{"id":33692,"date":"2026-02-10T07:30:33","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T06:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.amber.com.pl\/?p=33692"},"modified":"2026-03-25T07:44:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T06:44:41","slug":"why-do-i-ask-about-amberif-and-the-gdansk-amber-capital-of-the-world-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/aktualnosci\/dlaczego-pytam-o-amberif-i-strategie-gdansk-swiatowa-stolica-bursztynu\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I ask about Amberif and the strategy \u201eGdansk - World Amber Capital\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am also doing this because I am seriously concerned about the direction in which MTG SA as the organiser of the Amberif fair and the implementer of the Gda\u0144sk - World Amber Capital 2023-2033 strategy is heading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gdansk - World Amber Capital 2023-2033<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My exchange of correspondence was initiated at the end of October last year, when I asked for information about the presentation of amber in Venice. I was planning an article for the amber.com.pl Amber Portal, but I only found brief accounts on two social media profiles. This is definitely not enough to prepare a reliable material, so I requested additional information from the press office of the City Hall in Gdansk. I did not receive an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was only after another email and a phone call that my query was redirected to MTG SA, among others. Again, I did not receive a response, which resulted in another series of emails. I asked to speak to them on the phone - this would have been a quicker solution - but I was informed that there was no single person in charge of the project at MTG SA and that \u201eroles are split\u201d. I was therefore asked to send questions by email, which I did on 7 December last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I received a reply - after a reminder - on 11 January this year. On 14 January I asked for a clarification of the answers given and for a reference to the omitted question concerning the summary of promotional activities in the framework of the implementation of the Gda\u0144sk - World Amber Capital strategy in 2025 and plans for 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current status of questions and answers:\u00a0Venice - questions and answers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTG SA claims that my questions engage staff for months. However, in my experience, providing such answers should not require a long-term commitment from the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do I ask these questions? According to the Wirtualne Media portal, in an article published on 3 December 2025, the city of Gda\u0144sk concluded an agreement with MTG SA concerning the promotion of the city as the World Amber Capital. The contract includes the organisation of an exhibition promoting Gda\u0144sk during the Christmas Fair in 2025 and 2026, a fashion and jewellery show and workshops during Venice Fashion Week 2025, promotion through the AmberStories.pl portal, as well as the organisation of the events Gda\u0144sk Jewellery Week 2026 and Gala Amberif Vibes 2026. The aim of these activities is to develop and strengthen the position of Gda\u0144sk on the international market and to attract investors and tourists. The cost of implementation is PLN 2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City of Gdansk's budget for 2025 also includes an amount of PLN 650-676 thousand for the promotion of Gdansk as the World Amber Capital. The same statement also includes an amount of around PLN 187-190 million for the recapitalisation of MTG S.A. for long-term development investments of AmberExpo and strengthening the economic potential of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this connection, I would like to ask why activities such as Amberif Vibes or the Amberif Design Award competition, until now financed by MTG SA as part of the Amberif fair budget, are now being financed from the Strategy budget. I would also be interested to know why MTG SA is only implementing the above-mentioned activities - who made such a decision and for what reasons - while the Strategy, developed in cooperation between the amber community and professional entities in the field of market research, marketing and promotion, covers a much wider range of activities. Will the other activities envisaged in the strategy be implemented in the following years?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would also like to ask about the effects of the activities so far, both domestically and internationally. Nowadays, the results of PR activities can be measured relatively easily, so it should not be difficult to answer this question. I am also interested in what PR goals have been set for 2026, who - and according to what criteria - decides on the selection of subcontractors and what role their professionalism plays in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea behind the Gda\u0144sk - World Amber Capital strategy is to implement well-thought-out actions that will bring long-term effects conducive to the development of the industry. Assuming an annual funding level of PLN 1 million, there is PLN 10 million to be spent within 10 years. If invested wisely - and not just spent - the funds can bring tangible benefits to the city, its residents, the industry and the fair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Link to strategy: Gdansk World Capital<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a really good strategy. I encourage you to compare its assumptions with the real actions taken by MTG SA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amberif Spring and Amberif Autumn Fair<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the end of December last year, I approached MTG SA with a request for an interview about decisions relating to the Amberif fair. Despite repeated requests to identify an interviewee, I received no response. This is the first time in my industry journalistic career (since 1997) that MTG SA has refused me information or an interview. Previous fair commissioners have taken the opportunity to talk about the fair, its development and plans through the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is this important to me? Because MTG SA's decisions have serious implications for the amber industry and, in my view, some of them may further exacerbate the currently difficult business environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would like to ask, among other things, about the reasons for employing people from outside, without documented experience in organising fairs and without knowledge of the amber industry, for the positions of fair project manager and programme coordinator at Amberif. I am also interested in the reasons for changing the date of the Amberif Autumn fair, which now coincides with the traditional date of the GOLDEXPO jewellery fair in Warsaw. Some exhibitors have announced that they will choose to attend the fair in Warsaw if they have to choose. There are fears in the amber community that the consequence of this decision may be the transformation of the Amberif Autumn fair into an event of a different nature or even its abandonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions also arise about MTG SA's long-term strategy for the amber fair: whether it is of strategic importance for Gda\u0144sk, especially in the context of implementing its strategy until 2033, or whether purely economic calculus is decisive. Also of relevance in this context are the issues of the loss of several dozen exhibitors from the gold and silver jewellery sector, the promotional activities undertaken by MTG SA and the ways of attracting buyers, especially foreign ones, key to exhibitors from the amber sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why am I interested in this? Because I am a journalist and my role is to ask questions. The role of public institutions and companies carrying out public tasks is to answer them. It is worth clarifying at this point how I understand the role of a professional journalist. Journalism is not just about reporting on events and press releases, but also - and sometimes especially - about asking questions that allow the community to understand the mechanisms of decisions, their consequences and the long-term effects on their business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case of the amber and jewellery industry, which has faced many economic challenges in recent years, this role takes on particular importance. Questions about strategy, funding, promotion and development directions are not an expression of conflict or resentment towards trade fair organisers or public institutions. They are an expression of concern for the future of the industry, the interests of exhibitors, producers, designers and entrepreneurs, for whom the Amberif fair and the implementation of the strategy \u201eGda\u0144sk - World Amber Capital\u201d are of real business importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I realise that questions can sometimes be uncomfortable. But a lack of questions - and a lack of answers - is far more dangerous. Transparency of actions, the possibility to evaluate them and an open conversation with stakeholders are the foundations of trust, without which no strategy or fair will be able to develop in a stable and long-term way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why I am asking - not in my own interests, but in the interests of an industry that I have accompanied professionally for many years and whose future I hold dear. The matters I am asking about are of a public nature, and the failure to answer raises serious questions under the law on access to public information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Petition to the Mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In describing the whole situation, I want to go even deeper. Many of the exhibitors at Amberif Autumn 2023 remember the petition to Mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz concerning the newly announced Gda\u0144sk - World Amber Capital 2023-2033 strategy. Its aim was to thank her for the strategy and its funding and to emphasise the importance of the document for the development of the amber industry. More than 100 signatures were collected under the petition, but it could not be handed over to the mayor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I made several attempts to arrange an appointment through various channels - officially and \u201eby acquaintance\u201d - without success. After a few weeks I gave up. Today I regret that the matter was not publicised at the time. The experience of exchanging correspondence with MTG SA made me realise that the mechanism for discouraging people who ask questions is a real problem. I therefore decided that I would no longer be discouraged, but would act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the questions and concerns raised are based on an analysis of publicly available documents, correspondence and interviews with representatives of the amber and jewellery industry. The text is not an accusation, but an invitation to substantive discussion and clarification of issues of public interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

If you also have questions about the activities undertaken by the City of Gda\u0144sk and MTG SA in the field of amber, the Amberif trade fair and the implementation of the Gda\u0144sk - World Amber Capital strategy, I invite you to contact me. I hope it will be possible to organise a meeting with the representatives of the city and the fair - perhaps on the occasion of Amberif - in order to have a substantive discussion about further cooperation and the future of the industry. I believe this is possible.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At a meeting of the Amberif Programme Board on 5 February this year, an accusation was made against me that I was \u201eplaying investigative journalist\u201d and not allowing the fair team to work because I was asking questions for \u201emonths\u201d. Yes, I ask questions because I am a journalist. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":33698,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"slim_seo":{"title":"Dlaczego pytam o Amberif i strategi\u0119 \u201eGda\u0144sk \u2013 \u015awiatowa Stolica Bursztynu\u201d - Amber Portal","description":"At a meeting of the Amberif Programme Council on 5 February this year, an accusation was made against me that I was \u201eplaying investigative journalist\u201d and not allowing"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,120],"tags":[],"sekcja":[242],"class_list":["post-33692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-informacje","category-targi","sekcja-amber-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33692\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33692"},{"taxonomy":"sekcja","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amber.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sekcja?post=33692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}