Lonely Planet describes the Finnish capital, Helsinki as a cool zone of design and fashion surrounded by remote wilderness areas where life-changing experiences can be enjoyed. And from personal experience, it can… well, maybe.
The “life-changing experiences” include simple things like picking Arctic cloudberries in the early summer months or staying in a lakeside cottage with a wood-fired sauna. Visitors can rug up cosy for a reindeer sleigh ride across Finnish Lapland or go on a snowmobile safari through pine and birch forests. Finland is a breath of fresh air on a European adventure, Lonely Planet says.
Add to that the nation’s sleek Nordic sophistication and know-how – cutting-edge technology, a giant telecommunications industry, well-designed meeting spaces – and it is little wonder that Finland has attracted congresses and corporate events for a very long time. This may be a relatively fresh destination for Australian planners but Finland Convention Bureau (FCB) (www.fcb.fi) is one of Europe’s oldest, having opened its doors in 1974. FCB offers planners a complete venue search and will help choose local partners for meetings and functions for 10 to 10,000 delegates.
Finland has been very successful in organising international congresses, says FCB’s managing director, Tuula Lindberg. FCB-commissioned research indicates that 6.6 million delegates attended 148,000 international and domestic meetings in Finland in 2005. The statistics also show that some 300 international association meetings attract around 60,000 participants to Finland every year.
“We have two main target groups – international non-government associations and agents for corporate events,” Ms Lindberg says.
“But, talking about corporate events from Australia, one could say that we are on the first step and the future will show how successful we shall be. We attended AIME for the first time this year and a lot of interest was shown in our products.
“We have Lapland in the north behind the Arctic Circle. We have a long border with Russia in the east, which gives a special flavour to that part of the country. We are surrounded by the sea in the south and west with a beautiful archipelago of 180,000 islands. We have a water chain of almost 200,000 lakes. One could say that just taking your meeting to Finland is already a real incentive.”
FCB is also working with the Finnish Tourist Board (MEK) (www.visitfinland.com) to attract incentive groups to Finland, and MEK’s Australian representative, Satu Raunola is confident that Australians will warm to the idea.
“The Finnish summers are also special. The evening light lingers and, in the north, we have the midnight sun,” she says.
“Finland is safe, efficient and easily accessed from major Australian cities through the services of two airlines, Finnair and SAS Scandinavian Airlines in conjunction with their airline partners. Language is not a problem. English is widely spoken and Australians quickly relax in the natural surroundings.”
Finland is one of the purest natural settings in the world. Even in the capital, parkland stretches from Helsinki Railway Station to the landmark concert and congress venue, Finlandia Hall and on to the National Opera House, which is also a conference venue, before extending deep into verdant forest. Nature is always at hand – only a few world capitals can boast this – but so, too, is the first-rate technical infrastructure that organisers have come to expect from the land that gave the world the Nokia mobile phone.
During 2007, Finland’s international profile also increased as the nation celebrated another Finnish icon, composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) with tours, which were also available from Australia. (More information www.myplanetaustralia.com.)
Finland has often been the focus of international attention. Swedish kings then Russian Czars coveted Finland and ruled there for many centuries. Sibelius drew notice from abroad when he composed Finlandia as an expression of nationalism in 1899, a time when the yoke of Czarist Russia was severe.
St Petersburg’s past influence is still seen in the golden cupolas of Helsinki’s Russian-style cathedral and in the Empire-style buildings of Senate Square. Finlandia remains symbolic in the struggle for freedom throughout the world. It’s also familiar from the soundtrack of the movie, Die Hard 2: Die Harder.
Sibelius was a regular at Helsinki’s Hotel Kamp (www.hotelkamp.fi). In his day, spirited meetings went on there for days as nationalistic sentiments were aired. Today it is seen as an integral part of Finland’s history and political and business life. So much so that when time and two World Wars took their toll, Finns demanded that Hotel Kamp be rebuilt in its original form. It has since been named Starwood Hotels & Resorts Luxury Collection Hotel of the Year 2005 and received the highest ratings for customer service of all 850 Starwood properties worldwide.
Once again, Hotel Kamp is a premier venue for meetings of up to 120, cocktail receptions for 140 and gala dinners for 90 in the opulent Mirror Room.
The sea surrounds Helsinki on three sides. This presents many opportunities for excursions on old wooden schooners, tall ships and cruisers or maritime-related activities on Suomenlinna (www.suomenlinna.fi), a UNESCO World Heritage-listed sea fort built on a harbour island by the Swedes as a buffer against Russia in 1748. The fort provides an imposing backdrop for meetings or events for 12 to 240 in former barracks, a church, granary or gunpowder magazine. Superpowers come and go but the ‘Gibraltar of the North’, as Suomenlinna is often called, is a fitting reminder of the Swedish Empire’s 600-year rule in Finland.
Not surprisingly, an architectural style – Finnish Art Nouveau – came to symbolize the emerging Finnish nation. This is apparent in the National Theatre building, the National Museum, Helsinki Railway Station – the exterior of which is considered the most beautiful railway station in the world – and entire residential areas of the capital. They are perfect backdrops for walks, talks and breaks.
As modern Helsinki developed, the city took on a smooth, streamlined appearance observed along Boulevard Mannerheim and at the stadium constructed for the 1952 Olympic Games. Sokos Hotel Vaakuna (www.sokoshotels.fi), built for the games, now offers conference premises for seven to 60 with retro backdrops.
Finland’s best-known architect is Alvar Aalto whose works include Finlandia Hall (www.finlandiatalo.fi) where larger events are staged. Two congress halls seat up to 900 for conferences, trade fairs, exhibitions and corporate events. The main auditorium accommodates 1700 and the restaurant and foyer can also be combined for exhibitions and other activities. Helsinki Fair Centre (www.finnexpo.fi) is Finland’s largest venue with facilities for up to 10,000.
FCB’s Tuula Lindberg believes Finland has a great deal to offer to Australian markets.
“I know that Australians love nature and you have a lot of it at home, but the Finnish nature products are totally different. And, in addition to the magic of the snow, ice and the midnight sun, we have our unique design, art, music and, of course, technology. These are excellent building blocks for your meetings and events,” Ms Lindberg says.
So, how about it?
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