The second National Meetings Industry Week to be held in Finland is underway. Meetings Industry Week runs from 5-9 March and features a number of events, this year under the theme “The Fun of Meetings!”. The Finland Convention Bureau (FCB), which promotes Finland as a destination for international congresses and corporate events, is responsible for co-ordinating the theme week.

National Meetings Industry Week was opened at Finlandia Hall with a press conference and the launch of the “Fun of Meetings” booklet. Written by “laugh therapist” Vesa Karvinen especially for the campaign, the booklet features simple tips and ideas for lightening the mood and working atmosphere of meetings. The FCB also published statistics on the Finnish incentive industry, including volumes, destinations and financial impact, based on a pilot study.

The purpose of this year’s special theme is to highlight the ways in which all meetings or congresses can be transformed into a total experience for participants. At the same time, the theme week aims to promote the importance of the meetings industry to the Finnish economy.

Main event: Kongressi 2007

The main event of Meetings Industry Week will be the Kongressi 2007 fair, which is being hosted by the Finland Convention Bureau at Finlandia Hall from 6-7 March. This marks the 11th year that the popular Kongressi event is being organised, attracting around 3 000 visitors annually. The programme includes a wide range of lectures and a corporate event seminar, as well as a special Congress School for those interested in organising their own congresses. Around 120 exhibitors will be on hand this year in the exhibition area.

In addition to the Pro Congress award for significant and long-time contribution to attracting international congresses to Finland, recognition will also be given at the opening event to the winners of the “Best Meetings Experience” competition. Launched in autumn 2006 among 13 Finnish polytechnics, the competition invited students to invent new ways to organise international meetings or congresses in their own communities.

Meetings Industry Week will also feature events throughout Finland hosted by local mayors in which the importance of the meetings industry will be discussed.