Promoting CEPIF

Emilia Puławska, vice president of RedNet Media, organizers of the CEPIF trade fair, on May 14-15, talks with Joanna Stępniewska.

What is your role in the company?
l have two positions. l am sales director coordinating the entire sale of CEPIF to our suppliers, stand designers, and catalogue advertising. l am also responsible for accreditation and legal aspects of the whole project. l am vice president of the RedNet Media company, which organizes trade fairs in the biggest cities in Poland, such as Warsaw, Cracow, Wrocław, Poznań, the Tricity, Katowice and Łódź. The fairs deal with real estate and investments. The company was launched in 2001 and initially concentrated on developing guidelines to set up internet service tabelaofert.pl containing updated real estate buying and selling offers. Exactly five years ago we decided to create a trade fair which had not previously existed in Poland. In fact the idea came from Robert Chojnacki, Michał Kosyrz and Magda Serwatko. And that is how an event dedicated to the real estate market in the broad sense of the word was born, and which within four years has become the third most important event for the industry in the region, after Expo Real in Munich and MIPIM in Cannes.

This is the fifth CEPIF fair. How is it different from previous fairs?
We have an interesting conference program, including panel sessions and seminars. This year we have a strong group of exhibitors from Spain and Bułgaria. Apart from developers and city authorities, our guests include architects and law firms. We are working hard to organize the Gala Party. It is an event where informal meetings and discussion often lead to further cooperation and contracts. For the fifth fair we are organizing an event full of attractions and surprises in a very special place. This year's Gala will be held in the historical building of Fort Legionów, which was one of the forts belonging to the defense system of the Warsaw Citadel. It is located on the banks of the Vistula River close to Warsaw's Old Town. It is a magical place and most attractive to foreigners. We want them to feel the atmosphere of Warsaw.

What are your plans for future expansion?
That is a good question, as at this moment we are constantly thinking about subsequent fairs, even though we are currently organizing our fifth anniversary. We are considering merging with a very good strategy partner, l am afraid l can't divulge the details at this stage. If our discussions go well, then CEPIF will have an opportunity to become not only significant on a European scale, but will permanently become part of the events calendar, comparable to the biggest events not only in Europe but in the world.

What is of particular interest this year?
Definitely the strong group of architects. The Spanish contingent has one of the most interesting and the biggest stands. And of course, the presence of our neighbors to the east. This is a very heated subject which undoubtedly will interest both amateurs and professionals alike. Russia is currently one of those markets which arouse interest of investors active in the real estate industry. Guests invited by Warsaw Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz include the minister for economic development and trade and minister for region-al development of the Russian Federation, the mayor of Moscow, the deputy chair-man of the Moscow Development and Land Planning Committee, the governor of Kaliningrad District as well as the mayor of Kaliningrad.
TVN, the biggest commercial television station in Poland, is patron of the event. This helps to best reach our target. We are very happy because we know that TVN is particular in choosing whom it will lend its patronage to. Additionally, on the first day of the fair interviews with invited guests will be broadcast from a specially pre-pared TVN CNBC studio at the EXPO XXI exhibition hali.
It is worth seeing at the fair how the Polish market is developing and what the forecasts are for future years. The event will finish with a prestigious competition, which chooses the best from the best, provides the opportunity to see the latest trends, the best solutions and innovative architectural projects in Central and Eastern Europe. Prizes in seven categories will be awarded during the gala party.