The 15th Winter Convention of the Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry took place on 9–11 December 2024 at the Haston hotel in Wrocław. The event was attended by more than one hundred representatives of the exhibition industry – PCEI members from all over Poland. It was an excellent opportunity to sum up the year, exchange experience and talk about the future of the exhibition sector.
As is traditional, the first day began with meetings of the industry sections, followed by the panel “Challenges and problems facing trade fair companies” and a matchmaking session.
The afternoon and evening passed in a unique atmosphere thanks to the social attractions. Participants had the opportunity to:
- Visit Wrocław’s Afrykarium and admire the underwater world. The attraction was sponsored by BWS Expo Plus.
- Attend an organ concert at the Garrison Church of St Elizabeth.
- Visit the Christmas Market, which put everyone in a festive mood.
The second day began with the official opening and a welcome to participants from the Chairman of the Chamber Council, Tomasz Kobierski, and the PCEI General Director, Wiesława Galińska. This was followed by the Industry Conference, during which:
- Dr Andrzej Mochoń, Vice-Chairman of the Chamber Council, spoke on “The current situation of the exhibition industry in Europe and worldwide, and a summary of the 2024 Congress of UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry”.
- Tomasz Kobierski, Chairman of the Chamber Council, spoke on “The current situation of the exhibition industry in Poland and the outlook for 2025”.
The presentations were followed by a panel entitled “Succession in family businesses”, moderated by Michał Hempowicz of Fair Team, with the participation of Włodzimierz Słomiński of BWS Expo Plus, Magdalena Mąkosa of Expo Construct and Jan Szofer of Abyss, while the expert view was provided by attorney-at-law Michał Kukuczka of the law firm Kancelaria Radcy Prawnego Michał Kukuczka.
The next item on the programme was a series of expert talks on the following topics:
- Savoir-vivre in business – a talk by Ewa Brok, sponsored by Moss Inc.
- Artificial intelligence: opportunities and threats for business – a talk by Dr Tomasz Lewandowski of the law firm SMM Legal, sponsored by Targi w Krakowie.
- Cybersecurity in the exhibition industry, presented by Artur Markiewicz, a cybersecurity specialist.
In the evening, as is traditional, a gala was held, during which new Chamber members were welcomed and the awards in the Exhibition of the Year competition were presented. In addition, commemorative diplomas were presented to mark the anniversaries of ZIAD Bielsko-Biała, AmberExpo, Transmeble International, Extend Vision and Targi Lublin.
The last day of the Convention began with a shared breakfast, followed by a meeting of the Chamber Council.
- PCEI Winter Convention was not only a time to reflect on the past year, but also an opportunity to strengthen relationships and set goals for the future.
We would like to thank all participants for their active involvement in the discussions, their attendance at the talks and the exchange of experience. Special thanks go to the Convention partners, who contributed to the success of the event, and to the speakers for their valuable presentations.