From a small Kraków company to a meetings industry leader

They are all brought to you by Targi w Krakowie, a company that has taken just 25 years to rise from fairly modest beginnings to its current status as the third largest industry fair organiser in the country. Over the last quarter of a century, its events have attracted a whopping total of 538,119 exhibitors and 1,936,250 visitors. Its portfolio features more than ten of the top events in many industries, and the company organises trade shows not only in Kraków, but also Bydgoszcz, Warsaw and Wrocław. Six years ago, Targi w Krakowie also inaugurated its very own, state-of-the-art exhibition centre – EXPO Kraków – which now hosts annual corporate parties, international conferences and many client events, such as Tattoofest, Magnificon Expo, or the LNE Congress and Trade Fair.

Dreams come true

The company was founded on 13 February 1996 by a group of 3 visionaries bold enough to dream big. Even though companies specialised in large events and conferences mushroomed in the 1990s, Targi w Krakowie managed to stand out from the competition from the very get-go. In retrospect, its success story comes down to hard work, reliability and know-how. It wasn’t long before the initially small company became an industry leader. The big breakthrough came in 2015. On 14 May, the festive opening of the EXPO Kraków International Exhibition and Convention Centre ushered in a new chapter in the company’s history.

Experience and fresh energy – a perfect mix

Targi w Krakowie values experience on a par with youth and fresh energy. Its youngest employee is just 25 years old, just like the company itself. Targi w Krakowie builds bridges between generations and the popularity of its events goes to show that age is just a number when shared passions are at stake. The objective of trade shows today may still be the same, but their organisation has changed completely. Digitisation now takes pride of place. Luckily, the company employs a group of specialists in the field, which allowed it to quickly switch to online mode during the pandemic. Admittedly, the organisers miss face-to-face interactions, but as the whole industry was frozen, they were able to promptly serve their client needs with the aid of new technologies. They know how to keep track of any changes in the market and to respond to them smartly. They put in a lot of effort to come up with accompanying events. They organise training and workshops led by invited experts. Attending events organised by Targi w Krakowie is an opportunity not only to learn about the exhibitors and their portfolios, but also to expand your knowledge.

A non-standard approach

Want to work with your pet? Cultivate celtuce on a company garden plot? Attend a festival of colours to celebrate the 5 years of EXPO Kraków? Or maybe spend a holiday with yoga and have a weekly virtual coffee during the pandemic? The management understands what the staff need and promotes a healthy work-life balance. “Success depends on having a well-knit team, so we should cultivate mutual relationships. We want our employees to feel good in the company and we’re open to any new ideas they might come up with”, says Grażyna Grabowska, President of Targi w Krakowie, “Over the past 25 years, the meetings industry has changed beyond all recognition, but one thing has remained constant – and that’s our need for meetings. Today, just as before, people want to talk, exchange contacts, share their emotions and experiences. The last year drove home the great importance of empathy not only in our private but also in our professional lives. Nothing can take the place of face-to-face contact – the meetings we organised in between the first and the second year of the freezing of the industry only confirmed that. Our guests openly expressed their joy at being able to meet again, to talk and share their opinions. We await the first trade show of 2021, which is scheduled for June, with the same impatience that we felt before our very first event in 1996”, she adds.