Pia Siljander was awarded for her efforts to promote the organisation of international scientific conferences in Finland. The EUR 5000 award was donated by the Finnish Fair Foundation. Docent Pia Siljander works as a University Lecturer in the Biochemistry Of Health in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Helsinki.

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Pekka Heikkinen is considered to be Finland’s leading expert in wood construction and eco-efficient building design. He has been awarded in several architectural competitions. In 2011, Heikkinen won the prestigious Schweighofer Innovation Preis with TU Munich, NTNU Trondheim and Aalto University’s joint TES Energy Facade research project. Last year, the Wood Architecture Student Group Wood Program was awarded with the international World Architecture News Award.

In June 2016, Heikkinen was the lead organizer of the International Forum Wood Building Nordic conference at the Aalto University Otaniemi Campus, in Espoo. The conference, as a part of the German International Forum Holzbau concept, is the main event of wood construction in the Nordic countries. It gathered almost 400 construction industry researchers, architects, developers, authorities, and industry and trade representatives to Espoo.

(In the picture from left Mayor of the City of Espoo Jukka Mäkelä, Professor and Espoo Ambassador Pekka Heikkinen, CEO Espoo Marketing Jaana Tuomi)

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The first ever Meeting & Incentive Forum in Finland was held in Helsinki on 9–13 July. The 130 experts from the international business event and congress industry did not only get a chance to meet suppliers from several countries, but also had a fantastic opportunity to see and explore Finland and its capital.

We interviewed a few of the delegates at the end of their second day at Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa. None of them had ever been to Finland before and had little expectations, if any. Attending the M&I Forum in Helsinki was a good reason for them to come and to experience the destination with their own eyes.

During their two days in Helsinki they discovered a few of Helsinki’s top meeting and congress facilities and experienced a range of activities the city and the surrounding archipelago has to offer. They considered Finnish people to be friendly and welcoming and said that they would absolutely consider bringing customers to Finland and spending some leisure time here, too.

Things they said

Jo le Hec’h-Besson, International Venue Finder, Helms Briscoe, France says she is now able to propose Finland to her clients: “I wanted to come here first to see it with my own eyes, to be able to speak to my clients about Helsinki and Finland. I am very impressed by its simplicity, nature, ecology and safety – yes, it seems very safe and very clean. I am really going to talk a lot about this place!”

“Finland is about going back to the real values. We Israelis are very close to nature as well. We like trekking, cycling and doing sports… so being in such a country that has so much water and so much greenery, for us it’s like WOW! From what I’ve experienced people are very lively and all in all, it’s an extremely welcoming country. I would say: to be discovered!” says Eric Ben-Harrous, Corporate Dept Manager, Kenes International, Israel.

“I’m kind of exploring the North. Finland is famous for its school system and for the way of living. I’ve heard people say that ”they are doing everything right in Finland” so I thought okay, let’s have a look!” says Alexandra Seppi, Head of Congress Department, AIM Group, Austria. “I’d like to see the aurora borealis and, oh, the white nights! I’m really enjoying it, because yesterday evening I wasn’t tired! I didn’t get tired because if it’s still bright outside, why should I go to bed?”

“My first impressions on Finland are friendly people, a lot of nature and some really nice activities to do around”, says Andreas Miksche, Country Manager, Mertel Events, Austria after winning in a game of “Mölkky”, which is a very popular Finnish throwing game. “Yes, I refer to Mölkky, which is one of them”, he says laughingly, “but also the other things like sightseeing by tram, rib boat travel and things like that. It’s always nice to have a range of activities to offer to clients. In Finland I would target to Lapland because my clients are mostly interested in winter sports and activities.”

The first ever Meeting & Incentive Forum in Finland is a notable opportunity to market the country as a destination and to convince a large group of international event organisers of Finland’s offerings and services. The event is believed to bring in more business events to Finland, increasing revenue from travel.

The M&I Forum, held at Clarion Hotel Helsinki on 9–13 July, will be attended by 130 experts from the international business event and congress industry. They are looking for new, exciting venues for meetings, incentive trips, product launches and customer events. The attendees are mostly from Europe, but buyers from Asia and the Middle East are also present. These markets are especially attractive for Finland, as their potential is mostly untapped.

Seeing is believing

The visitors not only get to meet sellers from several countries, but also have a fantastic chance to see and explore Finland and its capital. The event will introduce many visitors to Finland, increasing awareness on international markets.

“The event is a great opportunity for Finnish service providers to create truly memorable experiences. It offers a chance to showcase our expertise and sell services in a very tangible manner. Positive experiences will foster our image and help Finland get on the shortlist for more future events”, Mervi Toivonen from Finpro’s Finland Convention Bureau states.

Travel industry expected to benefit significantly

Congresses and business events are universally desirable for the considerable revenue they bring to the hosting nation. These events have considerable budgets, but the attendees also spend many times more during their trip than typical holidaymakers. Successful events are bound to increase the hosting nation’s reputation and appeal among event organisers.

Previous M&I Forums are estimated to have brought in millions of euros for their hosts. The size and audience of the Helsinki Forum merit a projection of 211 of new events and €16.9 million of travel revenue for Finland, the average budget for each event being €80,000.

“Naturally, it is impossible to accurately predict the overall impact of a positive experience, but word of mouth is known to be a very effective marketing tool in the event industry. We expect the event to attract customers that would be hard to reach through other channels”, Toivonen says.

For more information, contact:

Mervi Toivonen, Manager, Global Sales and Business Events, Finpro, Visit Finland, Finland Convention Bureau, +358 50 554 5050, mervi.toivonen@finpro.fi