For the first time, British Council in Poland accepted the invitation from the organisers of Poznan Education Fairs and Education UK exhibition joined the biggest educational event in Poland http://edukacja.mtp.pl/en/education_fair_in_short/education_fair_2013-_summary/
The Fairs hosted 300 exhibitors and were visited by 37 thousand people. Education UK was allocated own area and the exhibitors included FE colleges, universities and a boarding school. The estimated number of visitors at our site may have reached even 6000, although the number of serious enquiries was smaller, of course. It was an interesting experience for everyone – the exhibitors, the organisers and the visitors. Some UK institutions had their individual stands at the Fairs before but they were hardly visible amidst hundreds of stands. Even our big area will need more marking next year to attract the right audience. Initially, the Fairs were organised as the biggest educational event for Polish institutions but they are becoming more and more international. The feedback shows that the visitors value direct contact with the representatives of educational institutions. The organisers sum it up with a quote:
“ And it is the talks and direct conversations which were incredibly precious for the visitors interested in future education. “During the talks at the stands you can automatically feel the atmosphere present at a university. You can easily compare the conditions of learning in different schools, and confront them with the information collected before. The fact that we are so enthusiastically encouraged to studying motivates me to learn intensively,” said Kuba, a last grade student from one of Poznan secondary schools.