Case study - events & conferences
1.
challenge: brand exposure for the Polish research institute IDEAS NCBR at an event with the CEO of OpenAI
2.
insight: highlighting the achievements of Poles and Polish scientists in the development of LLMs
3.
PR activities: media coverage of the event, arranging interviews and meetings
4.
results: the most high-profile technological event of 2023 and the strengthening of IDEAS NCBR’s position in the public debate
How we promoted Polish AI research by organizing a media event featuring OpenAI's Sam Altman and Prof. Piotr Sankowski?
In May 2023, IDEAS NCBR, an R&D center specializing in artificial intelligence, rapidly organized an open meeting at the University of Warsaw featuring Sam Altman, Szymon Sidor, and Wojciech Zaremba from OpenAI. Profeina’s task was not only to publicize the event itself but, above all, to strategically strengthen the recognition of IDEAS as an institution co-shaping the debate on AI.
The challenge: showcasing the institute, not just the global star
The presence of OpenAI’s CEO automatically generated massive media interest. However, the risk was obvious: the event could have been remembered solely as “Sam Altman’s visit to Poland.” The goal of the PR activities was to shift the focus—so that media reports clearly highlighted the role of IDEAS NCBR as the organizer and substantive partner in the debate on the future of AI.
Insight: Polish contribution to the development of OpenAI
The narrative foundation of the communication was the fact that Poles played a significant role in the development of OpenAI and large language models. Among the first approximately 50 employees of OpenAI, as many as 10 were Polish. Prof. Piotr Sankowski, the president of IDEAS at the time, had been consistently emphasizing the influence of Polish universities, programmers, and researchers on the development of global AI for months. Profeina’s task was to reinforce this message by integrating this narrative into conversations, publications, and media coverage, in order to place the event in a broader context: Poland as a co-creator, rather than just a recipient, of the technological revolution.
PR activities
1. Comprehensive media coverage of the eventInviting key journalists and opinion leaders, coordinating accreditations, preparing press releases, and providing ongoing media support on the day of the event.2. Arranging interviews and meetings
In cooperation with the IDEAS and OpenAI PR teams, we arranged meetings between Sam Altman and Szymon Sidor with selected Polish media, ensuring that the topic of the Polish contribution to the development of AI appeared in the conversations.3. Strengthening the substantive credibility of the event
To lead the conversation with the creators of OpenAI, we invited Sylwia Czubkowska, one of the most recognizable technology journalists in Poland, known for her critical approach to Big Tech. This emphasized the prestige of the event and its substantive nature.
Results: strengthening the institute's position in the AI debate
- Tickets for the event sold out in a few minutes (over the weekend).
- Over 40 high-quality publications in media outlets such as Bloomberg, Gazeta Wyborcza, Business Insider, and Rzeczpospolita.
- The most high-profile technological event of 2023 in Poland.
Thanks to a strategic approach to media relations, IDEAS NCBR strengthened its position as an institute that not only conducts advanced AI research but is also capable of initiating and co-shaping the debate at a global level.
