The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) recently participated in the prestigious MICE workshop "Meet the Bidder Grand Edition" held in Warsaw. This event, which takes place three times a year, is one of the most important gatherings for professionals in the business tourism sector, and this year it attracted many Polish exhibitors and buyers specializing in the organization of business events, conferences, and initiatives. HTZ participated as a Premium exhibitor, promoting Croatia as an attractive destination for MICE tourism, with a particular focus on the Polish market, which is experiencing a growing interest in this type of offering.

Wide range of services and high quality of service

At this year's workshop in Warsaw, which gathered representatives from various tourism sectors, Croatia presented the wealth of its MICE resources, including numerous conference centers, luxury hotels, and destinations tailored for organizing large business events. In addition, HTZ, together with partners from the travel sector, such as national organizations and hotel groups, had the opportunity to showcase a diverse range of incentive travel offerings, as well as services that can meet the needs of even the most demanding clients. Croatia, through its conference centers and cultural spaces, is strategically positioned as a destination that successfully combines high-quality services, unique history, natural beauty, and modern infrastructure capacities.

Cooperation with the Polish market

Małgorzata Kowalska, the Director of the HTZ Representation in Poland, highlighted the importance of such events for strengthening Croatia's position in the Polish market. "The Croatian National Tourist Board participated in the workshop as a Premium exhibitor, where numerous meetings with Polish and foreign buyers took place. Our goal was to present Croatia as a destination offering top-quality MICE services, with a focus on the incentive industry, which is growing steadily in Poland," said Kowalska. This indicates the strategically important role of Poland as a market showing significant interest in visiting Croatia, and HTZ continues to work on deepening these business ties.

Promotion of Croatian conference offerings

One of the key moments of the workshop was the presentation of the promotional video of Croatian conference offerings, specially designed for the Polish market. Through this video, potential buyers had the opportunity to learn about the offerings of destinations like Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Split, and other cities, which are well-equipped to host conferences, symposia, seminars, and other large events. In addition, a prize game was organized, where the winners received gift packages provided by HTZ, further promoting the Croatian tourism offer and creating an opportunity for personal interaction with Polish buyers.

Meet the Bidder – a platform for business opportunities

The Meet the Bidder workshop is already a traditional and important platform for business meetings and the exchange of information between destination offers and market demand. It takes place three times a year, and in addition to Warsaw, workshops are also held in Kraków and other Polish cities. Through such events, Polish professionals in the MICE tourism sector have the opportunity to directly get to know new destinations, offerings, and services they can use for organizing business events. Furthermore, Croatia is very recognizable in this sector, already hosting a significant number of international conferences and events that take place in Croatia every year.

Tradition and continuous growth of the MICE industry

Poland has proven to be one of the key markets for the Croatian MICE sector. Representatives of HTZ and other organizations emphasize that markets like Poland are very important as Croatia becomes an increasingly popular destination for organizing business and conference events. In this regard, HTZ continuously works on expanding its offerings and strengthening its position in international markets, and this participation in Warsaw is part of a broader strategy that includes other important events in 2024.

In addition to working on the promotion of business tourism, the Croatian National Tourist Board continues to focus on digitalization and the development of infrastructure that can meet the growing needs of the MICE industry. Furthermore, HTZ plans to increase its presence in markets like Switzerland and Italy, and continues to promote Croatian conference capacities at international fairs and workshops across Europe. All these activities contribute to strengthening Croatia's competitiveness as a destination that can meet even the most demanding business tourism needs.

Meet the Bidder and HTZ in the Polish market

By highlighting Croatia's advantages in MICE tourism, HTZ successfully continues to build its reputation at this workshop and expands cooperation with key players in the industry. Such events, combined with the ongoing engagement and modernization of offerings, allow Croatia to become an increasingly recognizable destination for business meetings, conferences, incentive travel, and other large events.

However, Croatia is not only known for its excellent conditions for MICE tourism, but also for its rich cultural heritage, natural beauty, and long-standing tradition in organizing major international events. This makes Croatia an attractive destination that can offer a unique combination of professional services and impressive natural beauty, which is a key reason why Croatia is becoming more and more at the center of interest in the MICE industry.

In the coming years, HTZ will continue working on further improving its offerings and promoting Croatia as a recognizable destination in the business tourism sector. Their efforts in markets like Poland are just one step toward greater international recognition.