"At the MiŚOT Congress, we focus on the integration of the entire industry." We are talking to Paweł Kucięba, President of MdM

The Autumn MiŚOT Convention will take place on 26-28 October in Nałęczów. This time, the participants will meet in the new Arche network facility, created in the former Militia Sanatorium. We talk about the choice of place, changes in the formula of the event, topics most important for local operators and attractions prepared for participants with Paweł Kucięba, President of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the organizer of the MiŚOT Congress.

This year's autumn MiŚOT Congress will take place in Nałęczów. Why there?

First of all, because of the facility. Arche Nałęczów is a new place on the conference map of our industry. There have not been large events of the ISP community so far, so we thought it was worth offering something fresh to the participants.

When we first saw the facility, the conference part was still under construction. Today, we have a large, high hall, extensive exhibition space and very good conditions for both the substantive part and evening events. We want to use not only proven places, but also discover new locations. I think that Nałęczów may positively surprise the participants.

The hotel itself also has a rather characteristic history. Are you going to use it?

Definitely. This is the former Militia Sanatorium, which has been thoroughly renovated, but has retained elements of its character. Arche is very good at combining the history of facilities with contemporary hotel and conference functions.

We also want to take advantage of this climate. This will be especially visible in the MiŚOT Melina, which this time will receive a clear accent inspired by the Polish People's Republic. Of course, in our downhill interpretation, i.e. with distance and humor.

So the MiŚOT melina remains one of the permanent points of the program?

We can't imagine the Congress without Melina. It is no longer just an additional attraction, but a place where people really meet, talk and exchange experiences.

In Nałęczów, we want to expand it even further. There will be professional parquet, lighting and space for more free integration. You will be able to sit down, talk, relax, and if someone wants to – also dance.

For this, we are preparing refreshments referring to the climates of the 1980s and 1990s. We want Melina to be a place with character that resonates with the history of the facility itself, but at the same time remains what participants liked it for during previous conventions.

Hyde Park also remains a permanent element?

Yes. The formula remains very similar. It is a space designed for open conversation between operators. We want to be able to talk freely about what is really happening on the market, what companies are facing and what experience they have.

Especially now, when the industry is facing further technological, regulatory and business challenges, such a direct exchange of opinions is of great value. The congress is to be not only a place for presentations or lectures, but also a space for conversation within the MiŚOT environment.

However, in the substantive part, you are preparing a certain change. Instead of three main paths, there will be two. Why?

This is primarily the result of the opinions of the participants of previous conventions. We have often heard that with three parallel paths it is difficult to choose interesting speeches. Even if two people come from the same company, they are not able to participate in everything.

Therefore, this time we focus on two main paths. Both will take place in large halls and neither will be treated as less important. One will be more related to the law, regulations and current problems of the market, the other will be more technical and business-practical.

We want the participant to have a real choice, but at the same time he did not feel that he was missing out on several equally important topics at the same time.

What will be one of the strongest this year's agenda topics?

Definitely network security and DDoS attacks. This is a problem that really affects operators, which is why we want to look at it from several different sides.

There will be presentations on security and risk mitigation, but also specific experiences of companies that have had to face attacks. We care about practice: what happens at the moment of the attack, how to react, how to secure the business and what can be learned from the experiences of others.

In addition, there is a strong legal part. We want to talk about what actions the operator can take after the incident, what legal possibilities it has and how to prepare the organization to be more resistant to similar situations in the future.

So the agenda is to respond primarily to the current problems of operators?

Exactly. We do not want to create a program in isolation from reality. We look at what the market is currently living, what questions arise among operators and where knowledge exchange is really needed.

Therefore, in addition to security and law, there will also be a lot of technologies, new solutions and business experiences. We want to look at what this year has brought and what operators will enter the next year with.

And after the substantive part, the time for integration will come. What did you prepare during the evening events?

The first evening will be calmer. Before Party is primarily to allow participants to meet and start the Congress in a good atmosphere. One of its elements will be the performance of Patrycja Nawojska with an extensive musical ensemble. There will also be competitions, games and DJs.

The second evening, the traditional anti-Gala xBest, will be definitely more dynamic. We'll start with calmer music during dinner and later on stage the Chubby's Calf will appear. The concert will be prepared in a special setting, also with the participation of the brass section.

In addition, there will be competitions, games and a retro zone with arcade slots. We want participants to have many opportunities to have fun together, whether they prefer a concert, games or just chatting with friends from the industry.

Why did you decide on Łydka Grubas?

Opinions from previous events were of great importance. The participants rated the RIDGE concert very well during the Convention in Zakopane and indicated that energy music works best, which allows people to really have fun together.

Therefore, this time we went in a similar direction. We wanted a band with a lot of stage energy and repertoire that would work well during such an event.

What interest in the Congress do you expect in Nałęczów?

We can already talk about attendance exceeding 400 people, and registration is still ongoing. We are also very pleased with the interest of exhibitors: there will be nearly 50 stands and, importantly, there will also be companies that were not present at the Congresses before.

This shows that the event is constantly developing and attracting new participants, while maintaining its MiŚOT identity.

What would you say to people who are still thinking about participating?

First of all, it is not worth postponing the decision for too long. The number of available accommodation places is gradually decreasing, and we want as many participants as possible to be able to live directly in the facility where the entire event takes place.

But above all, I invite you to Nałęczów because the Congress is three days of meetings with people who operate in the same industry, face similar problems and very often already have solutions to share.

There will be content, almost 50 exhibitors, a lot of practical knowledge, meetings and integration. And all in a completely new place for our industry.

So we invite you on October 26–28 to Nałęczów for Autumn Meeting of the MiŚOT.