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| From the City of Poznan Facebook page: This year we will once again host the best sculptors in the world! The International Ice Sculpture Festival will be held in the Old Market on the weekend 8-9 December, please :)! A strategic partner of the festival is the company TriGránit [photo Pawel Urbanski] |
Three weeks ago, I learned that the city had canceled the annual ice carving competition and the corresponding festival in the Old Square – Bethlehem Poznanski. I remember thinking at the time that it seemed very late to cancel. It’s a really big event with international teams that travel great distances to be here. Even the vendor’s at the holiday marketplace, I”m sure there schedules are booked a year out. They had probably foregone other festivals to be present at this one, and I’m assuming that both the ice carvers and vendor’s may have paid an registration fee to reserve their spot.
Yesterday, I saw on the city’s facebook page that the ice carving competition is back on. (I’m still wondering about Bethlehem Poznanski.) It reminded me of times when local events in Tucson would be threatened with closing because of financial constraints. It always seemed like one of our local businessmen, who had earned great wealth in the local community, would set up and sponsor The Passion Play or whatever it might be.
I read a translation of the city’s post more carefully today, and I see that their sponsor is TriGranit, an international real estate development company. They are the folks that just remodeled the main train station in Poznan – a sprucing up which involves adding a shopping mall to the facility.
As a former Business Administrator who has been in on the behind the scenes planning for many events, I wonder what the communication was like. Did the city say to participants, “don’t change your plans just yet; we’re only announcing it’s canceled to find a sponsor,” or did everyone get the same info as the public? Were prospective participants cancelling flights and hotel rooms only to be re-booking them at what seems like the last minute?
Regardless, I’m glad that it’s happening, and I look forward to watching these icy artists at work.
Kasia
I am glad it is happening, even if I can't be there. I remember finding an article which said it was cancelled – I did not lie – they really said that:)
Lois B
Kasia – I know, we saw it reported here on a website of what's happening (or in this case, not happening) in Poznań.