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49 (144) 2021

Events Coverage

Meeting up face to face – Nice to Meet You Again, Poznań!

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The second of the BPCC’s Nice to Meet You series of business mixers was held in Poznań’s Vastint Business Gardens on the evening of 17 June 2021. Like the Wrocław event held the week before, the mixer once again attracted the maximum number of participants allowed by current sanitary regulations, with a long reserve list of disappointed latecomers. Although the day had been hot, the evening sun dipped behind the behind the buildings, so mixer took place in the cool of the shade. Once again, there was an overwhelming sense that everyone was keen to enjoy the chance to meet up finally, to chat, to swap business cards, and to return to some semblance of normal life.

The event was officially opened by Paweł Siwecki, our CEO, and Ilona Chodorowska, BPCC’s Western Poland Director. The two special guests – Jacek Jaśkowiak, mayor of Poznań, and Her Majesty’s Ambassador, Anna Clunes, welcomed the guests with their speeches. Ms Clunes arrived in sustainable style – in an electric London taxi!

Before the social part of the evening got under way, there was a panel discussion focused on the direction of growth of Poznań’s economy post Covid. The panellists were Sebastian Szurek. manager of recruitment firm Michael Page’s Poznań office, Edward Nieboj, managing partner of Grant Thornton’s outsourcing department, Tomasz Buras, CEO of Savills Polska. They were joined by Mr Jaśkowiak for a round of questions moderated by the BPCC’s chief advisor, Michael Dembinski.

Guests heard that Poznań – with its record low unemployment (2.1% in April 2021, according to Poland’s statistical office, GUS) – is enjoying a balanced recovery, with shared services, manufacturing and logistics taking the lead. Mr Jaśkowiak said that the city had to compete with its biggest rival – Berlin – in terms of the quality of life it could offer graduates at the start of their careers. Mr Szurek said that new inward investment coming into Poznań meant the recruitment market was especially busy, while Mr Buras said that the same pressure could be felt in the real-estate market. Mr Nieboj expressed confidence that Poznań could hold its own as a location for shared services and business process outsourcing.

After the lively panel discussion, guests moved outside for a lavish barbecue grill with exclusive drinks provided by Pernod Ricard. As in Wrocław the week before, spirited conversations carried on until late in the evening!

The BPCC would like to thank sponsors Grant Thornton, Savills Poland, Michael Page and the Vastint Business Garden Poznań for ensuring such an excellent return to face-to-face business networking.

The next mixers will be held in Warsaw (Thursday 24 June) and Kraków (Thursday 9 September).

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