Please tell us about your first ever visit to Poland; what was your initial impression?
“Six years ago, the Polish version of my book, “Business Travel”, was published in Poland, where it was called “Turystyka Biznesova”, and my publishers asked me to go to Warsaw for the book launch. I had never set foot in Poland before and, to be honest, I wasn’t at all enthusiastic about the trip, as I had all of the stereotypical images of Central European countries in my head: dull food, poor service, deficient transport infrastructure, mediocre hotels, and so on. I couldn’t have been more mistaken - I found Warsaw to be an exciting, ultra-modern capital in the throes of a building boom as international hotel chains were rushing to invest in the city in recognition of its status as a major business destination; the food was just as appetising and varied as the food on offer in restaurants in any other European capital, except at half the price; and the service was impeccable. I should have guessed this last aspect of Poland, if I had thought about it. Because as everyone knows from their experience of being on the receiving end of service from Poles working in the hospitality industry in the UK, excellent service is something that comes as second-nature to Polish people. Above all, I was struck by the professionalism, creativeness and sheer energy of all the people I met who were working in the business travel industry. They are determined to put Poland firmly on the map as a major destination for conferences and meetings, and I for one am convinced that they will succeed. They are already succeeding in this – and they deserve to.”

You spend quite a bit of time in Poland; how does it compare to other countries in Europe when it comes to conference venues and facilities?
“As a frequent visitor to Polishcities, I’m constantly struck by the astonishing variety of conference venues that I find there. I think what distinguishes conference centres in Poland is that none of them are the anonymous, impersonal, immediately-forgettable type of building that are to be found in so many countries. Large and small, there is a genuine uniqueness to every conference venue I have visited in Poland - and that’s a lot. I’m the type of person who makes straight for the local conference centre whenever I visit a new city. Forget the cathedral and the museums, just show me the venues! Many of my favourite venues are part of Poland’s rich historical heritage, such as the towering Palace of Culture and Science in the heart of Warsaw, built in 1955 by the Russians as a ‘gift’ to the Polish people; or the incredible Hala Ludowa in Wrocław, constructed by the German Nazis as a showcase for their regime. Kraków’s stunningly beautiful Jagellonian University also serves as a venue for meetings in search of unforgettable surroundings. At the other end of the scale, the Polish countryside has an abundance of spectacular palaces and country houses that have been converted into small meetings venues, perfect for corporate training events, for example. Wherever your meeting takes place in Poland, you have a unique sense of place that, in my opinion, you won’t find anywhere else.”

Thanks to its location, right in the centre of Europe, Poland is the ideal venue for conferences and meetings. What can be done to raise its profile as a business travel destination?
“The Polish Tourism Organisation is doing a marvellous job, with limited resources, in persuading conference organisers to consider Poland as a destination for their meetings. It is however a very competitive business, because every city you can name would like to host the meetings of large international associations and corporations, for example. The top destinations for those type of meeting are cities such as Vienna, Paris, London and Stockholm, which are all formidable competitors for Polish cities. At a time when everyone is talking about the importance of destination branding, now would be an opportunity for Poland to clarify its own brand as an international business tourism destination. This should be different to its brand as a leisure tourism destination. It is time to make it clear to other nations what exactly is distinctive and unique about a business event held in Poland, and how the experience is different to a conference held in the Czech Republic or Slovakia or in one of the Baltic States. It may seem obvious to Poles, but the extent of ignorance about Poland in Western European countries in particular is still staggering, yet successful branding – and all of the other marketing techniques, such as inviting members of the press to visit Poland to see it for themselves, takes resources. The Polish government, and the municipal governments of individual cities, need to be convinced that investing in business travel promotion actually brings dividends in the form of lucrative business visitors, who generally spend up to three times more per day than the average leisure visitor. There have been many high-profile successes, for instance, the recent The United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Poznań is a very good example of Poland winning and hosting a large and complex international meeting. Nevertheless, properly funded, business travel promotion in Poland could be even more successful.”
 

Are there any trends in Poland’s business travel industry that you can tell us about?
“Poland is definitely on the upand- up as a business destination, and I believe that, ironically the current financial climate will help. This is a difficult time for most companies, and their spending on everything, including meetings is under close scrutiny. Companies are waiting longer before deciding whether or not to hold their conferences. There is a lot of uncertainty in the corporate meetings market, and this is having a growing impact on whether meetings are held – and where they are held. One thing is for certain: it’s getting more and more difficult for companies to justify lavish conferences in distant, exotic locations, at a time when many of them are making staff redundant. Company shareholders and the media are vigilant for any signs of corporate extravagance and are quick to condemn it when they see it. So the great value-for-money that Poland offers as a destination for meetings is a huge asset in the current climate. Anyone who goes to Poland and only sees the airport, the hotel and the conference centre is missing out on a priceless opportunity to experience this incredible country. More and more companies are realising that they can hold meetings in Polish cities, most of which are accessible by budget airlines, and really give their delegates a really high quality experience – without breaking the bank. Last year, Krzysztof Celuch of the Polish Tourism Organisation and I undertook research into the levels of satisfaction of over 100 German and British meeting planners who had recently held their business events in Poland.  travel in Polish cities, since German and British companies have invested heavily in Poland, and there are fast-expanding transport links between these countries. The objective was to identify these planners’ perceptions of Poland’s strengths and weaknesses as a meetings destination. The results of the Poland Conference Market Survey were extremely encouraging. Planners were asked about their three main reasons for choosing Poland as the destination for their meetings. Considerations of costs were clearly uppermost inmany of their minds: 74% of respondents mentioned ‘value-formoney’ as one of their main reasons,  while 58% claimed that a ‘business connection with Poland’ had been an important factor in their decision to hold a business event in Poland, and 58% said that Poland’s ‘heritage and history’ was one of their deciding factors. Encouragingly, as many as 42% of the British and German planners cited ‘previous experience of using Poland as a destination’ as one of their most important reasons for choosing Poland, suggesting relatively high levels of repeat business. Poland’s central European location was also mentioned as a motivating factor. One German planner commented that they had hoped to attract more delegates from Sweden,and decided that Gdańsk would be a good choice because of its Baltic location.”

Do you have any tips to help business travellers make the most of their trip to Poland, so that they can see more than just the airport, the hotel and the conference centre?
“Anyone who goes to Poland and only sees the airport, the hotel and the conference centre is missing out on a priceless opportunity to experience this incredible country. Taking time to explore the destination properly – not just bunking off from the conference for an hour or two to buy a souvenir – is absolutely vital. Business travellers should programme at least one extra day in their trip, just to look around their destination and meet some real Polish people, preferably over a vodka or two in a local bar. Get out of the hotel and stroll around the historic centre of whatever city you are in. English is widely spoken – universally spoken among young people – and Poles are justifiably proud of their country and willing to explain its heritage and history to anyone who will listen. Use the opportunity to eat some local dishes, in restaurants off the tourist track, and be adventurous in your choice of food. For example, Polish people are addicted to pierogi, so try some and you’ll understand why!Relax, unwind... Polish people are a laid-back lot, who like to work hard and play hard. There’s no better place I know for mixing business with pleasure. I am very optimistic that Poland will continue to succeed in the business travel market. Its beautiful historic cities, its easy access to the rest of Europe, the strong sense of hospitality and welcome of the Polish people are all valuable elements that make Poland an excellent destination for conferences and meetings.”

About Rob Davidson:Rob Davidson is a Senior Lecturer in Business Traveland Tourism at the Universityof Westminster in London.His main areas of expertise are conference and businesstravel, and over the last ten years he has written widelyon these themes. His latest book was published in 2006: Marketing Destinations and Venues for Conferences, Conventions and Business Events, co-written with Tony Rogers of the British Association of Conference Destinations. In addition, he regularly writes articles for the professional business tourism press, including Conference News. Rob also runs his own consultancy business, and has carried out research for a number of conference organisations in the UK and overseas. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, he was included in Conference & Incentive Travel magazine’s ‘Power 50’ - the 50 most influential people in the UK conference industry.
 

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