Sport.pl is available on the Internet since 2007 and is co-developed by the team of Gazeta.pl portal as well as the journalists, who for years have been arranging the sports supplement of ‘Gazeta Wyborcza’ as well as commenting on sports events in ‘Gazeta’, online, on the radio and on TV. Sport.pl features news on most sports disciplines, popular blogs, readers’ forums, as well as numerous top-class video coverages – both self-produced and provided by partners, e.g. Ekstraklasa.

In June 2010, Sport.pl websites were visited by more than 3.5 million users, each spending an average of half an hour on the Group’s websites (according to Megapanel/PBI Gemius). Marcin Gadzinski, the editor-in-chief of Sport.pl will present the successful case of Poland’s AGORA sport websites during this year’s INMA/OPA conference in Krakow. Today, he answers few of our questions just before his interesting presentation in Krakow.

Marcin Gadzinski

Forum4Editors: How does the work in the integrated sports newsroom look like. Does each of the journalists have same skills or are they specializing in different tasks and topics (audio, video, live coverage)?

Marcin Gadzinski: Our team is divided in three parts – people working for online only, crossmedia group – journalists writing both for online and print, and a few editors focusing almost only on print.
We managed to find few journalists/reporters in our traditional editorial team who managed to use multimedia while covering a sports event – they write a coverage for the newspaper, create quick news for the web, blog, tweet, take pictures and make videos for the web. Their work is the greatest success of our integration process.

Agora brought different sports editorial teams together and integrated them under one brand: Sport.pl. What effects did it bring?

Marcin Gadzinski: There is less repeating and coverages of the same sport events on different platforms. The content is more complex for our readers now.
It is also easier now to promote and advertise our sport media platforms, when they are under one strong brand. What’s more, we managed to gain higher profits thanks to our integrated crossmedia advertising offers.

Was the process of integration itself very complicated? Did the structure of employment change during or due to that process?

Marcin Gadzinski: Integration in media is not a process that has a specific ending date. Even when the structure of the department is set, the budgets are integrated and so on, the real integration proceeds (or suffers a loss) during the everyday work of the editorial team. Definitely, most valuable are those journalists who know how to work for different media platforms, and are very intuitive about this.

One of the most popular sport sites in Poland is your light and humorous zCzuba.pl website (live coverages of sport events with funny, personal commentaries). How many people are behind this project? How many smaller sport websites do you own and what are your plans for the future?

Marcin Gadzinski: ZCzuba.pl is one of the greatest success of Agora (our owner/publisher) within the online projects. It is created by just a few workers and co-workers, and to greater extent, by thousands of users who became fans of zCzuba.pl.
Except for zCzuba.pl, in our group of sport online services we also have:

• Ciacha.net – a website for women who enjoy the pictures of handsome sportsmen;
• Ekstraklasa.tv – a website with exclusive videos from the Polish ekstraklasa soccer league;
• Sport websites of our special editorial action, promoting healthy and recreational lifestyle – polskabiega.pl (Poland runs) and polskanarowery.pl (Poland on bikes).

We also plan to start a recreational website about fitness.

Thank you very much, and see you in Kraków!.

The goal of the competition is to reward the excellence in marketing and creativity in using newsmedia in the media mix. This is the first competition ever to promote the innovation in advertising usng all platforms from newsmedia companies: print, online and mobile. Most likely, the non-traditional advertising solutions (on one platform) and a mix of standard advertising solutions in an innovative way (multiplatform) are sought.

All entries – the best examples from the newsmedia market – will be gathered in one publication: a special report that will be published in both English and Polish. This report is set to be an inspiration for the advertisers, and other publishers, and at the same time to be the proof of strength, innovation and flexibility of newsmedia companies in terms of advertising.

The jury of this competition will be called and recognised by the International Newsmedia Marketing Association in cooperation with the two Polish press associations: Zwiazek Kontroli Dystrybucji Prasy and Polskie Badania Czytelnictwa. Only real campaigns (not advertising offers or possibilities) will be judged. The campaign has to be from the 2009-2011 time period with the use of at least one medium. What counts is the non-traditional use of one platform sollution or creative combination of standard sollutions. The jury will judge ideas for the campaign, creation and its results.

All entries are free and should be submitted online by September 10, 2010. Click here if you are interested in submitting your case study online. For more information please refer to the competition’s announcement site. Remember, all ideas count! Best of luck, and see you in Kraków.

The competition is organised by International Newsmedia Marketing Association (INMA), and is supported by two Polish media associations: Zwiazek Kontroli Dystrybucji Prasy (ZKDP) and Polskie Badania Czytelnictwa (PBC). The sponsor of the non-traditional advertising awards competition is ATEX.

Let’s take a closer look at the programme. This September, Kraków will host  executives from big newsmedia companies such as: Mecom Group, Johnston Press, Agora, Schibsted, De Persgroep, and many many others. David Montgomery (Mecom) together with Kalle Jungkvist (Schibsted) and Shailesh Gupta (Dainik Jagran, one of the largest dailies in India – 2,2 million paid circulation, 55,7 million readers daily reach) will speak about marketing solutions to grow audience and advertising revenue in newsmedia companies. Bernard Asselin (“The Gazette”, Canada), Griet Ducatteeuw (Corelio, Belgium), and Wanja Oberhof (Niiu, Germany) will participate in a session dedicated to ideas of how to attract and quantify total audience across different platforms. Also advertising strategists will find inspiring ideas for their everyday work. Latest trends concerning tablets, e-readers, kindles, iPads will also be analyzed – are they a new hype or a great opportunity for newsmedia companies? This, plus quick overview of greatest hypes from the past 7 years will surely gain a lot of interest.

Not only great discussion topics and lectures make INMA Outlook 2011 worth attending. During the three day conference additional events are planned as well. One of them will be the gala dinner at the Salt Mines of Wieliczka — 125 meters below ground.

In case all of the above does not convince you yet to sign up for this conference, take a look at the presentation embedded below, and check back the programme of the conference which surely will be extended with the names of the special guests. Make sure you sign up for the INMA/OPA Europe Conference, and see you in Kraków!

Newspapers

Besides all the national Polish newspapers, there are 3 main local players competing in Kraków.

First is “Gazeta Wyborcza” (publisher: Agora), which despite the fact that it is a national newspaper, has many local editions. One of them is Kraków. “Gazeta Wyborcza” is distributed in Kraków at 30.500 copies (as in April, 2010). Two other competitors are regional titles: “Dziennik Polski” (publisher: Jagiellonia, 46.000 copies sold in April 2010) and “Polska Gazeta Krakowska” (publisher: Polskapresse, 32.000 copies sold). Those three newspapers also top the “most read”-list in Kraków (almost 16% of people living in the region of Krakow read “Polska Gazeta Krakowska, about 15% of them read both “Dziennik Polski” and “Gazeta Wyborcza”). Only “Fakt”, a tabloid national newspaper published by Axel Springer Polska, is more popular in terms of readership in Kraków (about 17% of people living in Kraków area read “Fakt”).

There are also two free newspapers distributed in Kraków: Metro (free daily published by Agora, daily distribution: 38.000 copies) and “Echo Miasta” (published by Polskapresse, 2 days a week; distribution: 15.000 copies on Mondays and 40.000 copies on Thursdays).

Radio

One of the most  popular national radio stations in Poland, RMF FM, has its headquarters in Kraków. According to Milward Brown SMG/KRC, radio RMF FM has a 25,5% market share. 9,8 million of Poles listen to this radio station on a daily basis. In 2007, RMF FM was named one of the strongest Polish brands.

RMF FM diversifies into four products with different target audiences. The most popular is RMF FM (adult cotemporary format with greatest hits from the past 30 years), next are RMF MAXXX (produced in the contemporary hit format, targeted to young inhabitants of large cities) and RMF Classic (with classical music). Last but not least, RMF Group has its internet platform: miastomuzyki.pl with more than 50 internet radio channels dedicated to different kinds of music).

Internet

Two of five most popular information services are published by companies based in Kraków: Onet and Interia.

Onet Group is the most popular publishing group operating in the new media area. Its activity is focused mainly on the internet market. It is the biggest multimedia company in Poland. Despite marketing  (advertisements, e-commerce, search engine ads) it searches the income elsewhere, in such areas as: paid content pages, mail and hosting services, auction and tel-com services). Since 2000, Onet has been the leader in terms of popularity and today it’s ranked as the no.1 web page among information portals (with 6,87 million users a month, and 38,77% monthly reach). Interia is ranked 4th in the same category with 3,55 million users a month and 20% monthly reach.

You will be able to learn more about the city of Kraków in September. INMA/OPA’s annual European conference will be organized in Kraków this year. With many interesting speakers and topics, the conference is a must-attend event this fall.

Entrance picture by stevesheriw from flickr.com.

Krakow - Main Square (flickr.com/gi_theWhite)

You cannot think about Poland without thinking Kraków. This is a great medieval city, dating back in history to the 7th century (although the first written record of the city’s name dates back to 966, the archaeological findings provide evidence that Wawel Hill was settled as far back as the early Stone Age). It is an interesting place  for tourists, business travellers, gourmet and night life lovers. It is also the host city for this year’s INMA/OPA European Outlook 2011 conference (29 Sept. – 1 Oct. 2010). And why would you want to visit Kraków this year?

First, take a look at this commercial (taken from CNN) and in next steps, please read 5 reasons for visiting Kraków:

1. Kraków is a town with a long history

Kraków – Poland’s second largest dates back to the 7th century. Its historic centre (together with Auschwitz-Birkenau former nazi camp, and the nearby Wieliczka salt mine) are inscribed in the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. For centuries Krakow was the capital of Poland, the seat of kings, drawing great scholars and artists from the whole world. Throughout the history Kraków has been reaffirming its role as a major academic and artistic center of Poland.

By the 12th century, Kraków was a boom town and many important monuments of Romanesque architecture has survived until today. In the 14th century, King Kazimierz the Great brought Gothic building projects on a massive scale to Kraków. Among his many achievements was the original founding of the Jagiellonian University in 1364. When Poland was joined with Lithuania by the marriage of Queen Jadwiga and Grand Duke Jagiello, Kraków was suddenly far from the centre of the territory it ruled. Kraków remained a vibrant centre of religion, culture, education, and international trade for centuries.

However, in 1596, King Zygmunt III felt need to move his administrative capital to what was then the tiny village of Warsaw, in order to be closer to an empire that threatened to break away at any moment.

The latest history of Kraków is the Second World War. Kraków miraculously escaped destruction at the end of this war but it became at that time a place of martyrology of the Jewish nation. A lot of sad evidence from these times can still be found around Kraków in former nazi-camps like Auschwitz.

Read the brief history of Krakow here

2. Kraków is full of must see monuments and relics
This beutiful town is situated on the Vistula River in the lower parts of Poland. It is the second largest city with more than 800.000 inhabitants. Tradition entwines there with modern times nearly everywhere you go, and each stone has its own history. There is a multitude of architectural monuments – etimated at 6,000 buildings and other structures. This is supplemented by approximately 2.5 million artefacts collected and displayed in museums, churches and archives.

Krakow (flickr / Let Ideas Compete)

It is impossible to describe or even list all the tourist attractions in Krakow, but each tourist will discover his own Krakow. While some will follow the footsteps of Nicholas Copernicus, others will be interested in sites linked with John Paul II. Yes, it was Karol Wojty?a, the archbishop of Kraków, who was elevated to the papacy as Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and the first ever Slavic pope.

Read about the attractions of Krakow here

3. Kraków is famous for its night-life attractions

Krakow - Main Square by night (flickr)

As the European capital of culture (Kraków received this title in 2000), this town has a lot to offer night life lovers and party animals. With its astounding atmosphere as well as a thriving and immersing night life Kraków can offer many various entertainment options. The city center is full of clubs, pubs, cafes, and restaurants.

The Main Market Square in Krakow is said to have the highest number of pubs per square kilometre in the world. In some pubs, people can dance till dawn; others resemble galleries with paintings, drawings and photos on the walls. There are also plenty of small, dim cellar pubs if you want to hide away from the outside world.

An extraordinary cellar pub in Kraków is the Tower Pub, which is particularly popular among students and musicians. There’s a slight Gothic feel to it when the Polish rock bands descend and the pub also hosts a dance floor with lasers, a pinball machine, darts and satellite TV for the sports fan, all in a 14th century basement with medieval frescos on the wall.

Read about the night life in Krakow here

Open air restaurant in Krakow (flickr/tbertor1)

Large number of restaurants, inns, cafés, pubs, and clubs unmatched by other cities makes Kraków the capital of gourmet. Tough competition and eagerness to entice clients and patrons make the city the best place for eating and drinking in pleasant surroundings. Kraków’s maestro chefs are masters of nearly all the world’s cuisines.

Some of the best places to eat and drink lie off the main touristic track of Kraków. The best way is to discover them on your own while taking long walks around the city. Many interesting places can be found in Kazimierz district, where publicans cherish the highly individual character of their sites: usually unorthodox and always interesting.

Read about Krakow’s gourmet tourism here

5. Kraków has beautiful surroundings

Wieliczka salt mine, 327 meters under ground (flickr/Michal Osmenda)

Around Kraków, there are many well-known places – for dramatically diverse reasons. The most tragic of these is Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Oswiecim. At a closer distance lie the quiet, medieval Salt Mines of Wieliczka. Although these sites require nearly day-long visits, they are frequently treated, as “must see” places.

There are plenty of popular and charming destinations lying not so far from the city: the picturesque Jurassic valleys, Ojcowski National Park, Pieskowa Ska?a with its castle. Krakow provides a perfect base for side-trips to the scenic landscape of the country’s most attractive corners. The city lies only 100 kilometres from the rocky Tatra Mountains and Zakopane, frequently referred to as the winter capital of Poland. It is just as close to the far smaller and by no means less beautiful Pieniny Mountains, the famous spas of Szczawnica and Krynica, and the uncrowded mountainous trails of the Beskidy Mountains. Local traditions cherished throughout the region, as well as the very well-developed network of agritourist accommodation, make Malopolska (the Lower Poland region) one of the few regions of Europe so favourable for leisurely relaxation in such close proximity to nature.

Kraków is surely a must-visit place. Outlook 2011 scheduled on 29 September – 1 October 2010 is a must-attend conference. Having those two statements combined, we are sure there could no better place for the Outlook 2011 conference organized by International Newsmedia Marketing Association together with Online Publishers Association.