Ruska is a spectacular natural phenomenon that paints northern landscapes in deep and soft tones. The peak season only lasts for roughly two weeks. The period varies from year to year, but the latter part of September and early October is usually a safe bet (in Lapland) when planning a trip. The ruska season is popular with photographers, and why wouldn’t it be: the variety of broadleaf trees and conifers as well as berries and moss on the ground provide an array of hues of green, auburn, blue, red and yellow so vivid not capturing them would be a crime.

Even though many people associate the Northern Lights with cold and snowy winter scenery, the most active seasons are actually autumn and spring when the earth’s orientation towards the sun maximises the probability of solar flares interacting with the planet’s magnetic field to generate this phenomenon.

September and October are usually the busiest months for association meetings in Finland. This year is no exception – only the formats are different: there are dozens of online and hybrid meetings and conferences this autumn in all Finnish congress cities.

The 22nd International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing went fully virtual in September. MMSP 2020 was originally to be held live in Tampere, known for its active science and business community and a beautiful location between two lakes. The four-day workshop included three keynote speeches, an industrial panel and 104 presentations on all aspects of multimedia signal processing.

Nanoscience Days 2020 was organized as an online conference at the beginning of October in Jyväskylä. The scientific program included high-profile plenary lectures, oral communications (selected from abstracts), and an online poster session. The topics presented a balanced overview of emerging trends and perspectives in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Health100, an interactive hybrid event of health, was held in a spirit of an unconference in Helsinki. The program included 3 high-end keynotes, 30 round-tables with the best experts in the field and direct matchmaking. According to the organizers, about 1000 healthcare professionals, health startups and investors were expected to join.

CROWNE PLAZA HELSINKI – HESPERIA

The legendary Crowne Plaza Helsinki – Hesperia was reopened on October 5th, after a renovation. The hotel’s almost 350 Crowne Plaza WorkLife rooms provide guests with a flexible transition between work and relaxation. 15 conference rooms include versatile facilities for meetings and events, and the Hesperia Ballroom banquet room can accommodate up to 1,000 people.

The hotel is committed to a high standard of cleanliness, based on the IHG’s Meet with Confidence programme and IHG Way of Clean programme launched in 2015 and stepped up during the coronavirus epidemic.

FOLKS HOTEL KONEPAJA

A brand new lifestyle hotel has just opened in the urban Vallila area in Helsinki. The hotel is located in two old industrial buildings and it boasts 146 rooms in nine different categories. The Lofts are the pride of the hotel. The rooms are extra high and come with a beautiful old red brick wall. They reflect the spirit and the history of the buildings and create a sense of contrast thanks to their modern decor.

Sustainable Travel Finland label issued to venues and hotels that highlight sustainability initiatives

The Sustainable Travel Finland program and label are designed to promote responsible tourism in Finland and allow clients to easily identify sustainable tourism providers. This new accreditation program signifies that these companies satisfy Visit Finland’s sustainable travel criteria, which cover economic, ecological, social and cultural sustainability. With the lifting of international travel restrictions, responsible and sustainable business models become more important than ever.

Visit Finland has issued Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) labels to around 30 Finnish travel service companies. They include various types of accommodation, restaurants, tours & activities and venues. Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre, the largest conference centre in Finland, was among the first ones to receive the label. Other suppliers that have been awarded the label are for example world’s first Tentsile Experience EcoCamp offering extraordinary accommodation in Nuuksio national park in Espoo; Suomenlinna Island Fortress – a UNESCO World Heritage site in Helsinki; Fazer Experience Visitor Centre in Vantaa and Green Cap Tours that offers various tours and experiences in the Helsinki region.

View companies with the Sustainable Travel Finland label here. You can search companies and services by destination and category (choosing Accommodation and/or Events, you will get a list of sustainable choices for your future events in Finland).

Finland Convention Bureau provides complimentary information, consultation and assistance to all congress organizers and meeting planners.
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