About project
Created on the initiative of the Kraków Festival Office, the Kraków Network project aims to develop a cohesive group of organisations operating as part of the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector to help the industry increase the number of academic and business events held in Kraków. The group also aims to develop Kraków’s image as a strong brand in the meetings industry. The activities of the KRAKÓW NETWORK include analysis of the development trends in the industry, measuring the effectivity of its activities and monitoring the economic impact of the meetings industry on the city’s prosperity. The initiative also provides a platform for discussion and exchange of experiences, knowledge and good practice.
The target groups of the initiative are the tourism and business sectors interested in building relationships based on opportunities created by the developing infrastructure of MICE sites in Kraków. The project mainly focuses on venue operators, restaurants and hotels, representatives of PCO, DMC and events agencies, and the transport industry. The MICE industry in Kraków is somewhat dominated by representatives of the three largest venues in the city: the ICE Kraków Congress Centre, TAURON Arena Kraków and the Conference, Congress & Convention Centre – EXPO Kraków. They operate on the basis of a joint agreement, confirming their goodwill to cooperate for the benefit of the city. As well as experts and representatives of the meetings industry forming part of the Kraków Network, the group also includes representatives of Poland’s academic circles interested in holding events in their fields. They meet as part of the Kraków Congress Ambassador Club. The Kraków Network currently has six hundred members.
Project leader
Paula Fanderowska
Graduate from the Jagiellonian University and holder of a grant from universities in Spain, she also has a degree in Management and Marketing from the WSB Business School in Kraków and in International Relations and Diplomacy from Collegium Civitas in Warsaw. Since completing her diplomatic mission as Consul of the Republic of Poland in Caracas, Venezuela, she has been working with the Kraków Festival Office. She manages the ICE Kraków Congress Centre’s sales policies. She is an experienced manager and expert in the meetings and events industry.
As leader of the Kraków Network project, Poland’s only business network for the MICE sector, she is a promotor of the meetings industry on the national and international stage. She is responsible for developing ICE Kraków’s long-term marketing strategy. Since 2019, she has been the Chair of the Board of the Polish Conference & Congress Association; she is also a member of national and international organisations for professionals working in the meetings industry, including MPI and ICCA. She is a member of the Polish Congress Ambassadors Programme. She received the MP Power 12 Award in the Venue Provider category.
Thematic groups
The Kraków Network encompasses several thematic groups, bringing together representatives of the MICE industry to discuss issues relevant to different branches of the industry and to develop good practice. Additionally, the project hosts quarterly meetings open to all members, usually hosting between 80 and 120 representatives of Kraków’s meetings and event industries’.