We can safely call the past year a year of anniversaries – the Krakow Convention Bureau celebrated its 20th birthday, and three large conference facilities – TAURON Arena Krakow, the ICE Krakow Congress Center and the International Exhibition and Convention Center Expo Krakow – celebrated their 10th anniversary. What is worth remembering in the context of business tourism in 2024? What activities did the Krakow Convention Bureau carry out to build the city’s image #TheHostCity?
The Meetings Industry in Krakow 2023
Thanks to the data collected in 2024, we know that in 2023, 4,368 business meetings were held in Krakow, which is 66.15% more than the previous year and more than twice as many as in 2021. A significant increase occurred primarily in the category of domestic meetings. The number of international events increased by 13% compared to 2022.
In terms of the structure of meetings, stationary events dominated, only 1.1% of meetings were held in a hybrid form. The dominance of conferences and congresses typical of Krakow has continued, last year they accounted for as much as 71.2% of events. For comparison: motivational and corporate events were organized 24.43%, and fairs and exhibitions 4.37%. Domestic meetings dominated in each of the meeting categories. Over 614.9 thousand people took part in congresses and conferences.
Compared to 2022, the number of participants in these events increased almost threefold. The authors of the report emphasize that the meetings industry generates income for companies, remuneration for employees and taxes for cities. Based on our own data, the economic impact of the meetings industry on the economy of Kraków in the years 2012-2023 can be estimated at PLN 17.5 billion.
It is worth adding that according to the report “Poland Events Impact 2023 – Economic impact of the meetings industry on the Polish economy”, the gross value added generated by the meetings industry exceeded PLN 22.9 billion. The estimated contribution of the meetings industry to GDP is about 1%, and the total contribution of meetings and events to the Polish economy in 2023 exceeded PLN 54.6 billion, which emphasizes the scale of the impact of this industry on the overall development of the country.
If you are planning to organize a congress, conference, or corporate event in a city listed on the UNESCO list, known for its unique architecture, museums, festivals and modern event facilities, Krakow CVB is here to help!
