The Warsaw Voice, 09.2020, Wydanie Specjalne na Meetings Week Poland 2020

September 2020

M

I tin N ee A YD

W

gs k

E

ee W l Po 02

2 d NE an AL CJ

E SP

0

Focus on Poland | Published since 1988

New Age for Press?

Page 10

This publication is part of The Warsaw Voice Multimedia Platform in Poland

Tourism & Meetings Industry After Lockdown Page 4

www.warsawvoice.pl

WARSAW IS READY Ranked among the safest places in Europe to visit this summer and brimming with long‑awaited new openings, Warsaw is ready to welcome international tourists.

Its fascinating history and culture, vibrant culinary scene and the great outdoor lifestyle are once again within reach.

LOOK FOR:

SEE MORE:

#WARSAWISREADY

WARSAWCIT YBREAK.COM

DOWNLOAD “SAFE CITY BREAK IN WARSAW” BROCHURE:

WOT.WAW.PL/DOWNLOAD/16283/

Table of contents

SPECIAL GUEST

Tourism and meeting industry after lockdown

4-6

MEDIA

The Warsaw Voice and Media Box

10-13

GREAT GEAR | 14-15

Kosmonauta Watch Continental PremiumContact 6: “Best in Test” Juicer Kuvings Evo820 Plus Realme X50 Pro Grill without smoke Woodpecker

Od Wydawcy / From the Publisher Polski przemysł spotkań był, do niedawna, niezwykle dochodowym sektorem turystyki. Jeden procent produktu krajowego brutto i ponad 170 tysięcy miejsc pracy to tylko część jego wartości. Niepoliczalne korzyści przynosi rola edukacyjna i promocyjna branży.

Jednak pandemia, przejściowe zamrożenie gospodarek świata, administracyjne ograniczenia w podróżowaniu i, z drugiej strony, społeczny syndrom obaw, związanych z zagrożeniem dla zdrowia, stawiają przed tą branżą całkiem nowe wyzwania. Nie muszą one jednak oznaczać dalszego kryzysu. Pytanie nie brzmi bowiem „czy, lecz „jak” mamy się spotykać.

Nad tym, jak dostosować się do nowej rzeczywistości, dyskutować będziemy podczas konferencji z cyklu Meetigs Week Poland 2020, odbywającej się po raz pierwszy w formule hybrydowej. A w specjalnym, wyłącznie elektronicznym, wydaniu The Warsaw Voice dla uczestników MWP2020 czytelnik znajdzie między innymi wywiad z sekretarzem stanu w Ministerstwie Rozwoju, Andrzejem Gutem-Mostowym i tekst o sukcesie elektronicznej formy dystrybucji prasy w hotelach oraz na pokładach linii lotniczych.

The Polish meetings industry was, until recently, an extremely profitable tourism sector. One percent of the gross domestic product and over 170 thousand jobs are only a part of its value. The educational and promotional role of the industry brings incalculable benefits.

However, the pandemic, the temporary freezing of world economies, administrative restrictions on travel and, on the other hand, the social syndrome of fear of health risks, pose quite new challenges for this industry.

However, they do not necessarily mean a further crisis.

The question is not „if”, but „how” we should meet.

The main issue, how to adapt to the new reality, will be discussed during Meetings Week Poland 2020 (September 16 -17), held for the first time in a hybrid formula. And in a special, exclusively electronic edition of The Warsaw Voice for the participants of MWP2020, reader can find among others, an interview with the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Development, Andrzej Gut-Mostowy and a text about the success of the electronic form of press distribution in hotels and on board of airlines.

Zapraszam do lektury!

I invite you to read it!

Juliusz Kłosowski

Juliusz Kłosowski

Wydawca

CEO

Juliusz Kłosowski, tel. (+48) 22 299-55-60; fax (+48) 22 299-55-61

Publisher

Advertising Department

e-mail: advertising@warsawvoice.pl

Distribution & Subscription

Accounting

Anna Krawczyk, tel. (+48) 22 299-55-60 e-mail: distribution@warsawvoice.pl

Andrzej Jonas tel. (+48) 22 299-55-60

Magazine Layout

Address

Witold Żygulski, tel. (+48) 22 299-55-60

Office Manager

Published by WV Marketing Sp. z o.o.

Editor-in-Chief

Managing & Online Services Editor Auto Section Coordinator Bartosz Grzybiński, tel. (+48) 22 299-55-60

The Wrocław Voice:

Barbara Deręgowska, tel./fax. (+48) 71 783-61-29, mobile: 501 154 416

Beata Robak, tel. (+48) 22 299-55-60

Michał Lis

Anna Krawczyk, tel. (+48) 22 299-55-60 Address: 4 Banderii St, Apt. 227, 01-164 Warsaw

Internet site

http://www.warsawvoice.pl e-mail: voice@warsawvoice.pl

4 Banderii St, Apt. 227, 01-164 Warsaw, tel. (+48) 22 299-55-60 Printed editions by ArtDruk, 05-230 Kobyłka, ul. Napoleona 2 © 2020 The Warsaw Voice. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

All advertising has been wholly prepared by the advertisers themselves.

The Warsaw Voice should not be held responsible for the contents of advertisements.

To contact a member of The Warsaw Voice team by e-mail, use the following format: firstname.surname@warsawvoice.pl The Warsaw Voice

September 2020

3

TURYSTYKA I PRZEMYSŁ SPOTKAŃ PO LOCKDOWN’IE Z Andrzejem Gutem-Mostowym, podsekretarzem stanu w Ministerstwie Rozwoju, odpowiedzialnym za sektor turystyczny, rozmawiają Juliusz Kłosowski i Witold Żygulski.

J

ak ocenia Pan skalę dzisiejszego, wywołanego pandemią COVID-19 kryzysu dla branży turystyki, w szczególności przemysłu spotkań?

Z pewnością szeroko rozumiana turystyka doznała wielkiego uszczerbku, jeśli chodzi o obroty i rentowność. Jednak branża turystyczna ma różne oblicza. Począwszy od turystyki krajoznawczej, poprzez campingi, aż do obiektów hotelowych. Jeśli chodzi o te ostatnie, inna jest skala regresu w małych miejscowościach, gdzie przyjeżdża się dla walorów przyrodniczych, a inna w ośrodkach wielko-

4

September 2020

miejskich, takich jak Warszawa, Kraków, Gdańsk czy Wrocław. Według danych statystycznych bliskość przyrody, brak tłumów - to wyjątkowo pożądane warunki, dzięki którym łatwiej poradzić sobie ze skutkami kryzysu COVID-19.

Bardzo dobry wynik - nawet lepszy niż w latach ubiegłych - odnotowały w pierwszej połowie roku campingi, ale w dużych miastach obłożenia hoteli są dziś procentowo jednocyfrowe. Dlatego wyciąganie średnich statystycznych dla kryzysu w turystyce nie ma sensu, bo jest obciążone zbyt dużym ryzykiem błędu.

Turystyka zmienia swoje preferencje, wszystkie jej sektory stoją przed nowymi wyzwaniami.

Przemysł spotkań to rzeczywiście jedna z najbardziej dotkniętych przez kryzys dziedzin gospodarki. Wynika to nie tylko z samych restrykcji lockdownu, ale również ze zmian w preferencjach konsumentów spowodowanych pandemią. Nawet w sytuacji, gdy przepisy administracyjne pozwalają na organizację większych konferencji, nie ma wciąż powszechnej woli, aby w takich wydarzeniach uczestniczyć. Co za tym idzie, nikt nie ryzykuje inwestowania pieniędzy w taką działalność. W tej kwestii jestem umiarkowanym optymistą. Każde ograniczenie wywołuje reakcję w psychice człowieka, powoduje chęć odreagowania. Gdy w pewnej chwili znikną administracyjne i psychologiczne bariery, okaże się, że branża spotkań powróci do swej aktywności, bo ludzie będą chcieli się spotykać, taka jest nasza natura. Kwestia tylko, jak szybko dojdzie do takiej sytuacji.

Na niedawnej światowej konferencji ministrów turystyki jeden z uznanych ekspertów mówił o tym, że pojawienie się szczepionki na koronawirusa spowoduje szybki powrót branży turystycznej na ścieżkę wzrostu obrotów.

The Warsaw Voice

Szczepionki jednak jeszcze nie mamy i musimy mierzyć się z obecnymi warunkami działania; na co Pan stawia jeśli chodzi o przemysł spotkań? Czy są to platformy technologiczne, czy warianty hybrydowe, czy wreszcie spotkania tradycyjne, bezpośrednie, rzecz jasna z zachowaniem wszystkich reguł czasu pandemii?

Resort rozwoju nie powinien zajmować się stymulowaniem czy kreowaniem popytu ani próbować wpływać na preferencje klientów, obojętnie, czy mówimy o hotelarstwie, turystyce „plecakowej” czy przemyśle spotkań.

Społeczeństwo samo dokonuje wyboru. W gospodarce rynkowej resort ma wspierać wszystkie trendy, wszystkie możliwości, natomiast nie powinien ręcznie sterować procesami zachodzącymi w gospodarce. Ministerstwo, w miarę swoich możliwości, może być tylko katalizatorem przemian rynkowych, które dziś są bardzo dynamiczne. Jeszcze w sierpniu mogło się nam wydawać, że epidemia ma się ku końcowi, ale potem nastąpił nagły wzrost i dziś musimy liczyć się z możliwością drugiej fali pandemii. Dlatego wpływ na całą branżę ma sytuacja epidemiologiczna na świecie.

Polscy przedsiębiorcy otrzymują dziś potężne państwowe wsparcie w ramach kolejnych odsłon tzw. tarczy antykryzysowej; branża przemysłu spotkań, jako jedna z najbardziej dotkniętych kryzysem, także woła o pomoc, wymieniając szczególnie pożądane jej formy, jak pożyczki gwarantowane czy zmiany w systemie ściągania VAT. Co z tego ma szanse realizacji?

GOŚĆ SPECJALNY

Nastąpi odreagowanie - ludzie, którzy spotykali się przez lata, obojętnie, czy towarzysko, czy w ramach konferencji, zaczną znów regularnie się spotykać, czego wszyscy sobie życzymy.

Oferujemy wiele mechanizmów wsparcia dla branży turystycznej, w tym eventowej. Są to dofinansowania do części kosztów wynagrodzeń pracowników małych i średnich przedsiębiorstw oraz należnych składek na ubezpieczenia społeczne od tych wynagrodzeń. Pomocne są także niskooprocentowane pożyczki dla mikroprzedsiębiorców oraz możliwości dofinansowań do wynagrodzeń ze środków Funduszu Gwarantowanych Świadczeń Pracowniczych w czasie przestoju ekonomicznego lub obniżenia wymiaru czasu pracy.

Wprowadzony już w okresie pandemii bon turystyczny wspiera przede wszystkim budżety rodzin i przedsiębiorców branży wypoczynkowej. W regionie Małopolski funkcjonuje bon edukacyjny, adresowany do przedsiębiorców, którym można płacić np. za organizowane szkolenia. Czy rozważany jest pomysł podobnego rozwiązania dla przemysłu spotkań, czyli czegoś co nazwać by można bonem konferencyjnym?

Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, podsekretarz stanu w Ministerstwie Rozwoju

The Warsaw Voice

September 2020

5

Idea bonu turystycznego jest połączeniem polityki społecznej ze wsparciem turystyki, więc trudno zastosować to rozwiązanie dla przemysłu spotkań. Trzeba by było użyć innych zachęt, przede wszystkim finansowych, szczególnie podatkowych, co wymagałoby uzgodnień z Ministerstwem Finansów.

Preferencje fiskalne powinny być dobrym rozwiązaniem dla tej branży.

Oczywiście, muszą one być precyzyjne i szczelne, wtedy, moim zdaniem, skutecznie wpłyną na odrodzenie rynku spotkań, przy zachowaniu wszystkich rygorów wynikających z warunków pandemii.

JESZCZE W SIERPNIU MOGŁO SIĘ NAM WYDAWAĆ, ŻE EPIDEMIA MA SIĘ KU KOŃCOWI, ALE POTEM NASTĄPIŁ NAGŁY WZROST I DZIŚ MUSIMY LICZYĆ SIĘ Z MOŻLIWOŚCIĄ DRUGIEJ FALI PANDEMII. Przedstawiciele branży spotkań mówią dziś o konieczności dostępu do pożyczek gwarantowanych, bez których nie są w stanie nawet wypłacać wynagrodzeń i utrzymywać miejsc pracy.

Pożyczki takie są już dostepne. Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) [państwowy bank pełniący dziś funkcję jednego z głównych operatorów pomocy państwa dla przedsiębiorców w ramach tarczy antykryzysowej] oferuje gwarancje do 80 procent wartości danego projektu. Daje to oddech bankom komercyjnym, czy jakimkolwiek innym pożyczkodawcom, umożliwia złagodzenie ciężaru ryzyka.

W biznesie spotkań od lat podnoszony jest problem braku możliwości odliczania VAT od wielu kosztów, ponoszonych w związku z organizacją kongresów, konferencji, targów.

6

September 2020

Chodzi, dla przykładu, o usługi hotelowe czy gastronomiczne. To ewidentna luka w przepisach, bo przecież organizator konferencji nie jest użytkownikiem końcowym, a musi traktować VAT, naliczony za te usługi, jako koszt.

Czy szczególnie w obecnej sytuacji branża może liczyć na zmiany w tych przepisach?

Jako sekretarz stanu odpowiedzialny za turystykę zawsze będę walczył o to, by VAT-owskie rozwiązania były jak najbardziej korzystne dla szeroko rozumianej branży. W tym jednak przypadku, nasza rola jako resortu jest ograniczona - możemy jedynie zgłaszać postulaty do Ministerstwa Finansów, które czuwa nad całością środków znajdujących się w dyspozycji państwa. Ma ono decydujące zdanie w kwestiach podatkowych. Oczywiście przedstawiamy trudną obecnie sytuację sektora turystyki, monitorujemy sytuację, ale zdajemy sobie sprawę z tego, że to ostatecznie MF podejmie te finansowe decyzje.

Kilka miesięcy temu, w zupełnie innych warunkach, rozmawialiśmy o perspektywie wprowadzenie w Polsce systemu lokalnych opłat turystycznych, które przyniosłyby samorządom dodatkowe środki na rozwój infrastruktury turystycznej w regionie; czy ten projekt jest kontynuowany?

Trwają konsultacje, rozmowy i analizy tego zagadnienia.

Z rozmów z samorządami wynika, że planowana opłata turystyczna powinna zostać uniezależniona od wpływu środowiska naturalnego, nie może dublować istniejącej już opłaty klimatycznej.

We wrześniu, mam nadzieję, parlament uchwali najważniejszą dziś regulację - tzw. tarczę turystyczną. Wtedy będziemy mogli powrócić do kwestii opłat lokalnych.

W ramach Europejskiego Funduszu Odbudowy do Polski skierowane mają być środki sięgające 175 miliardów euro; jaka część tych funduszy będzie miała szansę zasilić turystykę i branże spotkań?

Ministerstwo Rozwoju zgłosiło oczywiście zainteresowanie tymi środkami, w puli projektów znajdują się także te związane z turystyką i przemysłem spotkań. Obecnie jest za wcześnie na przedstawienie szczegółów, ponieważ prace w tym zakresie jeszcze trwają.

The Warsaw Voice

SPECIAL GUEST

TOURISM AND MEETINGS INDUSTRY AFTER LOCKDOWN Juliusz Kłosowski and Witold Żygulski talk with Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Development, responsible for the tourism sector.

H

ow do you assess the scale of today’s crisis for the tourism industry, especially the meetings industry, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Certainly, tourism in its broadest sense has suffered great damage, in terms of turnover and profitability. However, the tourism industry has different faces. Starting from sightseeing tourism, through camping, to hotel facilities. As for the latter, the scale of regression is quite different in small towns, where one comes for the sake of nature, and in metropolitan centers, such as Warsaw, Cracow, Gdansk

The Warsaw Voice

or Wroclaw. According to statistical data, the proximity of nature and the lack of crowds are extremely desirable conditions that make it easier to cope with the effects of the COVID-19 crisis. A very good result - even better than in previous years - was recorded by campsites in the first half of the year, but hotel occupancy rates are now single-digit percentage in large cities. It therefore makes no sense to draw statistical averages for the tourism crisis because it is difficult to judge.

Tourism is changing its preferences, and all sectors are facing new challenges.

The meetings industry is indeed one of the most affected by crisis economic areas. This is due not only to the lockdown restrictions, but also to changes in consumer preferences caused by the pandemic. Even when administrative regulations allow for larger conferences, there is still no general will to participate in such events. Consequently, no one risks investing money in such activities. However, in this respect, I am a moderate optimist. Every restriction causes a reaction in the human psyche, causes a desire to react.

When at some point the administrative and psychological barriers disappear, it will turn out that the meetings industry will return to its activity, because people will want to meet, that is our nature. The only question is how quickly such a situation will happen.

At a recent world conference of ministers of tourism one of the recognized experts said that the appearance of the coronavirus vaccine will bring the tourism industry quickly back on the path of turnover growth. There will be a rebound - people who have met for years, indifferently, whether socially or in conference, they will start again regularly to meet.

September 2020

7

However, we do not have the vaccine yet and we have to face the current conditions; what do you bet on when it comes to the near future of the meetings industry? Are they technology platforms, or hybrid variants, or, finally, traditional meetings, of course with all the rules of pandemic time?

meetings industry, as one of the most affected by the crisis, also cries for help, mentioning particularly desirable forms, such as guaranteed loans or changes in the VAT collection system. What does this have to do with the chances of being implemented?

The ministry should not be concerned with stimulating or creating demand or trying to influence customer preferences, whether we are talking about the hospitality, backpacking tourism or the meetings industry.

Society makes its own choices. In a market economy, the ministry has to support all trends, all possibilities, but should not manually control processes taking place in the economy. Ministry, can only be a catalyst for market changes, which are very dynamic today. As early as August, it may have seemed to us that the epidemic is coming to an end, but then there was a sudden increase and today we have to reckon with the possibility of a second wave of the pandemic. Therefore, the whole industry is affected by the global epidemiological situation.

We offer many support mechanisms for the tourism industry, including the meetings industry. These are subsidies to a part of the wage costs of employees of small and medium-sized enterprises and the social security contributions due from these salaries. Low-interest loans for microenterprises and the possibility of subsidizing wages from the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund during economic downtime or reduction of working hours are also helpful.

Today, Polish entrepreneurs receive powerful state support within the framework of the so-called anti-crisis shield; the

The tourist voucher, which has been introduced during the pandemic, primarily supports the budgets of families and entrepreneurs from the holiday tourism sector. In the Małopolska region there is already an educational voucher, addressed strictly to entrepreneurs. It can be used to pay for example for organized trainings. Is there under consideration any idea of a similar solution for the meetings industry, let’s say a conference voucher?

Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Development

8

September 2020

The Warsaw Voice

SPECIAL GUEST

The idea of a tourist voucher is a combination of social policy with support for tourism, so it is difficult to apply this solution to the meetings industry. Other incentives would have to be used, especially financial ones, especially tax ones, which would need to be agreed with the Ministry of Finance.

Fiscal preferences should be a good solution for the industry.

Of course, they must be precise and tight, then, in my opinion, will effectively contribute to the revival of the meetings market, while maintaining all the rigors resulting from the conditions of the pandemic.

A few months ago, under completely different conditions, we talked about the prospect of introducing a system of local tourist fees in Poland, which would bring additional funds to local governments for the development of tourist infrastructure in the region; is this project being continued?

Consultations, discussions and analysis of this issue are ongoing. Discussions with the local authorities indicate that the planned tourist fee should be independent of environmental impact, cannot duplicate the already existing climate charge.

Representatives of the meetings industry today talk about the need for access to guaranteed loans, without which they are not even able to pay out.

Such loans are already available. Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) [the state-owned bank, which is today one of the main operators of state aid for entrepreneurs as part of the anti-crisis shield] offers guarantees of up to 80 percent of the value of a given project. This gives a breath of fresh air to commercial banks or any other lenders, and helps ease the burden of risk.

The meeting business has for years been raising the problem of being unable to deduct VAT from many costs incurred in connection with the organization of congresses, conferences, fairswe are talking, for example, about hotel services or catering. This is an obvious loophole in the regulations since the conference organizer is not an end user, but must treat the VAT charged for these services as a cost. Can the industry count on changes in these regulations especially in the current situation?

As Secretary of State responsible for Tourism I will always fight for that VAT solutions are as beneficial as possible for the wider public of the understood industry. In this case, however, our role as a department is limited - we can only make demands to the Ministry of Finance, which watches over all the funds at the state’s disposal.

It has a decisive opinion on tax issues. Of course, we present the current difficult situation of the tourism sector, we monitor the situation, but we realize that it is ultimately the Ministry of Finance who will make these financial decisions.

The Warsaw Voice

AS EARLY AS AUGUST, IT MAY HAVE SEEMED TO US THAT THE EPIDEMIC IS COMING TO AN END, BUT THEN THERE WAS A SUDDEN INCREASE AND TODAY WE HAVE TO RECKON WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A SECOND WAVE OF THE PANDEMIC. In September, I hope, the parliament will pass the most important regulation today - the so-called tourist shield. Then we will be able to return to the issue of local tourist fees.

The European Fund for Reconstruction is to direct funds amounting up to 175 billion Euros to Poland; what part of these funds will have a chance to boost tourism and the meetings industry?

The Ministry of Development has of course expressed interest in these funds; the pool of projects also includes those related to tourism and the meetings industry. Now it is too early to provide details, as the work is still ongoing.

September 2020

9

THE WARSAW VOICE AND MEDIA BOX

Since its inception in 1988 The Warsaw Voice has made it its mission to provide reliable, objective and up-to-date information on Poland to English-speaking foreigners in Poland and worldwide. It was neither logistically easy nor cheap to print and distribute the paper internationally. Everything changed during the digital era. Today “print media” are available digitally first and foremost. Digital platforms are also the first choice for readers.

O

ne such platform is Media Box, providing hotel guests and airline passengers worldwide with access to several thousand titles – including The Warsaw Voice, of course.

Thanks to this collaboration the magazine recently started returning, in a digital version, on board LOT Polish Airlines planes. Why? Because Media Box’s operator and PLL LOT signed an agreement on cooperation.

LOT has introduced a number of changes to its passenger service and in-flight products to improve passenger comfort. In addition to technological changes in commu-

MEDIA CARRIER IS A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY PROVIDING HOTEL GUESTS AND AIR OR RAILWAY PASSENGERS WITH ACCESS TO THE PRESS IN DIGITAL FORM ON THEIR OWN MOBILE DEVICES. 10

September 2020

nication with passengers, LOT was one of the first air carriers in Europe to introduce digital press on board its aircraft. More than 1,000 titles can be downloaded via the mobile app 36 hours before departure and up to six hours after landing.

LOT has responded quickly and flexibly to the challenges posed to the aviation industry by the coronavirus pandemic. This applies not only to the destinations gradually being restored, which are of interest to passengers after a difficult period of restrictions. In order to meet the expectations of its customers, LOT has introduced a number of facilities for passenger service and in-flight products. One example of this is the replacement of paper newspapers and magazines on board aircraft and in business lounges with a wide range of Polish and foreign press in a digital version.

“At this difficult time for the aviation industry, we are constantly working on developing our offer to better meet the needs of our passengers. By offering digital press, we not only increase the range of titles to over 1,000 Polish and foreign magazines, but also make them available to a much wider audience, i.e. passengers travelling in LOT Economy Class and on domestic flights. The pro-ecological aspect of this change is also important. Until now, we have been taking parcels with traditional press, weighing up to 45 tonnes, on board our planes every month. Now we ofThe Warsaw Voice

MEDIA

fer each of our passengers an environmentally friendly, upto-date and modern product tailored to individual needs: digital press,” says Michał Fijoł, Chief Commercial Officer at LOT Polish Airlines.

The new service is provided by the technology company Media Carrier, which gives passengers of airlines, cruise ships and guests of more than 1,200 hotels around the world access to digital press on their own mobile devices.

“We are delighted that, with LOT, one more top airline is demonstrating its trust in us and integrating the Media Box into its service offering. Our Media Box can be used with any internet-capable device; it is not necessary to install an app, register or enter personal data.

Each passenger uses only their own mobile device to read their digital newspaper or magazine, and merely touches The Warsaw Voice

the display to download their favorite reading, turn pages or scroll. This is of course much more hygienic and safe than using print titles, which often pass through several hands and can therefore be carriers of a variety of germs or viruses,” says Philipp J. Jacke, Managing Director at Media Carrier.

Until now, traditional printed press was available only on LOT’s international flights to passengers of LOT Business Class and LOT Premium Economy Class, and the offering included approximately 20 titles. Currently, LOT offers over 1,000 digital press titles to all passengers, regardless of class and travel destination. The press on offer includes dailies and magazines in several dozen language versions (e.g. Polish, English, Hungarian, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Spanish, Japanese and Korean), as well as LOT’s in-flight magazine Kaleidoscope. Favorite titles can September 2020

11

be downloaded 36 hours before departure and up to six hours after landing.

The dailies and magazines can be found on the lot. com/digitalpress website where, after entering their name and booking number, passengers can download the magazine of their choice free of charge. Depending on the travel class, you can download from one to five titles. After using up the allocated limit, passengers can choose from the available free titles or purchase additional titles. The prices of dailies start from PLN 1.00, weeklies from about PLN 4.00, and specialist press from a few tens of zlotys. Payment can be made by credit card or via PayPal. Media Carrier is a technology company providing hotel guests and air or railway passengers with access to the press in digital form on their own mobile devices.

It currently serves over 1,200 locations in 59 countries on six continents. The company’s portfolio includes over 1,500 titles in about 40 languages from some 60 countries. Media Boxes (virtual libraries with digital press) are available in over 80,000 rooms, mainly in four- to five-star hotels.

OUR UPGRADED MEDIA BOX MEETS THIS CHANGED TREND IN DEMAND, ENABLING US TO PROVIDE OUR CUSTOMERS WITH A COMPREHENSIVE AND HIGHLY USER-FRIENDLY MULTIMEDIA LIBRARY. Philipp J. Jacke Media Carrier is represented in Poland by the TASK company. “Actually, we have been teamed up with Media Carrier from the very beginning, since its foundation in 2011,” says Tomasz Krysicki, the owner of TASK. “Currently we provide more than 50 Polish newspapers and magazines to the Media Box, of course including The Warsaw Voice,” Krysicki adds.

In Poland, customized Media Boxes are available at hotels by the InterContinental Group, Radisson Blu, Zdrojowa Hotels, Hilton, Leonardo Hotels, Golden Tulip, Vienna House, as well as in the executive lounges of the Warsaw Chopin and Kraków-Balice airports.

The second vast area of the company’s activity is the air travel market. The entire Lufthansa Group uses a special platform (Media Box eJournals): Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, Eurowings, Edelweiss, Air Dolomiti. So do several other airlines; the company’s aviation operations are conducted by Virgin Atlantic, Etihad, Finnair, American Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Aurora, S7, Atlantic Airways, Volotea, and SunExpress - in 12

September 2020

Philipp J. Jacke, Managing Director at Media Carrier.

total creating potential of over 270 million passengers per year.

Media Box is an extremely easy-to-use website fully integrated graphically with local WiFi networks. The user can download and read the available titles (as PDFs they are identical to the printed version) and keep them to read later (e.g. during travel) on a mobile device. The Media Box system is programmed in responsive technology – Responsive Web Design (RWD). The purpose of using RWD is to build universal modules with digital press, which will be highly legible and visually attractive on any equipment, whether desktop computer, laptop, notebook, tablet or smartphone. Websites designed in RWD adjust dynamically (i.e. in real time) to all resolutions and screen sizes, and even the current orientation of the device (horizontal or vertical).

The service works smoothly with every device usually taken on the road: iPad, iPhone, tablet, smartphone, netbook or laptop. It is independent of the installed operating system (Android, iOS, Windows, etc.). Moreover, absolutely no special application is required, no registration, configuration or other potentially tricky procedure. Practically one click opens the hotel or airline library with curThe Warsaw Voice

has therefore grown exponentially, regardless of format, be it digital papers or podcasts,” says Media Carrier managing director Philipp J. Jacke. “Our upgraded Media Box meets this changed trend in demand, enabling us to provide our customers with a comprehensive and highly user-friendly multimedia library.”

Introducing a new design, Media Carrier aims to make the experience of digital media consumption as attractive and easy as possible for Media Box users. This includes a full text search enabling users to quickly find their favorite publications.

The media library now also integrates games, podcasts, videos, live TV or streaming services as well as customer-specific content such as promotional flyers or customer publications, which can all be easily accessed by users without a cumbersome registration process.

The new Media Box enables airlines, hotels and transport companies but also gyms or health centers that have integrated Media Carrier’s Media Box into their service offering to provide their members, passengers or guests with enormous added value.

MEDIA

rent press. Foreign newspapers are available early in the morning on the day of release, and all users can access the system simultaneously.

Media Boxes operate in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Scandinavia, the UK, the United States, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Morocco, Qatar and the UAE, and in the CEE region in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Baltic republics, Hungary and the Russian Federation.

Recently Media Box went more multimedia, becoming fit for the new decade and beyond.

A few days ago Media Carrier launched its premium product with a modernized look and feel, optimized user-friendliness and a significantly expanded content offer: Alongside more than 1,500 newspapers and magazines in a wide range of languages, other types of content including games, podcasts, videos, streaming services and live TV can now also be integrated into the Media Box. “The coronavirus crisis has changed people’s media behavior. Because of quarantines and self-isolation they now largely consume digital media. Demand for digital media

MEDIA CARRIER AIMS TO MAKE THE EXPERIENCE OF DIGITAL MEDIA CONSUMPTION AS ATTRACTIVE AND EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR MEDIA BOX USERS.

More than 1,000 titles can be downloaded via the mobile app 36 hours before departure and up to six hours after landing.

The Warsaw Voice

September 2020

13

GREAT 1 2

3

1/ Kosmonauta Watch

The collection offered by Polish watch company G. Gerlach includes the Kosmonauta (Cosmonaut) model. This outstanding piece comes with an old-fashioned LED display. In the 1970s this watch was made by Polish electronic firm Unitra Warel from Warsaw, and was very hard to obtain on the Polish market at the time. It went down in history thanks to Poland’s first astronaut, Mirosław Hermaszewski, who wore it in space. The present-day version of the Kosmonauta model is inspired by the old one, but regardless of this inspiration it features a modern style and top quality. The stainless steel case and bracelet provide a nice contrast to the dark red sapphire glass. The electronic part of the 14

September 2020

watch was made specially for this outstanding model.

2/ Continental PremiumContact 6: “Best in Test”

”Highly balanced performance. Dynamic handling with precise steering, short braking distances, very high mileage and high economy,” is how German automotive magazine Auto Bild describes the strengths of the PremiumContact™ 6.

The Continental summer tire came first with a “very good” rating and was the only product to receive the “Best-in-Test” and “Eco-Champion” titles for the most profitable product. In the world’s largest summer tire test, the experts tested 50 tire models that fit many mid-range and higher-class cars. The Continental Premi-

umContact 6 is produced in a very wide range of sizes and is approved for speeds up to 300 km/h.

3/ Juicer Kuvings Evo820 Plus

Evo820 Plus is cutting-edge and the most durable low-speed juicer on the Polish market. Practical casing allows to reduce the time of preparation healthy juice. Beyond functionality it has elegant appearance and it will be a stylish addition for every kitchen. Enclosure is available with four colors - white, “champagne”, grafit and red. Kuvings brand received many designers rewards for this model of juicer.

Juicer Evo820 Plus gained recognition of Polish customers. Kuvings won Golden Consumer Laurel in category of juicers five times in a row.

The Warsaw Voice

GEAR 6 4

5

4/ Realme X50 Pro

The Realme X50 Pro is a smartphone with a 6.4” screen and resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. The super Amoled panel is protected

by Gorilla Glass 5. The device has a camera with four lenses with resolutions of 64, 12, 8 and 2 Mpix. What distinguishes the X50 Pro most is its 5G network support, the 65-watt charger that will charge a 4200 mAh battery in 35 minutes, and the use of a Snapdragon 865 5G processor, which allows you to accelerate graphics by 25% while saving up to 30% of power compared to earlier-generation processors. The Realme X50 Pro smartphone has two SIM card slots.

5/ Grill without smoke

LotusGrill brand is thinking about people who don’t want or just cannot use tradiThe Warsaw Voice

tional barbecue and proposes innovative solution. It’s multifunctional device for healthy food from the barbecue. Ecological grill is powered by coal and there is no smoke. You can use this device on your balcony or terrace, camping or even on boat. You don’t need unusual fuel like charcoal or briquette to run the barbecue. It’s very easy to fire up and keep it clean for most of time. It is equipped with function of temperature adjustment and air blowing. Barbecue doesn’t release carcinogenic substances. The main advantage of this device is that you can easily put it in the middle of table with no consequences. There’s nothing more satisfying than preparing dishes with your friends.

The customer receives a 5 year guarantee so it’s investment for a long time. Lotus-

Grill is available in many colors, sizes and with a lots of accessories.

6/ Woodpecker

Woodpecker Q3 and Q7 plasma air purifiers operate on the principle of air decontamination. They use high-energy plasma technology in the process of continuous disinfection, thus ensuring pathogen-free air. They work throughout the room, not locally as with germicidal lamps using UV radiation. Plasma purification technology is 6-8 times more effective than traditional electrostatic disinfection. The Q3 plasma cleaner will quickly and most effectively remove bacteria and viruses in areas up to 40 sq. m in size, while the Q7 model is ideal for sterilizing rooms up to 110 sq. m.

September 2020

15

WARSZAWA KRAKÓW POZNAŃ KATOWICE LUBLIN

16-17.09 KONFERENCJA HYBRYDOWA

PATRONAT HONOROWY

PARTNER BRANŻOWY

PARTNER STRATEGICZNY

ŁĄCZY NAS