Based on the preliminary statistical data at the disposal of Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry and CENTREX – the author of the data, it may be assumed that exhibitions in Poland remain an important element of marketing and business communication. Comparing statistical data in two year cycles (due to the fact that some of the leading exhibitions are held every two years) Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry forecasts the exhibition space rented to exhibitors during exhibitions in Poland to remain almost at the same level in the previous year. A slight growth of the exhibition space will be approximately 0.4% (in 2013 – approx. 679,000 sq. m. and 675,907 sq. m. in 2011). The number of exhibitors at exhibitions in Poland, according to preliminary statistical data, dropped by around 4% in comparison with the analogous year 2011 (in 2013 – approx. 27,600 against 28,770 in 2011), which was the outcome of the earlier slowdown of investments in many sectors of the economy and the consequent worsening condition of enterprises but not necessarily the decreasing interest in exhibitions. However, following the apparent economic revival we have been observing since 2013, possibly the exhibitors who continue their participation in exhibitions, treating them as an effective platform of business communication, have invested both in improving the quality of the participation in exhibitions and in the size of expositions – says Marzenna Łukaszewicz, the Managing Director of PCEI. We are all very glad of the evident continuing growth in the number of visitors at exhibitions in Poland. This positive trend has continued without interruptions since 2010. In 2013 we are forecasting the increase in the number of visitors by approximately 12% as compared to 2011 (in 2013 – approx. 1,272,000; in 2011 – 1,126,267) – adds Halina Trawa, Deputy Executive Director of the Chambery. According to exhibition experts, the continuous growth in the number of visitors is the consequence of many factors. The advantage is the favorable geopolitical location of Poland – between the East and the West of Europe. Since 2004 the Eastern border of Poland has been the border of the European Union. That is why exhibition centers in Poland have become the venue for business meetings between the East and the West, which is beneficial to many sectors of the economy. It is perfectly clear to organizers of exhibitions in Poland and to the operators of exhibition and conference venues. Exhibition organizers are constantly improving their efficiency in reaching the right target groups of visitors and mobilize them to visit exhibitions organized for business. According to the organizers, also the level of professionalism among the visitors is growing. Business visitors appearing at the stands today are much better prepared for meetings. Without a doubt in the recent years the quality of exhibitions in Poland and the condition of exhibition infrastructure have been clearly improving. Exhibitors and visitors use modern, dynamically growing, modernized and newly built exhibition centers. It is worth noting that in the last three years Polish exhibition companies have invested approximately PLN 300 million in modern infrastructure. Thanks to this the total of almost 100 thousand square meters of modern exhibition, conference and congress venues appeared many locations in Poland. The infrastructure has never before been so modern – states Andrzej Byrt, the President of Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry and the President of Poznań International Fair, the leader of the exhibition Industry in Poland. Source: Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry, January 23, 2014.