Poznan Fair Magazine

Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie

Special jubilee iSSue

POZNAŃ FAIR

MAGAZINEiSSN 0860-0023

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POZNAŃ FAIR MAGAZINE

On 21st March 1920, at the General Congress of the Union of Merchants’ Associations (ZTK) a resolution was adopted to es-tablish a committee for the organisation of a fair in Poznań. The initiative and plan of the Union were supported by the lo-

cal government authorities from Poznań and the Wielkopolska province. As a result of certain agreements, the so-called Exhibition Committee was appoint-ed. In consisted of 44 people, including both the representatives of the city au-thorities, with President Jarogniew Drwęski, but also the representatives of the most competent institutions and vocational and social organisations. At the session held on October 4th, 1920, the Committee adopted the resolution on the name of the institution – the Poznań Fair. The Poznań Fair was a city institution, established by way of a resolution adopted by the city corporation, subject to the Poznań City Hall and the City Council, with the so-called Poznań Fair Deputation supervising the activity of the Fair. 1st Poznań Fair was a real success. It attracted 1200 Polish exhibitors who showcased their offers on the area of 10 thousand sq m. From May 28th to June 5th the Fair was visited by 40 thousand people.

1st Poznań Fair

May 28th – June 5th, 1921

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A 90th anniversary is an ex-cellent opportunity for reca-pitulation, retrospection and reflection, and at the same

time – to think about the future. MTP is rec-ognised as the leader of the trade fair indus-try but what does it really mean and what is Poznań International Fair MTP like today?

If we consider the origins of the word “leader” we will see that it means somebody who leads oth-ers in a certain direction. Therefore, leadership is related to the ability of strategic thinking and undertaking the right actions. Let us then have a look at the past – the Poznań Fair was estab-lished in 1921 out of the need to respond to the new economic reality. This need was created by the newly regained independence of Poland. It was the Poznań Fair that gave rise to the develop-ment of the Polish exhibition industry of the 20th century. It was in Poznań, in the 20s of the previ-ous century, that the founding congress of UFI – the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry – took place. MTP has been one of the founding members of this organisation since 1927.

After the interwar period and after the recovery from the devastation of World War II, the Fair found its place in the new economy and created a special space for the promotion of Polish export, turning into the Polish exhibition centre. In the reality of that time, the Fair was a well function-ing enterprise with a position of a monopolist. After the transition of 1989 the Fair maintained its position in the free market economy. This was possible due to the fact that – as it could have been expected from a leader – the company had implemented innovative solutions already before

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PoznańInternationalFair

1921-2011

special edition

Prestige

the transition. One of such solutions was the deci-sion to start organising events also outside its own grounds – in Katowice, Łódź and Wrocław, and to be active also abroad – by providing services to export enterprises wishing to showcase their of-fers outside Poland. Another innovative step was the gradual division of the single original industry exhibition organised in June into new, specialised fairs that were the predecessors of the contempo-rary biggest exhibition events in Poland.

Today, over 20 years after the economic transition, Poland has a mature fair market: the fair compe-tition, new organisers of events, new exhibition grounds. Poznań International Fair (MTP) is now a completely different enterprise, but it is still in the position of the leader, proud of the greatest and most modern (not only in Poland but also in the whole East-Central Europe) fair infrastructure of roofed exhibition space.

What we can offer to our exhibitors today is 16 pavilions, all fully air-conditioned and heated, with direct telecommunication connection and the floors of great load-bearing capacity. The pavilions are also high enough to make the presentation of large format exhibits possible. Infrastructural in-vestments is one of the priorities of the company and they were not stopped even during the last economic crisis. Today, the annual value of these investments amounts to 30-40 million PLN.

The last ten years have also been the period of intensive changes in the management structure and internal business processes of MTP. As a re-sult of these changes we have now been able to develop the calendar of trade fair events so that it includes nearly 100 events. The changes were followed by the implementation of new IT solu-tions. Today, we have at our disposal a logistic system that is unique not only in Poland but also in the whole of Europe. The system takes into ac-count MTP’s years of experience in organisation and conduction of mass events. Our computer

At the age of 90 our Fair is a dynamic, flexible and

effective partner for Polish and foreign enterprises interested in cooperating with Poland.

network is one of the most modern in Poland. It proved to be good enough for the greatest in-ternational conference that has ever taken place in Poland – the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 14 held in December 2008. And although the clients of MTP have no direct con-tact with the internal IT systems of MTP, it is the systems that determine the smooth provision of services the clients require.

We are prepared for changes…

interview with dr Andrzej Byrt, Chairman of the Board of MTP

The position of the leader makes us especially sensitive to the signals coming from the market. We further specialize the events for particular in-dustries in due advance, which enables us to or-ganise premiere events in the country.

Today, our market share in Poland – measured by means of leased square metres – exceeds 50 per-cent. We are a truly comprehensive fair and con-gress centre, a provider of all the services related to the exhibition sector. Moreover, we export these services, i.e., organise fair events also in oth-er Polish cities, such as Warsaw, Kielce, Katowice or Świebodzin. Apart from that, we prepare the greatest Polish economic performances abroad, both in Europe and outside the continent, espe-cially in Asia.

MTP is then a strong, modern enterprise. What, in the opinion of MTP’s President is the company’s greatest asset?

I can name several of them. First of all – the dy-namics of its activity, the ability to foresee the development of the market and react to the upcoming trends in advance – in Poland, in the East-Central Europe or even in the whole world. The ability to promote the Polish industry, i.e. the enterprises for which MTP has worked for the 90 years of its existence. This makes us a precious partner for our exhibitors and visitors. This is the source of the trust that our brand enjoys and the high evaluation of its credibility in various rank-ings. Let me just remind you that according to the survey conducted by Pentor Research Inter-national, over 80% of our exhibitors and 60% of the clients of other fair organisers regards us as the strongest brand among the trade fair or-ganisers in Poland. Let us also remind you that MTP is one of the main shareholders of Interna-tional Lublin Fair (MTL).

What is important is the highest quality and the wide range of our services. This is yet another field where we have proven to be innovative, as we have been the first company to introduce a comprehensive computer system to manage all the processes in the enterprise. Our company has the largest and most developed database gather-ing information on the participants of our events, which enables us to stay in touch with them and respond to their needs and expectations.

At the age of 90 our Fair is a dynamic, flexible and very effective partner for Polish and foreign enter-prises interested in cooperating with Poland.

Are we already a 21st century company?

As the most efficient trade fair enterprise in Po-land, whose scope of activities is unparalleled, we can observe the development of the fair market in the upcoming decades with confidence that we are prepared for even the most challenging changes. The future is ours. The exhibition mar-ket in the 21st century Poland will have to face not only positive changes related to technologi-cal, organizational and conceptual competition.

In the first decade of the century we could ob-serve the state of saturation and in some sec-tors even the excess of exhibition capacity or of the number of similar events, which led to rapid price reductions, as the events were competing against one another. This, in turn, reduced the profitability of exhibition activity, which – in the whole world – is not highly profitable anyway. Having said that, I must add that it is precisely in such challenging times that talents appear that are capable of facing the challenges. I believe that Poznań International Fair (MTP) is well-pre-pared to tackle them.

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Warszawa, June 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Traditional, recognised, modern – this is what the Poznań Interna-tional Fair is like. This is also Poland’s greatest fair event that for as much as 90 years now has been a showpiece of the achievements of our economy. Especially in the last two decades, as free market rules and openness to the world have been shaping the new face of Poland’s economy, the Poznań International Fair emerged as a fascinating narrative of the potential represented by our Polish busi-ness. It is also famous as a place where cooperation is forged, not only regional or national one but also European.

Taking the opportunity afforded by the 90th anniversary of the Poznań International Fair, I wish to extend to all its organizers and participants my warmest congratulations. My cordial greetings go to the staff of the Poznań Interna-tional Fair, to the authorities of the city of Poznań and to the entire Poznań community, all exhibitors and visitors. It was with great satisfaction that I gave my honorary patronage to the Fair’s anniversary for it is one of the tokens of the country’s development and the potential represented by the Republic of Poland which undergoes such a vibrant modernization.

On the very soil which only 1919 became part of the restored Republic of Poland, and this owing to the Greater Poland’s Uprising, the initiative of Poznań local authorities and merchants was supported to organize in 1921 a country-wide exhibition to shed light on the economic achievements of the young Polish state. This fact speaks volumes. Thereafter, the Fair continued to flourish emerging in the 1930’s as one of the more significant trade events in Europe. In 1956, the city was the beating heart of history when on the days of the Poznań International Fair, Poznań workers took to the streets to protest against the injustice of the Communist system. In the independent Poland, the Poznań International Fair has become a witness to our transformation and success. It is a vehicle to promote Polish economy. The visitors coming to the Fair can each year participate in almost 80 fair events. Many of those, including Budma, Polagra, Poleko, Taropak, are the biggest ventures of the kind in Central and Eastern Europe. Moreover, thanks to the Fair’s modern infrastructure, Poznań can accommodate numerous symposia, congresses and meetings, often on global or European scale, as it was in the case of the UN Climate Change Conference or the Taizé Youth Meeting.

On this solemn anniversary occasion, I would like to convey to all of them who contributed to the great-ness and growth of the Poznań International Fair my very best wishes for your further success and well-being, also to the benefit of the entire Republic of Poland. May Poznań gain further éclat from the Poznań International Fair, may the attainments of Poznań people win likewise further acclaim. May all the exhibitors who show their goods and services at the Fair invariably associate this place with satis-faction, success and emergence of new opportunities. Let me reiterate once again my cordial greetings to all the people assembled at the Poznań International Fair.

Bronisław KomorowskiPresident

of the Republic of Poland

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1921-2011

special edition

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Poznań International Fair (MTP) I would like to sincerely thank all the employees of the company for their engagement in the promotion of Poland, the Polish economy and Polish enterprises. I congratulate you on your successes in supporting the construction of the po-tential of Polish companies and enhancing their position in the international market. The Fair is first of all the place for the promotion of new products and services, and their latest directions of development, but it is also an excellent venue for strengthening old business contacts and establishing new ones. For many years the fair events organised by MTP have been held under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy. The representatives of the Ministry take part in conferences and trade meetings accompany-ing the exhibitions. The high prestige of the events organised by Poznań International Fair (MTP) attracts entrepreneurs and traders from all over the world, which gives opportunities to strengthen commercial and economic relations and to establish new ones.I would like to emphasise that one of the priorities of the Government’s policy is the increase in Poland’s share in the international trade exchange and the activity of Poznań International Fair (MTP) consistently contributes to achieving this goal. I am confident that the level of the competitiveness of the Polish economy will more and more depend on the abilities of enterprises to quickly introduce modern technological, organisational and managerial solutions, and to turn them into commercial successes. I am familiar with your activities in this field and I wish you further successes also in this area. I hope that the satisfaction coming from the achievements of those 90 years of Poznań International Fair (MTP) will be a spur to even greater commitment to further development of Poland. I wish you all perseverance in overcoming everyday obstacles and all the best in your personal lives.

This year, Poznań International Fair (MTP) is celebrating a very special anniversary – for 90 years it has maintained its prestigious position and the brand of MTP has been rec-ognised as a guarantee of profes-sionalism and success.For years, the Poznań Fair has been regarded as the unquestionable leader of the trade fair industry in Poland; it has also been an im-portant international centre. It is thanks to the Fair that Poznań – as

the only Polish city – has been listed in the world ranking of trade fair cities AUMA. It is in Poznań, at the grounds of MTP, that the Climate Change Conference COP14 and the TAIZE European Youth Meeting were held. While wishing MTP many interesting and inspiring challenges in the upcoming years, I would also like to stress that the Fair has always been and will always be our common good. It was founded on the initiative of Poznań merchants as a respond to the expecta-tions of the changing world and as a manifestation of the ambi-tions of the reborn Polish statehood. The success of the Poznań Fair was the success of the whole country. The long-standing presence of the Fair in the landscape of Poznań and the significant role it has played in the history of both the city and the whole country have made it one of the symbols of the capital of Great Poland. This symbol is one of the factors giving the contemporary inhabitants of Poznań a sense of local identification and identity. It is hard to imagine Poznań without the Fair and its wonderful Spire.

Ryszard GrobelnyPresident of the City of Poznań

With all my heart I congratulate Poznań International Fair (MTP) on its 90th anniversary! It has been a great sat-isfaction to observe the development of this greatest exhibition centre in Po-land, which is at the same time one of the most significant points on the Eu-ropean trade fair map. Year after year, the Fair, just like the Polish economy, changes, grows and becomes more and more modern, attracting an ever-

growing number of exhibitors and visitors. The Polish Chamber of Commerce (KIG) has always supported Polish entrepreneurs in discovering new markets, even those most distant. Over all those years we have had many opportunities to see that well-prepared participation in fair events and appropriate and well-planned promotion may be the key to export success. You might think that in the era of the dynamic development of e-busi-ness, the traditional form of establishing business contacts, i.e., tak-ing part in fair events, should become less and less important. You could not be more wrong. A direct contact with a business partner and the possibility to present your offer in a special atmosphere cre-ated by fair events still makes them one of the best ways to make business relations. I wish the Eminent Jubilarian – this seems to be the right way to address a 90-year-old – long years of fruitful activity for the Polish economy.

Andrzej ArendarskiPresident of the Polish Chamber of Commerce,

Vice-President of Eurochambres

Congratulation

Waldemar Pawlak Deputy Prime Minister,

Minister of Economy

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Awards and distinctions

Economic Award of the President of the Republic of PolandThis award is a kind of Polish economic No-bel Prize. It has been granted to MTP for its particular contribution to the promotion of the Polish economy. The jury awarding the prize consisted of people invited by the president who selected the nominees, from among which the president chose the winners. MTP was among the winners in 1998. It received the prize in Poznań, from the hands of then Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski.

Ambassador of the Polish Economy – European Brand From the jury’s justifica-tion: “the company of Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie has been granted the title of the

Ambassador of the Polish Economy in the category of European Brand for about 90 years of its fair and exhibition activities, which promote in the world not only Pol-ish companies but also businesses of other European countries. The company has de-veloped the brand of Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie, which is widely known in Europe and associated with very efficient exhibition marketing based on the highest quality standards. These activities allow us

to consider the company the true Ambas-sador of the Polish Economy.” The award was granted to the President of MTP An-drzej Byrt by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski in 2009.

Polish Promotional Emblem Poland NowThe Polish Promotional Emblem Foun-dation, whose aim is to support and promote Polish achievements, awarded Poznań International Fair with a honor-ary prize of Poland Now in 1993, for the whole of its fair and exhibition activities, and for the widespread promotion of Pol-ish products and services.

Most Welcome CompanyThe Most Welcome Com-pany competition is or-ganised by the Business Centre Club Association of Employers. It selects companies perceived as the most socially respon-

sible in a given region. The competition is a part of the project called “CSR as a tool for building a positive business image”, con-ducted in the whole of Poland by the Busi-ness Centre Club Association of Employers in cooperation with the Trade Union’s Forum (FZZ) and the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland. MTP was chosen the Most Welcome Company, i.e. a company positively perceived in the Wielkopolska re-gion, in 2009.

Jan Kiliński Gold Medal A distinction for MTP in recognition of its merits and contribution to the development of the Polish craft. The award was granted by Polish Craft Association (ZRP) in 2008.

European MedalMTP became the win-ner of the 16th edi-tion of the European Medal in the category of “the Organisation of Trade Fairs”. The award is granted by the Of-fice of the Committee for European Integra-tion (UKIE), Business Centre Club and the European Economic and Social Commit-tee. The European Medal is given to prod-ucts and services that meet European standards. Poznań International Fair was awarded not only for the high standard and quality of services but also for long-lasting activities on the market of trade fair services and a great contribution to the development of nearly one hundred Polish industry sectors.

Company Brand Certificate It is a prestigious certificate granted by the Institute of Polish Brand (IMP) to an entity that possesses all the attributes of a company brand and enjoys reputation qualifying it among brand companies. MTP has joined the circle of such compa-nies in 2009.

Constructor of Polish Sport The title and the statuette of the Construc-tor of Polish Sport, awarded by the Polish Sports Infrastructure Club (PKIS), is granted to people, local governments, institutions and companies engaged in constructing sport and leisure facilities. MTP received the award for the organisation of the CBS – Sports Facilities, Amenity Areas, Wellness & Spa at the BUDMA International Construc-tion Fair in 2008.

P Poznań International Fair (MTP) has been many times awarded and distinguished for its merits and contribution to the promotion of the Polish economy. Among its many awards there are such prestigious prizes as: the

Economic Award of the President of the Republic of Poland, the Ambassador of the Polish Economy, the Polish Promotional Emblem Poland Now, Company Brand Certificate, European Medal, Constructor of Polish Sport, Jan Kiliński Gold Medal and many more.

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1921-2011

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Jarogniew Drwęski

President of the City of Poznań in 1918-1921. An advocate of the creation of the Poznań Fair. In his opinion, the fair was necessary to support the rebirth of the independent Poland. He said: “the city that first organises the fair will have it.”

Edward Mazurkiewicz

a merchant, the president of the Union of Merchants’ Association (ZTK) in 1921. Not only did he put forward the idea to organise the trade fair in Poznań but also persuaded many influential people into supporting the organisation.

Cyryl Ratajski

President of Poznań in 1921-1934. He came down in history as the “builder” of Poznań and the Fair itself. You could read about him: “He is always in a hurry. Five minutes are precious. He has put his heart into the Fair! He is always willing to open the vault to support its construction.”

It all started years ago

Today Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie is the leader of the Polish trade fair industry, with the share in the Polish trade fair market exceeding 53 percent. The Poznań Fair occupies the second position in the ranking of trade fair organisers in Central and Eastern Europe. At the same time, in the ranking of the world exhibition giants, the Poznań Fair holds the 33rd position. Its history started in 1921...

FOUNDERS OF THE POZNAŃ FAIR

“As a result of the new shape of the borders and the still ongoing war between Poland and the Soviets in the East, the economic life has been cut off from the natural export and import areas. Poland, ruined by the world war, has been forced to create new enterprises and reorganise the de-stroyed ones. In the face of the action of economic reunification of Poland and of manifesting the inter-partition domestic production, it has been de-cided that in spring 1921, in Poznań, the first industry trade fair is going to be organised. The grounds that have been chosen for this purpose are going to be the ones lying opposite the rail-way stations, which had been used for the Great East-German Exhibition.”

This is how the need for the organisa-tion of the 1st Poznań Fair was justified. From the materials of the General Congress of the Union of Merchants’ Associations (ZTK), Poznań 1920

Trade fair grounds in the 20s of the last century

History

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DIRECTORS OF MTP IN THE YEARS 1920-1947

Mieczysław Krzyżankiewicz(1920-1939)

prof. Stefan de Ropp (1931-1939)

dr Stanisław Wachowiak Director of the PeWuKa in 1929

Józef Szłapczyński (1946-1947)

1921 – 1st Poznań Fair (from 28th May to 5th June 1921) was or-ganised on the initiative

of Poznań traders leaded by the Presi-dent of the City Jarogniew Drwęski. It ap-peared to be a great success. 1200 Polish exhibitors took part in the fair, present-ing their offer on the area of 10,000 sq m; the fair was visited by 40 thousand peo-ple. 1925 – the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Poland confirmed the in-ternational role of the Poznań Fair, allow-ing for the participation of foreign exhib-

itors; in 1925 there were 2,100 exhibitors from 16 countries and three continents. 1927 – the Poznań Fair joined the Glob-al Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) and started to cooperate with the International Chamber of Commerce. 1928 – by the decision of the Minister of Trade and Industry, Eugeniusz Kwiat-kowski, the Poznań Fair was given the official name of Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie – MTP (Poznań International Fair). Companies from 17 countries took part in the trade fair organised in 1928; 40% of all the exhibitors taking part in

“PeWuKa is a great re-view of the economic and cultural achievements of the whole Nation and the visible sign of the reunifi-cation.”

said Ignacy Mościcki, President of the Polish Republic on 16th May 1929 during opening the General National Exhibition (PeWuKa)

For the successive post-war decades scientific and technological achievements were presented at the fair along with technological novelties and the latest trends in fashion...

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Alfred Rosochowicz (1947-1950)

Zygmunt Węgrzyk (1966-1973)

dr Henryk Sitarek (1973-1982)

Stefan Askanas (1954-1966)

the fair came from abroad, which was one of the most significant foreign exhibitors’ participation in European fairs at that time. MTP al-ready had at its disposal 16 perma-nent exhibition pavilions of the to-tal area of 45,200 sq m. 1929 – As part of the celebration of the tenth anniversary of regaining indepen-dence, on the initiative of the Presi-dent of the City, Cyryl Ratajski, the General National Exhibition (PeWu-Ka) was organised. PeWuKa was the review of the economic and cul-tural achievements of the reborn Poland. The exposition was visit-ed by 4.5 million people and MTP gained more, new exhibition facili-ties, which meant that it had at its disposal 17 pavilions of the indoor area of 48,000 sq m and the total area of nearly 100,000 sq m.

Despite the world economic crisis, the Poznań fair kept de-veloping, being the

fourth in Europe organiser of in-ternational trade fair events. Ev-ery year the number of countries exhibiting in Poznań grew, along with the number of official pre-sentations that were normally or-ganised by all the largest European states.

In 1939-1945 80% of the trade fair grounds were destroyed; only the external walls of

the burned down halls survived. The 40s were the period of recovery from the war devastation. In 1945 a deci-

DIRECTORS OF MTP IN THE YEARS 1947-1982

In the last years before the World War II trade fairs organised by Poznań International Fair (MTP) were among the first four international trade fair events in Europe. They were considered equal to the trade fairs in Leipzig, Lyon and Milan. During the war, 80 percent of MTP grounds was destroyed.

“Gentlemen, you can pave any kind of road you want through the very centre of the Trade Fair Palace and I will rebuild the Palace anyway. And if in three years you decide to demolish it – the cost of its reconstruction will already have been amortised.” The cost of the reconstruction of the Trade Fair Palace was amor-tised after just one year.an extract from the words of Józef Szłapczyński, the first general director of MTP after World War II; the extract comes from the discussion with architects on the reconstruction of MTP grounds.

sion was made to reactivate Poznań International Fair (MTP). It was agreed that trade fairs were to take place ev-ery year, as a permanent event involv-ing all the fields of the economic life of the country and facilitating the es-tablishment of Poland’s international relations. In 1946-1950 – despite the continuing reconstruction and devel-opment works at the grounds of MTP – five trade fair events were held.

In 1951-1954 no trade fairs were organised in Poznań. In 1954 – Poznań International

Fair resumed its activities. The newly established cooperation with Polish companies dealing with foreign trade and the associations of manufacturers from various industries resulted in the increase in the number of foreign ex-hibitors and – as a consequence – the need for further development of the trade fair infrastructure. MTP was once again growing. The characteristic fea-

History

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PRESIDENTS OF THE BOARD OF MTP IN THE YEARS 1982-2009

ture of this period in the exhibition industry was the national system of presenting ex-positions, i.e. there were the so-called col-lective exhibitions.

This was the time when the in-terest of both domestic and for-eign exhibitors in the Poznań Fair grew immensely. The ex-isting exhibition space was no

longer meeting the needs of this rising inter-est, so expositions were organised also outside the Fair grounds. The 35th edition of MTP held in 1966 was the first time when two industries– the car industry and the printing industry – were separated from the rest of the exposition. Next year, as many as four industries were given sep-arate exhibitions. These were the first steps to-wards the industry-wise division of the trade fair.

Time for specialised fairs. Not only the International Technology Fair and the TAKON International Fair of

Articles of Consumption, organised twice a year, but also other specialised events, such as: POLIGRAFIA, TAROPAK, SALMED, DREMA, INTERMASZ, which – although

in altered forms – still have their places in the Poznań trade fair calendar. In 1979 the first competition for MTP Gold Medal was held.

Industry-specific trade fairs became regular events in the calendar of the Poznań Fair. However, the greatest

trade fair event was still the multi-industrial fair held in June, though its profile was be-coming more and more technical every year. Industry fairs were gaining in importance and their thematic scope was becoming more and more precisely set. This is the time when events such as the following ones were invented: POLSKIE MEBLE – the Pro-Export Exhibition of Polish Furniture, POLAGRA – the International Agricultural and Industrial Fair, and the National Horticultural Exhibition.

1990 – MTP was turned into a limited liabil-ity company partially owned by the State

Treasury. The interest in the Poznań trade fairs grew every year. In 1995 27 trade events and specialised exhibitions were organised, which attracted 15 thousand exhibitors from Poland and abroad; the ex-position area equalled nearly 412 thousand

dr Andrzej Byrt (1982-1986)

Bogusław Zalewski (1996-2007)

Stanisław Laskowski (1986-1996)

Przemysław Trawa (2007-2009)

“The dynamic development of the national economy and the constantly widening network of its connections with the world economy have made it necessary to make more and more use of the Poznań Fair. That is the purpose of extending the Poznań Interna-tional Fair Programme to include specialised industry exhibitions. The fast development of these exhibitions is currently one of the fundamental operational directions set by the Management Board of Poznań Inter-national Fair (MTP). The exhibitions are organised in the fields in which the Polish industry has achieved the world level in terms of technology and in the fields in which fast development is especially desired in the country – all this gives the exhibitors taking part in the events many chances to make profitable contacts.”Włodzimierz Wiśniewski, President of the Polish Chamber of Foreign Trade (PIHZ) Warsaw,1978

The leader of the Independent Self-governing Trade Union “Solidarność” (Solidarity), later the President of the Republic of Poland and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize – Lech Wałęsa – during his visit at the Fair, accompanied by Director of MTP Henryk Sitarek and Jan Michna, the founder of the Trade Union “Solidarność” (Solidarity) at MTP in 1981

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Vice-Chairman of the Board Tomasz Kobierski

Vice-Chairman of the Board Przemysław Trawa

Chairman of the Board dr Andrzej Byrt

sq m. The increase in the number of exhibitors made it necessary to further develop and modernise the exhibition facilities. Small and uncomfortable pa-vilions were gradually replaced with modern exhibition halls.

Pursuant to the company’s articles of association, 80% of the net profit is spent on new trade fair investments. Thanks to this approach, MTP is now a modern institution and a leader in the market in Poland and Central-Eastern Europe. The Poznań complex of 16 exhibition halls constitutes the greatest and most modern trade fair and exhibition centre in Poland. Every year, the centre hosts about 80 trade fair events, with more than 11 thous-and participants and half a million of visitors. Poznań Congress Center is the most dynamic congress centre in Po-

land, with the annual number of con-ferences and congresses equalling 1900. In 2008 MTP hosted the partici-pants of the 14th UN Framework Con-vention on Climate Change – COP14, which meant over 12 thousand guests from 189 countries of the world. The highest organisational quality of MTP was appreciated by the representa-tives of the UN, the government of the Republic of Poland and the par-ticipants of the event. MTP is a member of several or-ganisations associating trade fair organisers: the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), CEN-TREX International Exhibition Statistics Union and the Polish Chamber of Exhi-bition Industry (PIPT).

The present Management of the Board of MTP

“An unquestionable success is the excellent, the best from many years organisation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change at Poznań International Fair. (...) The highest organisational and logistics quality is the merits of the government, the city of Poznań and Poznań International Fair (MTP)” Jerzy Buzek, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, President of the European Parliament, Poznań 2008.

“[…] Although the exhibition industry has become very com-petitive nowadays, Poznań Inter-national Fair (MTP) is still the unquestionable leader. There are figures that support this claim: the number of Polish and foreign exhibitors, the size of the sold exhibition area and the number of visitors coming to the events organised in Poznań. Poznań International Fair (MTP) is, then, a very important element of the Polish economic life and Poznań is one of those cities that contrib-ute the most to the development of the international trade. It is an extremely important place to meet the representatives of the Polish industry, science and culture, the place which – through semi-nars, congresses and meetings of experts from all the sectors of the economy – empowers the Polish business.”Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of the Republic of Poland, Poznań 2001

History

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Architecture

10 MOST INTERESTING BUILDINGS OF MTP

In the period between World War I and World War II the buildings were constructed in accordance with the principles of the ear-ly modernism, empire or art déco, and right after the Second World War there ware also avant-garde solutions. Over the 90 years of the constant development and modernisa-tion of the Fair facilities, smaller or not very functional pavilions were demolished and replaced with newer constructions. Today, the modern infrastructure of Poznań Inter-national Fair (MTP) consists of both modern 21st century buildings and revitalised, func-tional pearls of architecture constructed years ago. Here are some of the most interesting:

Upper Silesia Tow-er (today, Pavilion 11) designed by Hans Po-elzig, later replaced by the Pavilion com-monly known as “the Spire”. It dates back to the times of the East-German Exhibition (1911) when it performed

two functions: exhi-bition area on the ground floor and a water tower on the first floor. The lat-ter was possible because the ar-chitect placed on the top of the build-ing a water tank of a huge (at that time) ca-pacity of 4,000 m³, which provided fresh water to local residents. Today, the openwork 64-me-

tre high spire sits on the foun-dations of the Tower. The

Spire is the unques-tionable symbol of

the Fair. It was con-structed soon after the Second World War. It was recon-structed with the use of the original

steel construction. The riveted joints of

the Water Tower were

modelled on the Paris con-struction of the Eiffel Tow-

er. Nowadays the Pa-vilion is a representa-tive space hosting var-ious Fair events, meet-ings, debates and con-ferences.

Trade Fair Palace (to-day, Pavilion 12) – a work

of art designed by architect and engineer Stefan Cybichowski; it was

constructed in 1925 as a two-storey building of the area of about 8,000 m². The monumental, classical architecture in the empire style was crowned with an attic decorated with Poznań’s coat of arms. Inside of the building there was a mezzanine. Thanks to the spe-cial glass construction of the roof the palace was lit by daylight. The Palace hosted delegates and distinguished guests from Poland and from abroad. In 1946/47 the Palace was rebuilt but its construction was simplified. It is a listed monument.

The infrastructure of Poznań International Fair (MTP) was created by excellent architects, who always designed

the exhibition pavilions making use of the latest world trends in architecture.

HISTORY OF PAVILION 11

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Administration House (today, Pavilion 101) – a work of art de-signed by engineer Ste-

fan Cybichowski; it was constructed in 1925. In

the past, the City Fair Office was the seat of the manage-

ment of the Fair, which was developed for the needs of the General National Exhibition (PeWuKa,1929). The “Belweder” Restaurant and the glass Concert Hall were added to the main high building of the House. To-day, the building houses the offices of MTP administration.

The “Belweder” Restau-rant, with its wonderful ban-quet hall, was the most ele-

gant place in Poznań, visited not only by the Fair guests but also by the Poznań elite. The building was reconstructed in 1948 but the charming architectural details of the facade were to a large extent ignored. In the 50s, the House was the seat of the first Poznań television studio, from where, on May 1st, 1957, the first programme was transmitted. It could be watched on the only 100 televi-sion sets registered in the city.

Heavy Industry Hall (today, Pavilion 2) – de-

signed by chief architect of the General National Exhibi-tion (PeWuKa) Roger Sławski in the style of the classical Polish empire. It was built at the turn of 1928/29. The hall

– 5,500 m² – was an elongated, multi-span, brick room, 130 m long. It had three naves. Inside of the hall there were railway tracks that made it possible to transport heavy exhibits from the railway station. The innovative construction of the roof consisted of wooden trusses with a span of 24 m upholstered in jute. The Pavilion was deco-rated with two reliefs symbolising mechanics and industry, as well as with triangular pilasters spaced every 10 m between the semicircular windows of the hall and crowned with colour-ful lanterns. The hall was rebuilt at the turn of 1946/47. Today, it is still used as an exhibition pavilion.

Architecture

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Central Hall (today, part of Pa-vilion 3a) designed by architect Roger Sławski, it was built in 1929. It had the area of 1,964 m² and it housed a concert hall, a congress hall and a repre-sentative hall. It was the main, magnificently decorated entrance to the General National Exhibition (PeWu-Ka). Especially for this interior suspended stylised ceilings were designed, along with elegant chandeliers, wall lights and Chinese lanterns. What made the place even more elegant was the furni-ture made of precious species of wood with metal applications. There were also stylised flower beds and vases with greenery, separated relaxation spaces with seats and benches, and carpet floorings and carpets in the annexes.

The building was constructed in a harmonious style, characterised by moderation, sym-

metry and a peace-ful rhythm, combin-

ing the elements of classic European archi-

tecture of simple, reasonable systems of forms. The front of the

building was clearly accentuated by the monumental facade with a portico and the tower decorated with an eagle and a Roman numeral of X over the entrance – which were to symbolise 10 years that had passed since Poland regained its in-dependence. The front elevation was made in the form of a risalit sitting on four Doric col-umns. The entrance to the hall had three glass gates and there were colourful stained glass windows that harmonised

with the style of the interior. By the en-trance there were 20-metre high masts for flags. The tower and the portico were decorated with allegorical frescoes by Jan Piasecki, symbolizing agriculture, trade and the unification of the Polish lands. In 1947/48 the Pavilion was rebuilt with preservation of the original archi-tecture and design. The historic part of Pavilion 3a is a listed monument.

Central Square (today called Mark’s Square) covering the area of 80x270 m was de-signed in 1929 by archi-tect Roger Sławski. The adjacent elevations of the halls with columns formed a colonnade around the Square. In the middle of the Square there were two impres-sive fountains decorated

CENTRAL SQUARE – A WITNESS OF THE HISTORY OF POZNAŃ INTERNATIONAL FAIR (MTP)

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with: a nude with a dolphin right in the middle of the pond by Marcin Rożek and an obelisk with four states of fauns by Adolf Berezowski and Jan Goliński. Today the Square is the greatest open air space at MTP. It was here that in 2006 the pre-view of Roger Waters' opera 'Ça Ira' was held. For that purpose, three stages were installed in the Square, including one consisting of two floors, and the auditorium for 14.000 specta-tors was built. A year later this was the place where Shinead O’Connor per-formed. In 2009, as part of Malta International Theatre Festival two bands performed at Mark’s Square – Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction.

Pavilion 10 (today the seat of the Press Centre) – de-signed by Prof. Bolesław Szmidt in 1948 at the request of the Ministry of Communication in the style referring

to modernism. For many years the Pavilion was regarded as the best example of functional and architectural solutions at MTP. The dotted per-spective of the vertical blinds of the Pavilion’s facade give the impression of depth – as if on a television screen – and the slender pillars sup-porting the construction – a sense of lightness.

Eastern Entrance (commonly known

as “the Aquarium”) was designed by Poznań Studio of Architecture

ADS (the main stage of works was completed in 2003). It was designed as the main entrance to the Fair grounds. It was made from a special type of multi-layer glass reinforced with foil.

The whole construction is transparent, so the hall does

not hide the Spire (Pavilion 11), but only creates a frame for it.

The complex of Pavilions 7, 7a, 8, 8a (commonly known as the “Fourpack”). The author of this project is the Studio of Ar-chitecture ADS. The four pavilions (Pavilion 7 from 1958, 7a from 1965, 8 from 1958 and 8a from 1977) were connected with a roofed glass passage, which made them a modern exhibition complex, where the original tree stand was kept. The “Fourpack” was put into use at the turn of 2007 and 2008, and it was already employed as the centre for the de-bates held at the UN Climate Conference COP 14 in 2008.The infrastructure of Poznań International Fair (MTP) is constantly modernised and de-veloped. In September 2010 new Pavilion 6a was put into use. At present, preparations are made to modernise the Trade Fair Center and Poznań Congress Center.

A map of contemporary trade fair grounds

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25 years KWZH Over the years the exhibition has gained a permanent po-sition in the calendar of the most respected events for the

breeding industry in Poland. For 25 years it has been the venue for presenting the finest livestock and breeding animals of almost all breeds. In Poznań the breeding animals ex-hibitions have been organised since 2001. Over those ten years, breeders from Poland, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Ita-ly and the Netherlands have presented here more than 14 thousand animals and the ex-position has been seen by nearly 420 thous-and visitors! The National Breeding Animals Exhibition KWZH still surprises with its rich offer. This year, among the many farm ani-mal species and breeds showcased you will be able to see the most beautiful horses, meat and milk cattle, swine, sheep, goats, ducks, hens, ostriches, fur animals (rabbits, chinchillas and coypus), bees and fish. As ev-ery year, there are also going to be interest-ing exhibitions of Polish preservation breeds, organised by the National Research Institute of Animal Production. The key part of the National Breeding Animals Exhibition is the evaluation of animals presented in the rings, during which you can admire the most valu-able of them competing for prestigious titles of champions and vice-champions.

Trade fair anniversaries

20 years BUDMA

The BUDMA International Construction Fair is one of the most famous and recognisable brands of MTP. This year the event celebrated its 20th anniversary. The first edition of the fair was held in 1992, but its beginnings go back to the early 70s, as the theme of construction was present at contemporary multi-industry fair events. In 1988-1991, the grounds of MTP hosted several editions of the INBUD Construction Fair, initiated by the Poznań Province Governor's Office. In 1991 MTP took over the organisation of the construction fair and gave it a new name The rapidly

growing interest in the BUDMA fair was accompanied by the dynamic development of the construction market in the 90s. At the end of this decade BUDMA was regu-larly held in the rented exhibition space of 60 thousand sq m, which meant that it filled to the brim the then trade fair premises. Consequently, it became necessary to separate some industries from the general theme of the fair and to organise for them individual fairs. And so, in 2000 the sector of machines and devices was given a separate event called the BUMASZ International Fair of Construction and Road Building Machines, Vehicles and Equipment and the installation industry – INSTALACJE Fair. In 2005 the CBS – Sports Facilities, Amenity Areas, Wellness & Spa became a separate trade fair event and three years later companies operating in the finishing sector exhibited their offer at the BUDMA Interior Fair. Also in 2008 a separate fair event was organised for the glass and stone industries – the Glass & Stone Fair (today the GLASS Glass Industry Fair). The next year – 2009 – was the year of the successful premiere of the WinDoor-tech Fair of Machines and Components for Window, Door, Gate and Facade Production. In this way, along with the changing market situation and over the years, the character and the thematic scope of the BUDMA Fair evolved. What has not changed is the fact that the fair is still one of the leading business meetings for the constructions industry in this part of Europe. The last edition attracted almost 1300 companies from Poland and abroad and the exposition covering nearly 60 thousand sq m was visited by as many as 60 thousand guests. The last edition attracted 1420 exhibitors from 33 countries and the exposition covering nearly 60 thousand sq m was visited by as many as 60 thousand guests.

30 years MEBLE Polska The beginnings of the MEBLE POLSKA Furniture Fair go back to 1982. This was the year of the first edition of the POLSKIE MEBLE Pro-Export exhibition of Polish Fur-niture, which gave rise to the Poznań Furniture Fair broadly known in Poland and East-Central Europe. For thirty years the event has undergone gradual transforma-tion. In response to the changing needs of the exhibitors and to meet the expecta-

tions of the market, the fair has changed both its organisational shape, the accompanying events and even the dates. The turning point was the year 2009 when the organisers started to look for a new and more suitable form of the event. The Poznań Furniture Fair has undergone a true metamorphosis; the change of name, dates and visual identification was the manifestation of deeper transformations in the concept and form of the event. What gained importance was the commercial and international aspect of the fair, which made it more similar to the original concept and assumptions of the Pro-Export Exhibition. The 2011 edition of the MEBLE POLSKA Furniture Fair was visited by over 10 thousand pro-fessionals from the furniture industry, merchants, representatives of furniture stores and wholesalers, architects and interior designers. The fair attracted professionals from as many as 33 countries of the world, including Germany, France, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Italy, the UK and Sweden – the countries that are the biggest importers of Polish furniture.

TToday Poznań International Fair (MTP) organises over 80 fairs and exhibitions every year. Some of them are fair events that have been part of the Poznań offer for decades, but every year new proposals of fairs and exhibitions, addressed to completely new sectors of the industry, appear. New events have often their roots in fairs that have been organised in Poznań for years.. Here are some of the fair events celebrating their smaller and bigger jubilees in the year of the 90th anniversary of Poznań International Fair (MTP).

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5 years GARDENIA The precursor to the GARDENIA Garden Fair was the garden picnic organised five years ago as part of the POLAGRA FARM International Agricultural Fair. The decision to organise a separate exhibition

was made as a result of the dynamic development of the horticultural market, as companies related to the horticultural sector suggested that it was time for a professional trade fair event. The first edition of the new fair took place in 2007. Since then, the form of the fair evolved. Today’s GARDENIA is the most important event on the subject of gardening in Poland. Due to the ever growing number of exhibitors and visitors from Poland and abroad, the fair has become a forum for the dialogue between the representatives of the industry from around the world. The exhibition is addressed to the representatives of the horticultural trade, landscape architects and institutions responsible for greenery in cities and communes. It is a place where the exhibitors can present their offers to commercial companies, hobbyists and greenery lovers. This year’s fair was the greatest in the history of the event. It attracted nearly 400 exhibitors from ten countries and over 20 thousand visitors, including 7 thousand professionals. In comparison to the first edition, the number of exhibitors increased fivefold and the exhibition area grew by 8 thousand sq m. The jubilee edition of GARDENIA 2011 was accompanied with the first edition of the ANIMAL MARKET Exhibition.

20 years EURO-REKLAMAThe EURO-REKLAMA International Fair of Advertising Goods and Services has for 20 years success-fully gathered the representatives of advertising agencies, media agencies, local governments, city

promotion departments, communes and districts, regional tourist organisations, network clients and marketing environment – ex-perts, directors and traders. The fair is a special venue integrating the whole community of people working in the market of adver-tising and creating business opportunities for the representatives of the industry from Poland and many other European countries. It is an important meeting for professionals operating in such fields as outdoor and indoor visual communication, advertising and exhibition services, both POS and ambient, companies offering materials and equipment for the production of advertisements, trade organisations, publishers and websites. The EURO-REKLAMA Fair, thanks to the market position created for over 20 years, apart from offering the presentation of the latest products and solutions, and opportunities to make business contacts, makes it possible to develop a coherent concept for the existence of advertising media in the urban space. This year’s edition offers an op-portunity to look at the two decades of the dynamic development of the advertising market in Poland. The results of the industry’s activities presented every year at the Poznań fair give the picture of its evolution, which can be seen in the streets of Polish cities.

15 years Education Fair

The Education Fair, which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary, is a true fountain of knowledge on school and education. At the event addressed to students, their parents, teachers, headmasters and the representa-tives of local governments, offers can be found of primary schools, lower and higher secondary schools,

postsecondary schools, educational institutions and entities organising extracurricular classes, as well as higher schools. The Fair is a joint undertaking of the Teacher Training Centre (ODN) in Poznań, the office of the Marshall of the Wielkopol-ska Province and Poznań International Fair (MTP). This year’s edition of the fair was held under the honorary auspices of the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Rectors’ Board of the City of Poznań. What makes the Poznań Education Fair special is its interactive form, due to which the only real limits for the exhibitors are set by their own ingenuity. Instead of usual leaflets and brochures there are talks with teachers, university and college students and students of lower schools, numerous shows, sports classes and model lessons. The fair proves that the con-temporary science and education are to a large extent market products subject to the law of supply and demand.

10 years Books for Children and Young People – Poznań Trade Fair Meetings

Books for Children and Young People – Poznań Trade Fair Meetings is the first in Poland and so far the only trade fair event devoted entirely to books for young readers. The event is targeted at both professionals – writers, translators, illustrators, publishers bookkeepers, librarians and academic circles – and the wide audi-

ence, including children, teenagers, their parents and carers. The event is organised by: the Polish Association of Book Pub-lishers (PTWK), Poznań International Fair (MTP) and the Poznań “Zamek” Culture Centre. The initiator and the commissioner of the Fair is Olcha Sikorska, the Vice-President of the Polish Association of Book Publishers (PTWK). The event has been organised since 2001, but since 2005 it has been co-organised by Poznań international Fair (MTP). It is held simultaneously with the Education Fair, which is beneficial not only for the exhibitors, but also for all the Fair guests. Thousands of young people and their parents that visit the Fair halls have the opportunity to get acquainted not only with books themselves but also with people who create them: publishers, writers, illustrators. This year’s fair was held under the honorary auspices of: First Lady Anna Komorowska, Minister of National Education, Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Marshal of the Wielkopolska Province and President of the City of Poznań.

5 years EXPOPOWER Only five years ago, the forum for the presenta-

tion of companies related to the energy sector in the MTP programme was the ENERGIA Energy Exhibition, which was part of the June fair of modern industrial technologies – ITM Poland. The decision to organise a separate trade fair event, i.e. the EXPOPOWER Inter-national Power Industry Fair, was made in response to the requests of the representatives of the sector. The decision proved to be the right one, as even the first edition of the new fair gathered over 120 exhibitors and representatives of companies from Poland, China, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, South Korea and the USA. Every consecutive edition was significantly larger than the previous one. This year, at the energy fair held in Poznań in May there were 400 exhibitors from more than ten countries. With over 10 thousand professionals visiting the fair every year, EXPOPOWER is now seen as one of the two most important meetings for the representatives of the energy sector in Poland. The success of the event is to a large extent attributable to the cooperation of the fair organisers with the rep-resentatives of the industry. This year, again following their suggestion, the organisers enriched the exposi-tion of the fair by adding the LIGHTING Exhibition.

5 years POLAGRA-TECHThe POLAGRA-TECH In-ternational Trade Fair of

Food Processing Technologies is today one of the most famous and recognisable MTP brands. After five years of its existence as a specialised trade fair event for the food processing technologies industry, the fair is one of the largest meetings of the repre-sentatives of the sector in East-Central Europe. The last edition attracted 1300 exhibitors and 45 thous-and visitors. However, the history of the event dates back several years more – to 1985, when Poznań was the venue for the POLAGRA-AGROEXPO fair of agriculture. With time the fair has changed and spe-cialised: first, it turned into the POLAGRA Interna-tional Fair of Agriculture and Industry, later divided into two specialised events: the POLAGRA-FARM International Agricultural Fair and the International Fair of Food Industry POLAGRA-FOOD. In 2007, the second stage of specialisation began with the pre-miere of the POLAGRA-TECH International Trade Fair of Food Processing Technologies, divided into six specialised thematic exhibitions. Consultations with the representatives of the industry helped to systematise the cyclical pattern of particular exhibi-tions. Today, in odd years the following exhibitions take place: the Exhibition of Machines and Devices for the Meat Industry and the Exhibition of Refrig-erating, Air-Conditioning and Heating Devices, whereas the even years belong to: the Exhibition of Baking and Confectionery Industry and the Exhibi-tion of Dairy Industry Machines and Devices. Two exhibitions are organised every year: the Exhibition of Food Industry Machines and Equipment and the International Food Ingredients Show.

Round anniversaries

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June focused on Innovation

Over the years the fair has devel-oped a brand of an important event for the international trade

and have been anchored in the public awareness as an incredible venue for the meetings of traders from all over the world. Initially multi-industry, the fair has expand-ed along with the development and diver-sification of production and finally, as MTP was organising more and more trade fairs, ITM turned into a specialised exhibition of modern technologies. Today, ITM Poland is the festival of innova-tion and advanced technological ideas. It occupies the top places in the rankings of fair events promoting modern technolo-gies in East-Central Europe. It features state-of-the-art machines and devices for such sectors of the industry as: welding, metal-lurgy, machining, steelworks, paintworks or transport. For years, the fair has been positively evaluated by the representatives of the worlds of science and business. It enjoys a great support from trade institu-tions and associations. Every year, the fair is held under the auspices of the Minister of Economy and the Minister of Science and Higher Education.

This year’s edition of ITM Poland is taking place in a special atmosphere, as it is this fair that – in reference to the tradition of the June fair – hosts the celebration of the 90th anniversary of Poznań Inter-national Fair (MTP).This year’s ITM Poland is gathering 900 exhibitors and companies from several dozen countries. The exposition involves the presentation of more than 100 market pre-mieres of highly special-ised solutions for the indus-try. The thematic division into industry exhibitions guarantees comfortable visiting and the incred-ibly rich programme of events, created in cooperation with partners – organisations, trade associations and research centres – is a valuable complement of the exposition. The trade fair guests have an opportunity to take part in ITM Poland in a number of ways – visiting expositions, hearing lec-tures or participating in practical shows.

Those interested in seeing the latest solutions “in ac-

Innovations-Technologies-Machines Poland (ITM Poland) is the fair of innovative technological projects, promoting ultra-modern solutions for the economy. The fair is one of the largest events of this kind in Poland, and its roots date back to the first fair organised in the independent Poland. The year 1928 is symbolically treated as the year when the fair was created. It was then that the Minister of Industry and Trade, in consultation with the Minister of Agriculture issued a permit for the organisation of the annual international business trade in Poznań.

tion” will definitely appreciate the Welding Academy organised as part of the WELD-ING Exhibition and the Skills Boot Camp

at the SURFEX Exhibition – the shows of painting com-

bined with an interest-ing programme of

events. Innovative solu-tions are also pro-moted by means of the Advice

Centre – Innova-tion for Business.

The idea behind the event organised

by MTP and the Poznań Science and Technology Park

PPNT of the Adam Mickiewicz University Foundation is to provide support to en-trepreneurs in solving technological prob-lems related to their business activities. The queries are registered online before and during the fair – at the stand of the Advice Centre – Innovation for Business.Thanks to the exhibitions that focus on innovations, the fair is the measure of the condition of the Polish and European industry. Every year the level of the fair expositions improves and the number of novelties and the constantly growing in-terest in modern solutions let us look op-timistically into the future. It is widely be-lieved that the fair, which used to be called “a window on the world” has helped to shorten the distance between Poland and the developed countries of the western part of Europe. Today’s specialised form of ITM Poland also contributes to Poland’s progress on the way to the industry at the European level.

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Economic Award of the President of the Republic of Poland

T he Economic Award of the President of the Republic of Poland is a pres-tigious economic distinction and a

form of honouring and promoting the best Polish companies and research institutions engaged in economic activities in the field of market production. The Economic Award of the President of the Republic of Poland is a honorary award. The President presents the winners with a certificate and a statuette. In this year’s edition of the Economic Award of the President of the Republic of Poland the award is going to be granted in four categories: • innovativeness, • corporate governance and corporate social

responsibility, • presence in the global market, • green economy. The Economic Award of the President of the Republic of Poland is a form of honouring

and saying “thank you” to companies and re-search teams that contribute immensely to the economic development of Poland and to constructing a positive image and the pres-tige of the Polish economy. Through promot-ing positive attitudes and behaviours in the market, the award is to popularise methods of achieving economic successes. The Eco-nomic Award was established by President Aleksander Kwaśniewski in 1998 and was con-ferred until 2005 (8 editions). It was the most prestigious economic distinction in Poland; the media called it the “Polish Nobel Prize in Economy”. The reasons for its high posi-tion were first of all: the prestige of the Presi-dent of the Republic of Poland as the person granting the award and the fact that the can-didates to the award were entered by the most important economic organisations and the organisers of the most prestigious com-petitions in Poland. What was also important,

there were clear, legible and sharp criteria for the award, which included the overall activi-ties of the candidates – from financial results to environment protection policies.What added splendour to the award was also a proper setting of the award granting cere-mony, which was organised by Poznań Inter-national Fair (MTP). The ceremonies were tradi-tionally held at the opening of the June Poznań International Fair – the event called ITM Poland today. The ceremonies were graced up by con-certs held in the Main Hall of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Also this year the Eco-nomic Award of the President of the Republic of Poland is to be conferred during the inaugu-ration of ITM Poland. The formal ceremony is to be held at the University Hall and it is going to be graced up with a concert of Ingolf Wun-der – the prizewinner of the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition – and the orchestra of the Poznań Philharmonic.

On 14th June 2011, at the inauguration of the ITM Poland fair, President of the Republic of Poland Bronisław Komorowski is going to present the best Polish enterprises and research institutions with the Economic Award of the President of the Republic of Poland. This is the continuation of the tradition of the award granted in years 1998-2005.

Awarding ceremony of the Economic Award in 2001

In 1998 Bogusław Zalewski, Chairman of the Board of MTP is receiving the Economic Award for MTP from the then President of the Republic of Poland, Aleksander Kwaśniewski

The winners of the Economic Award will be presented with a statuette and a certificate

The most prestigious award

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WWe would like to present you with a dozen or so subjectively selected interesting details from the distant history of the previous century. The selection is a very modest but tell-ing illustration of just how special the Fair has been. And it is never going to stop.

Aero-TargAero-Targ was an aviation company established on the occasion of the 1st Poznań Fair on May 28th, 1921. It was the first Polish airline offering regular domestic and international flights. The company had at its disposal a fleet consisting of six Junkers F-13, bor-rowed from a Gdańsk company Dan-ziger Luftpost, which at that time were the most modern flying machines in the world. As many as 58 flights were made during the time of the fair, 28 of which were domestic flights Poznań – Warsaw – Poznań and 30 of which were international flights to the Free City of Danzig (today Gdańsk) carrying 100 passengers and 3 tonnes of letters and parcels. Unfortunately, after only eight days from the inaugural flight, the promising activity of the airline

was interrupted by officials from the Ministry of Railway (to whom the air transport was subject). They accused the Aero-Targ company of the illegal use of aircraft belonging to a Ger-man air enterprise. Consequently, the Poznań pioneers of scheduled aviation services lost the license.

Belweder“Belweder” is the name of the repre-sentative restaurant of the Poznań Fair, opened on the occasion of the fifth in a row and, at the same time, the first international edition of the Fair, which took place in 1925. For a long time, “Bel-weder” designed by engineer Stefan Cybichowski, was considered the most elegant restaurant in the city. It had a magnificent banquet hall, which the Management of the Fair willingly rented for various purposes, including sump-tuous parties. The most uproarious of them, in the strict sense of the word, took place in November 1933. When dur-ing a rally of the National Party, one of the party’s activist, Bogdan Jarochowski,

presented a devastating critique of the Sanation government “the clamour rose among the audience and the op-ponents of the National Party started to shout, throw chairs and provoke fights in order to disperse the rally.” Part of the audience rushed to flee through the windows and doors, whereas those who stayed fought a regular battle, us-ing canes and brass knuckles. 19 partici-pants of the fight were seriously injured but the restaurant was able to resume its catering activities after just two days of a thorough cleaning. Twenty-four years later – in 1957 – the building became a temporary seat of the first Poznań televi-sion broadcasting station which eagerly used the opportunity and stayed there for... 40 years.

Blask“Blask” was a chemicals factory fa-mous for the production of soaps, washing powders and shoe polish. It was responsible for an unprec-

Miscellaneousstories Since its foundation in spring 1921, the Poznań Fair has always been a special place. It has sparkled with ideas that have not even been dreamt about in other Polish cities. The presence of the Fair continuously and visibly modified the “genes” of Poznań, because the history of the Fair has interwoven with the history of the city and its residents more than it has been the case with any other Poznań company.

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edented and never repeated open-air show, organised on May 17th, 1929, at the grounds of the Poznań Fair, on the occasion of the General National Exhibition (PeWuKa). Thousands of people who gathered under the spring evening sky were able to see an enormous, more than ten metres high, portrait of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, conjured up with fire-works. It was the largest image of the Polish leader that has ever been publically shown. It would be unfair not to mention that this successful show had a contribu-tor – the world famous firework producer from Vienna called Sir-ius. This historic show blazed the way for other artistic enterprises, including the Malta Festival or the great open-air concerts that since the mid-90s have been held many times at the Poznań Fair grounds.

Diana FilmThis Poznań film studio, which found its seat in the premises of Poznań International Fair (MTP) in 1925, was three years later awarded a Grand Prix and a Golden Medal of the Exhibition of the Universe in Paris for the film entitled “Madmen”, better known under its changed title “We, the First Brigade”, made in cooperation with “Klio-Film” the Warsaw National Studio of Historical Films. Another Poznań film studio, “Popfilm”, which – by no coincidence – was located in the vicinity of the Fair, became the leading Polish producer of propa-ganda and advertising films thanks to the General National Exhibition (PeWuKa) of 1929. In 1928, the slo-gan “Through Poznań to under-standing the power of Poland” ad-vertised a feature film called “The Million Heir”. Thanks to this film people in the whole of Poland fa-

miliarised themselves with Poznań landscapes – the Wilson’s Park, PeWuKa and the largest amuse-ment park in the country.

Golf-billiardsGolf-billiards, a totally innovative mechanic game, resembling the pinball machines popular in stu-dents’ clubs in the 70s of the 20th

“Blask” was a chemicals factory famous for the pro-duction of soaps, washing powders and shoe polish

For the fun of people, the largest in Poland amusement park was organised

Golf billiards, a totally innovative mechanic game, resembling the pinball ma-chines popular in students’ clubs in the 70s of the 20th century

FROM ARCHIVES

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century, was promoted at the Poznań Fair as early as in the 50s by Poznań merchant Kazimierz Falkiewicz. The model golf billiard machine attracted crowds of men, including the exhibitors, who even happened to forget about the clients coming to their own stands. Unfortunately, the entrepreneur’s ambi-tious plan to enliven the boring equip-ment of socialist clubs of the Army of the People’s Republic of Poland with the golf-billiards machines shown at the fair was scuppered by the decision to close entertainment clubs for the army.

International signposts

The signs that showed ladies and gen-tlemen way to appropriate toilets were imported in 1931 and presented at the 10th jubilee edition of the Poznań Fair by merchant Stanisław Czachowski, the owner of the famous in the whole Poland store offering equipment for catering businesses. The plates with nowadays commonly known picto-grams – the circle and the triangle – were a total novelty at that time, so they aroused understandable excitement not only among the Fair audience but also among traditional news-lovers – news-papers. The trade fair reviewer of one of the newspapers, “Dom Gościnny”, wrote: “What was the embarrassment of ladies when no other women were there to ask where they should go to satisfy their needs. And the other way round – men in similar situation also hesitated to ask for

directions out of embarrassment in front of women. Today, all such problems are solved by means of international signs. They include, for example, a circle, a cir-cle cut by a sharp triangle and a triangle alone. The first sign means ‘for women’, the second – ‘toilets in general’, the third – ‘for men’.”

The most beautiful women in the world

This long and unquestionably interest-ing name was to attract viewers to the first peep-show in Poland, organised for the audience of the General Na-tional Exhibition (PeWuKa), held at the Poznań Fair grounds in 1929. The attraction, inspired by a similar idea implemented at the Parisian Luna Parc, consisted of two rooms that re-sembled cages but were furnished like bedrooms, separated from the audi-ence with a string net and veiled with a curtain. Inside there were two naked ladies. The ladies could be seen by the audience after the curtain fell, which happened when a gentleman desiring to see the promised sight managed to control the shaking of his eager hands and hit an especially marked point on the curtain with a wooden ball. According to the opinion of the manager of the exhibition, Stanisław Wachowiak, this bold and undoubt-edly innovative event “caused a great scandal among women” but “was not in itself immoral.”

Awards for shop-windowsThe first in the history of Polish commerce course in decorating storefronts was in-spired by the Poznań Chamber of Com-merce and Industry and organised in 1924 on the occasion of the 4th Poznań Fair. The competition jury, whose task was to choose “the storefront not only the most beautifully decorated but also meeting the needs of a par-ticular business,” was chaired by Władysław Marcinkowski, an esteemed Poznań sculp-tor, representing the Friends of Art Society (TPS). Unfortunately, not all from among the 77 participants of the competition took up the challenge with due commitment: the jury had no other choice as to reject as many as 57 storefronts entered to the com-petition, because they were “unfit on artistic and decorative grounds.” From among the remaining twenty, one is especially worth remembering – the winner of the competi-tion, which was the store with silks owned by Maksymilian Gmurowski. The owner was granted an oil painting donated by the di-rector of the City Office of the Poznań Fair.

Łowicz skirtsA Łowicz skirt being an element of a folk costume from the town of Łowicz,

Automobile Rally at Poznań Fair – an automobile event that took place every year starting from July 27th, 1929

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The largest in Poland Central Restaurant

Stories from the past

was also a name of an original drink served to the Fair guests in the years between the wars by Roman Kow-alski – the lease of the premises in 27 Grudnia Street in Poznań where you could taste Kantorowicz vodkas. Glasses filled with this drink resem-bled the colourful skirts. The secret lied in the knowledge of the specific weights of various vodkas, the suc-cessive layers of which were poured into the glass on a knife edge by the skilful restaurateur, which gave the effect imitating the pattern of folk costumes from Łowicz. The popular-ity of the spot among the Fair audi-ence and exhibitors caused that the drinks became famous in the whole of Poland at that time.

T.A.B.R.O.M.I.K.Tabromik was the name of Poland’s first air mail stamp. The air mail ser-

vice was provided by Aero-Targ, which was a company founded to provide services to the guests and clients of the 1st Poznań Fair in May 1921. In agreement with the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs the carrier launched two editions of stamps of denomination 25 and 100 marks. The name that have stuck to these, nowadays unique, stamps came from the letters T.A.B.R.O.M.I.K placed on each of the stamps to in-form (albeit not quite clearly) that the issuance of the stamps was sponsored by Tadeusz Bronisław Mikołajczak – the owner of the Poznań factory of vodkas and liquors. The first air mail in history paid for with the use of TABROMIKS was deliv-ered from Poznań to Warsaw as early as on May 29th, 1921, one day before signing the relevant agreement with the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs. Warsaw received the Poznań novelty rather reluctantly and on the first day only one postcard was sent from the Polish capital to Poznań. Not many stamps of the first Polish air mail ser-vice survived until nowadays.

Poznań Eiffel TowerIn 1929, the Poznań Eiffel Tower was to replace the Upper Silesia Tower constructed in 1911 on the occa-sion of the East-German Exhibition of Agriculture and Industry, and not particularly popular among Poznań residents. Later, in the 50s of the 20th century, the Poznań “Spire” was con-structed on its remains and has grown to be the symbol of the Poznań Fair. The plan was to construct a new tow-er at the entrance of the Fair, opposite the railway station. The construction was to be crowned with a movable crane with an arm more than ten metres long, which was to support the lift taking passengers from the railway station, over the street to the Fair grounds. The French constructors who were to make this wonder were confident that such a world-class at-traction – for which the city was to pay about 1 million zlotys – would lure hundreds of thousands of tourists to Poznań, but the conservative nature of Poznań residents, reluctant to spend money on luxurious investments, final-ly won. As a result, until 1939, the domi-

nant construction of the Fair remained the Upper Silesia Tower.

AutomobileRally at PoznańFair

This all Poland “automo-bile event”, organised on

the occasion of subsequent fairs, took place every year starting from July 27th, 1929. The first automobile “starry rally” attracted to Poznań 210 contestants from Warsaw, Łódź and Cracow, but only 156 cars reached the finish line in the full time. The next day the largest automobile pa-rade in the history of the city took place, with 180 cars and more than seven hundred car lovers in them. The speciality of the subsequent editions of the Automobile Rallies at the Poznań Fair was the so-called balloon chase. Cars followed a pas-senger balloon flying east and drop-ping especially marked pennons. Those who found and submitted them to the Competition Jury were guaranteed to be given an award. In the first race, the automobiles covered the distance of nearly 100 km, reaching the village of Wierzbo-cice (in the former Kalisz province), where the balloon landed, putting an end to the rally emotions.

Large, larger, the largest...Thanks to the Poznań Fair and ex-hibitions held at the Fair’s grounds, Poznań residents saw and pos-sessed many things earlier that the residents of other Polish towns and cities. Often, such pioneering at-tractions exceeded the contempo-rary visions of modernity both in terms of size and boldness. The size of the General National Exhibition (PeWuKa) held in 1929 on the Fair’s grounds, which had been extended to 65 hectares, was unprecedented and so far never repeated again. It was the largest exhibition that has ever been organised in Poland. On the occasion of PeWuKa, in the re-cord period of just one year, the largest hotel in the then Poland was build – the Polonia Hotel. Apart from that, there was the largest res-taurant in Poland, put at the disposal of more than 4 million of the Exhibi-tion guests. Thanks to its 500 wait-ers, the restaurant was able to serve 2.5 thousand people at the same time. Also for the fun of people, the largest in Poland amusement park was organised and the largest fountain in Poland was constructed, which gushed water to the height of over 30 metres. Apart from that, the first in Poland live broadcast of a football match was transmitted from the duel between the teams of Warta Poznań and Philips Eind-hoven (5:2 for Warta). At the grounds of the Fair, which was then enriched with 112 pavilions, an enormous square called St Mark’s Square was arranged, surrounded with classicist columns – the only St Mark’s Square in Poland.

Much as this list could be longer, this is where we will finish it.

MARCIN J. JANUSZKIEWICZIn 2001, MTP initiated the creation of the book by Marcin J. Januszkiewicz and Adam Pleskaczyński entitled “I haj vivat Poznańczanie”, awarded a year later by the Polish Book Publishers' Club. In spring 2011 the author made a documen-tary television film entitled “90 years for the future”, devoted to the history of the Poznań Fair.

Fair fountain – also the largest in Poland at that time

The largest in the then Po-land hotel Polonia

The signs that showed ladies and gentlemen way to appro-priate toilets were imported in 1931 and presented at the 10th jubilee edition of the Poznań Fair by merchant Stanisław Czachowski

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city of know-how

Poznań is the city of wonderful monuments; the Old Town Square and its neighbourhood are among the most interesting sights to see

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Traditions of trade The privilege conferred to the town by Prince Władysław Odonicz in 1231 was an impetus for the development of trade in medieval Poznań. Merchants coming to the town could make use of the freedom of duty and exemption from tolls. The privilege gave rise to the regular organisation of fairs of which one has became the most famous in Europe – the St John’s Fair. In 1394 the town was granted yet another impor-tant privilege – the storage right (under which merchants coming to Poznań had to display their goods for sale). This was not a trivial issue at that time, when you take into account the location of Poznań, with a Hungarian-Baltic trade route from Cracow to Szczecin running through the town. This was the route by which goods from Lithuania and northern Russia ordered by merchants in Leipzig and Nuremberg were transported (through Vilnius). Poznań was also one of the towns lying on the trade route connecting Central Europe with Eastern Eu-rope, which ran from Moldavia and Southern Rus-sia through Lvov and Lublin to Leipzig. This was the route by which goods were transported from the South to the Baltic Sea (to Gdańsk), and from the West to Kievan Russia. As can be seen, Poznań had all the advantages a town needs to become one of the main centres of international trade in Europe. And so it happened. The position of Poznań was additionally strength-ened by the privileges it received from the succes-

sive kings of Poland, such as: the right to build cloth halls or the right to mint its own coin. The 15th cen-tury was the time when the town truly blossomed. It attracted merchants from European metropo-lises, many of whom stayed for good. The proof of the wealth of contemporary Poznań burghers can be found in the beautiful Renaissance buildings of the Old Town. “A wonderful town, with beautiful streets and houses, and famous in the world for being an emporium of trade” – was the opinion of Poznań expressed by Venetian diplomat Ambrogio Con-tarini during his stay in Poznań in 1474. This golden age lasted for over 200 years and ended as a re-sult of the Swedish invasion of 1655. The wars that swept through Poznań made it fall into decline. In the first half of the 19th century Poznań was a provincial administrative and military centre under the Prussian rule. Its rebirth was possible only in the other half of the century thanks to a new world fashion – industrial exhibitions. Even before the new era was pompously opened by the London Great Exhibition of Industry of All Nations, in 1850 the inhabitants of Poznań organised their own exhibition. Since then, exhibitions have become regular events in the calendar of important town events. In 1895, by the joint effort of the Germans and the Poles, the Provincial Industry Exhibition was opened, with giant halls constructed for the purpose. The exhibition was an unquestionable success – at times it was visited by more than 20 thousand people a day. Yet another large enter-

prise was the exhibition of the Polish industry held in 1908. In 1911 the Great East-German Exhibition was opened. The area in which it was held was to a large extent the area owned by today’s Poznań International Fair (MTP).Ten years later: “In the face of the action of economic reunification of Poland and of manifesting the inter-partition domestic production, it has been decided that in spring 1921, in Poznań, the first industry trade fair is going to be organised.” That was the beginning of MTP – a company unambiguously recognised as the symbol of the economic significance of Poznań on the map of Poland and Europe.

Where seven routes cross Today Poznań lies on one of the most important transit corridors connecting Western and Eastern Europe, halfway between Berlin and Warsaw. This is the crossing point of seven important interregional and international routes. The Ławica Airport pro-vides passenger and freight transport services, with regular connections to European metropolises: London, Paris, Rome or Frankfurt am Main. In 2010, 1.4 million passengers were served by the Poznań airport.

City of business The value of the GDP generated in Poznań is twice as big as the Polish average; only the GDP generat-ed in the Capital City of Warsaw is more significant. The dominant sector is definitely the sector of

city of know-how

Poznań is a city of a very rich history – from the earliest times of the Middle Ages until nowadays. Benefiting from the centuries of prosperity and overcoming

various obstacles in its history, the city has grown to be fully modern and one of the key economic centres of the country. Poznań is the city of industry, trade, culture,

higher education and science.

poznań

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services, which gives jobs to nearly three fourths of all the employees. The city’s economy is very diverse – both structur-ally and industry-wise. Many large indus-trial plants, such as the H. Cegielski Poznań factory, one of the leaders in the produc-tion of machinery and equipment for the shipbuilding industry, have undergone successful restructuring. Poznań may also be proud of its unusually dynamic sector of small and medium enterprises. Over the last twenty years the priority of the city’s authorities has been the creation of the best conditions for investments – pre-dominantly in high value-added industries and in the knowledge-based economy. Thanks to this approach Poznań is now the seat of such important concerns as Beiers-dorf, Bridgestone, Glaxo-SmithKline, Grupa Dalkia, Exide, Kronospan Holding, Mars, Neinver, SABMiller, Unilever, Volkswagen and Van der Heyden Group.

Apart from that, Poznań is growing to be the centre of highly-specialised services, especially in advertising, banking, consult-ing, insurance and real estate management. There are centres of IT services, financial and accounting services, customer care and R&D of such well-known companies as Arvato-Bertelsmann, Carlsberg, Ciber, Dalkia, Duni, Franklin Templeton, GlaxoS-mithKline, Grace, Kleffmann, MAN, Mentor Graphics, Microsoft, Open Text, Telcordia, TP SA, Unilever and Wikia. Moreover, there are already new investors resolved to open their centres in Poznań. There are more than 98 thousand econom-ic entities running their activities in Poznań and the number of companies with foreign capital is one of the most significant among large Polish cities. The scale of the develop-ment of the Poznań institutional system for the business environment is exceptional in Poland – today, it is the thriving network of

financial institutions, consulting companies, organisations gathering entrepreneurs, business schools and universities. In 2001, renowned rating agency Moody’s Investors Service gave Poznań the best mark that could be obtained by a Polish city at that time – Baa1. Five years later it was given an even better mark of A3. Poznań has the highest mark obtained by any Pol-ish city (apart from Warsaw) that underwent the credit scoring.

City of science Poznań, with over half a million people, is a strong academic and research cen-tre, and one of the national leaders in this field. There are 27 higher schools for 136 thousand students. Every third student in Poznań studies at Adam Mickiewicz University. Poznań students can choose from over 200 major university courses. There are nearly 50 research and devel-

New City Stadium – friendly, safe and with modern equipment, a sports showpiece of Poznań. In just a year the stadium is going to host Euro 2012 match-es. Its opening in September 2010 was graced up by the concert of Sting.

The Culture Centre “Zamek” in Poznań is one of the greatest institutions of this kind in Poland. Every year it hosts about 700 events: exhibitions, concerts, film screenings, theatri-cal performances, meet-ings and educational workshops.

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opment institutions running research activities. In Poznań there are two technology parks: the Poznań Science and Technology Park (PPNT) of Adam Mickiewicz University Foundation and the Poznań Technology and Industry Park created by the city. The Technology Incubator that has been operating for four years within the structures of PPNT was recognised as one of the best in the world as it won the Best Science Based Incubator 2009 competition.

Leader of e-administration It is not just a slogan that Poznań is the city of know-how. It is visible also in the management and civic affairs. No other city in Poland may be proud of such a modern, citizen-friendly e-admin-istration. The city has been awarded in the com-petition Digital Management Ambassador for the implementation of many innovative e-services for citizens. It has also been granted the Golden @ title for being the Self-Governance Leader in Digital Administration.

Music, theatre and dance Poznań is famous for music played by its musical theatres, philharmonic, orchestras and choirs. His pride are two boys’ choirs – Poznań Nightingales and Polish Nightingales, as well as recurring festivals and music competitions, such as the international Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition or the Inter-national Festival of University Choirs "Universitas Cantat". Poznań is also known for being the organis-er of acknowledged international festivals of alter-native theatres – “maltafestival” and “Maski”. The lovers of modern dance, not only from Poland, are well acquainted with the slogan “Dancing Poznań”, which promotes the international workshops and biennale of modern dance held in the city. The series of concerts called “Poznań for the Earth”, which promote ecology and environment protection, involved the performance of such world stars as Nelly Furtado, Radiohead and Sting. The concert of the lat-ter was part of the artist’s latest symphonic tour and added splendour to the opening of the modern city stadium which is to host Euro 2012 matches.

City of sport and recreation There are not many cities that have four lakes at the disposal of their inhabitants – each with well prepared leisure infrastructure. On Malta Lake you can find one of the most modern in Europe regatta courses and right next to the lake there is a year-round ski slope and a toboggan run. These are naturally not all the sports attractions. Poznań has 10 stadiums, 16 swimming pools, a hippodrome, a speedway and a car race course, three archery fields, a golf course, three artificial ice rings and a modern entertainment and sports hall.

Special city Poznań is teeming with life all year round thanks to various fairs, conferences and the abundance of cultural events. The city hosts over 1.2 mil-lion visitors a year. It is a place which can make the worlds of business and culture meet and where you can combine doing business with pleasure.

The privilege of Przemysł I from 1254 – the oldest preserved in original evidence of the long-standing commerce traditions of Poznań

The regatta course with a view of the city centre and a year-round ski slope right next to it? This is possible only in Poznań, at Malta Lake.

One of the symbols of the contemporary Poznań is the Art and Business Centre “Stary Browar”. It was the first in Poland such an innovative attempt at revitalising old industrial sites.


Poznań International Fair

Międzynarodowe Targi PoznańskiePoznań International Fair

www.mtp.pl

PoznańInternational

Fair

MiędzynarodoweTargi Poznańskie

Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie Głogowska 14, 60-734 Poznań, Poland

phone: +48 61 869 25 92, +48 61 869 20 00 fax: +48 61 869 29 99

e-mail: [email protected]

Documents

Poznan Fair Magazine