However, before reading began of the long list of laureates and presentation of the diplomas and awards, the stage was taken by Łukasz Kuropaczewski, the up-and coming Polish classical guitarist who only two weeks before scored a great success during his first-ever appearance in the Carnegie Hall and who was to appear at another highly prestigious venue, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, on the very next day. During the gala at the Royal Castle in Warsaw Kuropaczewski rendered a masterful performance of “Love Romance” by an anonymous composer, “Alla Polacca” and ‘Oberek” from the “In Modo Polonico” suite by Alexander Tansman and “Asturia” by Isaac Albeniz.
The diplomas were presented to the laureates by Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek and professor Leszek Jasiński, director of INE PAN. But before that the marvellous Polish singer Krystyna Prońko, lodge member of the European Forum of Women Business Owners, presented Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek with a bouquet of flowers on behalf of its president Marta Kaczkowska, and expressed gratitude for “Polish Market’s staunch and consistent support of Polish entrepreneurship and Polish culture”. She wished the Polish Market editor-in-chief and staff further unwavering success in this field.
In the artistic part of the gala event, the performance by pianist and composer Piotr Salaber and Ewa Lewandowska, the Grand Prix laureate of this year’s “Ciechocinek Artistic Impressions” Song Festival of Young Disabled People, the stage was taken by the 2007 Honorary Pearl laureates Urszula Dudziak who began her mini-recital with a jazz version of “Yesterday” by the Beatles and by the Partita vocal group (this year celebrating its 35th anniversary) rendering their famous hits “Walc z dobrego snu" (A sweet dream waltz) and “Pytasz mnie co ci dam” (What I’ll be giving you, you ask). A surprise souvenir was presented to all the Honorary Pearl laureates by Katarzyna Jakubowska, the sales manager of the leading Polish jeweler’s company Apart.
The many acclaimed artists present during the gala as guests included Iza Trojanowska, Krystyna Prońko, Małgorzata Potocka, Jan Pietrzak and Marek Majewski.
The Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking and the Gala of Laureates enjoy great interest among businessmen, economists, employers’ organisations as well as the media.

KONRAD POKUTYCKI, Management Board
Member of the white-goods manufacturer
BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa
Domowego Sp. z o.o.:
”When we were receiving the Pearl of the Polish Economy award in 2004 – at that time in the category of “mall and medium sized companies” – we declared that we would go on fighting to win more Pearls in the future. Today we have won one in the category of “Big companies”. We met our promise. BSH, that is Bosch and Siemens, has been operating in Poland for more than a dozen years. At the time, we began our pioneer task of manufacturing white goods also in this country. More companies followed suit. Nowadays, Poland is fast becoming Europe’s leader in white-goods production. Our company, the leader for many years in white goods production on this Continent, has the ambition to become the number one white goods manufacturer in Poland.”

IRENEUSZ RESZCZYŃSKI, deputy President of the copper and silver
producing company KGHM Polska Miedź SA:
“This has been a really “pearly” year for KGHM Polska Miedź. With KGHM coming up regularly high in the ranking every year , the computer operator at INE PAN would do well by adding KGHM to the ”Favourite” places folder.”

PIOTR JANECZEK,
Management Board
President of Stalprodukt SA:
“Admittedly, profit is one of the prime business targets for a company but values that matter most for the local community, for employees – and Bochnia is a small town of 35,000 inhabitants – are stability, job security and decent pay. Naturally, building shareholder value is also of crucial significance. And in reference to that I am proud to say that in terms of total shareholder return in the years 2002-2006 (5077%) our company was rated among the top best in the first ever TSR classification of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. It has been really worthwhile to run and manage the company for fifteen years to be here tonight. May I thank my collaborators for their contribution and initiative. I convey my thanks also to the investors.”