When the pandemic hit, congress and event organizers in Finland did not sit still but looked for new ways of working. Now, Finland Convention Bureau tells the inspiring stories of these heroes and shows how they managed to combine innovative event solutions and experiences with health safety.

Our campaign presents four inspiring stories about persistent congress and event heroes and their courage during the pandemic. These stories show the congress organizers’ tireless work to create memorable experiences for their guests. The heroes also have an important role in contributing to the Finnish business events industry.

Finland is a great country for business events also in the post-pandemic times. The country is known for its nature, room to roam and the world’s cleanest air. Finland is also serious about cleanliness, safety and social stability.

Watch the campaign video here.
All videos can be viewed on the Business Events in Finland playlist on YouTube.

EAS Congress for the European Atherosclerosis Society was organized as a virtual congress in Helsinki in May 2021. The congress was hosted by the Finnish Atherosclerosis Society.

Originally, the event was set for Messukeskus in Helsinki, where there is a great framework for inspiring, top-tier events. Due to the pandemic, the local organizing committee had to adapt their plans, guidelines and the whole process to the virtual realm. For a long time, they held our hopes for a hybrid event. However, they eventually decided on a virtual event where only the speakers from Finland travelled to the venue.

Katriina Aalto-Setälä, Congress Chair and Co-Chair Scientific Programme Committee says:
“It was a new and exciting situation, but everything went well. The tech worked flawlessly, and the number of participants was astounding: 2409 people registered from around the world. We are delighted that we had the chance to organise the congress. Despite the exceptional circumstances, it’s important to keep in touch with our international colleagues.”

Read the story here and watch the video.

The European Bat Research Symposium was hosted in Turku in May 2o21 in order to increase awareness of Finnish bat research and create new networks and opportunities for co-operation.

The content was curated by the Scientific Committee of 29 leading bat researchers from different institutes around the world. The event managed to attract a fantastic number of experts online: the symposium received registrations from over 200 delegates.

Eero Vesterinen, Adjunct Professor at the University of Turku, comments:
“You might say we updated the symposium concept and methodology. We wanted to make the virtual event as inspiring and engaging as possible. We also wanted to be absolutely sure that the technology worked, so we recorded all the presentations beforehand. We also focused on hosting and moderating discussions. This new course of action received praise from the participants. We made a splash, I’d say!”

Read the whole story here and watch the video.

Nokia Arena opened its doors in December 2021 and can at its largest accommodate up to 15,000 spectators at a concert or 2,000 people for a gala dinner. The new arena stands on a deck built over the railway tracks, in the heart of Tampere, thus ensuring excellent traffic connections. Europe’s leading multifunctional sports, business and entertainment arena is supported by state-of-the-art digital technology.

In addition to the newly inaugurated arena, the complex also houses an on-site hotel, the Lapland Hotels Arena (picture). The new hotel offers 273 rooms in different categories, including rooms with a balcony overlooking the bowl of Nokia Arena. And as Tampere is the Sauna Capital of the World, it is only natural, that there is a private sauna in all of 70 of the hotel rooms.

For meetings, Lapland Hotels Arena can offer a space for over 200 people, and dinner for 250.

Read more about Tampere as a destination for business events here.

Finland’s untouched and pristine nature is at the core of Finnish life and its sanctity is paramount for us Finns. Living sustainably and in harmony with the environment is deep-rooted here and is an essential element of responsible meetings and events.

Visit Finland has developed the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) programme to help the travel & meetings industry in Finland to adopt sustainable practices. The programme is designed for companies and destinations to develop more sustainable practices.

The participants that have undergone the STF programme and fulfilled the criteria, get the Sustainable Travel Finland label. So, when you spot a venue or supplier that has the Sustainable Travel Finland label, you know they take sustainability seriously. The companies will also be audited regularly.

Some of the most recent venues to have been granted the label are: Hotel Haikko Manor & Spa in Porvoo, Scandic Hotels Jyväskylä Station, Rovaniemi City and Oulu City and Break Sokos Hotels Tahko and Vuokatti.

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