loader. It was laid on a foundation footing.
Work on the hall construction site at Targi Kielce. The facility is taking shape
Construction of the hall has been under way since the spring. The demolished Hall 7 and the former outdoor car park now form the construction site. Work on the external heating, electrical, water supply and sewage installations has been completed. Foundation work is in progress. The pad and strip footings have been made, and the vertical elements of the hall’s structure – precast reinforced concrete columns – have been installed. Work on the roof structure has begun, and façade work will start shortly. With 15,500 square metres on the ground floor and a height of 15 metres, the new hall will make it possible to stage world-class exhibition projects. A further 3,000 square metres will be made available on the mezzanine.
Information and photographs: Targi Kielce