XVIII. Meeting

Café Mozart

On 11 December 2025, the XVIII Meeting of the PRESTIGE PHILATELY CLUB PRAGUE was held at Café Mozart. The social gathering, held in a festive Christmas atmosphere, was opened with a brief welcoming address by the President of the Club, JUDr. Tomáš Mádl. The agenda of the meeting was very diverse.

The next item on the programme was the renewed welcome of Peter Vaňuga, who briefly spoke about the reasons for his return to the Club, as well as about the importance of cohesion within the philatelic community, support for interest in philately, and efforts to contribute to the good reputation of the field. It was agreed that he would purchase two exhibition frames from Petr Sobotka, who left PPCP earlier this year. At the same time, Tomáš Mádl informed the members that Jiří Střecha will step down from his position as Director of the Postal Museum in 2026.

The third item on the agenda included a summary of the successful exhibition held at the Postal Museum, which attracted approximately 1,000 visitors. Exhibition participants particularly appreciated the overall concept of the exhibition, especially the connection between postage stamps and historical and political contexts, as well as the lectures delivered by Club members. The sale of black prints was also very successful.

The Club members also discussed the possibility of organising another, more intimate exhibition at the beginning of 2026, either again at the Postal Museum or potentially in cooperation with the Lobkowicz family. The Club would very much welcome the opportunity to establish cooperation and possibly organise an exhibition in premises provided by the Lobkowicz family. The envisaged exhibition should have a unifying theme running throughout its duration; as a preliminary proposal, the theme “Rulers” was suggested. Within this agenda item, Tomáš Mádl proposed and subsequently discussed in detail an exhibition in Kamenice nad Lipou, to be held as part of the traditional municipal celebrations. A fixed opening date was confirmed for Wednesday, 17 June 2026, with the exhibition to be hosted in the premises of the local chateau. These premises are expected to be provided to the Club free of charge. The scope of the exhibition is planned at approximately 16 frames (around 10–11 from PPCP, with the remainder from local clubs), plus 3D exhibits displayed in showcases. The event will also include an off-site meeting of the Club on 17 June 2026. Mr. Houška, the owner of the local brewery, will provide the Club with a so-called šalanda, reserved exclusively for the Club meeting and the subsequent evening programme for members. A guided tour of the brewery will also be arranged. Given that the municipal celebrations in Kamenice nad Lipou traditionally attract a high number of visitors and take place over several days, members were informed about the planned accompanying activities, including a theatre programme (Friday, 19 June 2026), the main Saturday programme, and the Sunday closing events. The exhibits will be transported back to Prague on Monday, 22 June 2026; accordingly, the exhibition will close on Sunday, 21 June 2026. Members were asked to confirm their participation no later than March 2026, including the number of persons and the specific days they plan to attend, in order to ensure adequate organisational and capacity planning.

The fourth item on the agenda concerned BIENNALE 2026. JUDr. Tomáš Mádl informed the members about the ongoing preparations for Biennale 2026, which is expected to achieve an exceptionally high social and cultural standard. In addition to the PRESTIGE PHILATELY CLUB PRAGUE, several prestigious international clubs and companies are expected to present themselves at the exhibition, including Club de Monte-Carlo, Vindobona, and David Feldman, each planning to exhibit several frames. The Biennale will also include an accompanying social programme, including an evening event on a boat on the Vltava River organised in cooperation with Joël Feldman.

Stanley Gibbons, the main partner of the Biennale, will also prepare its own event, the exact format of which is yet to be specified. In terms of promotion, an extensive media campaign is planned, covering both print media and television, which will require active involvement of several Club members. Planned promotional elements also include the issuance of a custom euro banknote. The Club is further considering the installation of a promotional “A-frame” sign in the vicinity of the Municipal House, which Tomáš Mádl will investigate.

As part of the Biennale preparations, members were reminded of their obligation to exhibit one frame featuring a rarity. Roman Šorejs will prepare a table for members to register, no later than the end of January 2026, including details of the planned exhibit. The discussion also addressed promotion at the World Exhibition in Boston to be held in May 2026, which several Club members are likely to attend. Dr. Tomáš Mádl was asked to prepare an appropriate presentation and communication for this occasion.

Another item on the agenda was the “economic update” presented by Martin Němeček. In connection with the financial statements for 2024, Martin Němeček, following prior agreement with Radek Míšek, provided a brief overview of the Club’s financial performance for the period. He informed the members about the amount of membership fees collected, income from the sale of inventory, and total expenses, including payments for various services. He also presented an overview of costs related to the recent exhibition at the Postal Museum and informed members about the revenues generated by this exhibition.

In the final item of the programme, Pavol Lazar informed the members about the preparations for the SLOVPHILEX 2027 World Exhibition, scheduled to take place in approximately one and a half years. Preparations have progressed significantly, particularly in the area of PR activities. The exhibition has received patronage from the President of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini, and the ambassadors will primarily be well-known public figures from the world of sports, such as Petra Vlhová and Peter Sagan. A number of individuals are involved in the organisation, with clearly defined responsibilities related to the preparation of the entire event. A brief discussion also took place regarding whether, and to what extent, a partnership with PPCP will be established. For the time being, it is assumed that PPCP will participate in the exhibition and provide several frames. The specific form of PPCP’s participation will be discussed further in the coming months or at subsequent Club meetings.

 

 

The next meeting – the XIX Meeting – will take place on 12 March 2026 at Café Mozart, where the Club will be honoured by a visit from representatives of Stanley Gibbons, namely Victoria Lajer and Iain Murphy. Until then, however, both the Club and its members face a considerable amount of “hard” work, in particular in connection with BIENNALE 2026 and cooperation with partners such as Stanley Gibbons and David Feldman.