Catching MICE

According to the 'Meeting and Event Industry in Poland 2013' report by the Poland Convention Bureau, congress attendees stayed for an average of three days in the places they visited and spent PLN 791 (excluding the fees for the event organisers). Trade fair participants stayed for even longer (3.5 days) and spent more - PLN 910 per person. "This is a profitable business for hotels as well as restaurants, shops and taxi companies, and of course for the organisers of the events. The development potential of this sector in Poland is still high," believes Krzysztof Celuch, the manager of Poland Convention Bureau, a government body set up to promote Poland as a business meeting destination. "The meeting industry has had a very significant influence on the hotel industry in Poland for several years," claims Magdalena Sekutowska, the development director of Hilton Worldwide. "Despite the turbulence resulting from the economic climate, continuing progress in the construction of conference inf