Latest statistics by Finland Convention Bureau (FCB) show that a record-breaking 635 international congresses were held in Finland in 2012. The number of attending delegates reached 77 222.

Compared to previous years, the number of international congresses organized in Finland went up by approximately 60 per cent.

A key factor in the impressive rise in total congress numbers is the excellent co-operation between institutes of higher education and various organizations.

City convention bureaus work closely with FCB and branches of industry. In addition, regional congress organizations have great processes in place for gathering statistical data. Recently set up Congress Network Finland is an organization aiming to develop the congress industry and educate professionals in the field.

- Information sharing, industry meetings, education and networking have been keywords among Finnish congress professionals of late. The whole industry has drawn from previous years’ experiences and started working together towards increasing figures with great results, says Leena Sipilä, Convention Director at FCB.

In 2013, FCB is carrying out a detailed survey on congress delegates, aiming to further investigate delegates’ use of money as well as their impressions of Finland as a congress destination. Another main objective is to investigate the effects congresses have on local income and employment.

Top 5 Finnish Congress Cities in 2012

Professors Pekka Vallittu, Timo Närhi and Yrsa Le Bell received, along with the whole University of Turku Institute of Dentistry, the esteemed Pro Congress 2013 award. The congress industry merit award is annually dealt out by Finland Convention Bureau (FCB).

According to FCB Convention Director Leena Sipilä, the three recipient professors have organised three quality dentistry congresses during the last year, one of which drew as many as a thousand attendees.

The Turku University Institute of Dentistry has organised nearly 40 congresses between 1994 and 2012, attracting a total of 4 500 attendees. The congresses have brought five million euro to the Turku economic area and gained quite the reputation for the Institute.

The Institute of Dentistry is active and innovative in its research, which has resulted in international appreciation.

- The competition for attracting international scientific congresses is tough and the inviter’s scientific qualifications play a key role along with local infrastructure and the know-how of local congress industry professionals, says Sipilä.

- The staff at the University of Turku Institute of Dentistry are excellently equipped for international competition due to being experts in their fields of research. In addition, they’re internationally networked and part of several international scientific communities, adds Sipilä.