Messukeskus has carried out major renovations on its facilities and upgraded its technical and digital services to a level required by top international events.
The city of Helsinki and Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre have proven their appeal by breaking their own records for the number of participants in the EAACI Annual Congress for allergologists and the World Glaucoma Congress. This week, Messukeskus is hosting Worldcon, the world’s most prestigious event for sci-fi and fantasy enthusiasts.
A record-breaking congress summer has attracted thousands of international visitors to Messukeskus. Congresses have a major financial impact on Helsinki. It is estimated that this summer’s congresses will bring more than 20,000 visitors and EUR 40.5 million to the Helsinki metropolitan area.
”We are delighted that congress tourism to Finland is growing. This summer, Messukeskus has attracted a record number of visitors, but we are also working hard to bring international congresses here,” says Anni Vepsalainen, Managing Director of Messukeskus.
Messukeskus maintains close contacts with Finnish universities and organisations in order to support their efforts in bringing international scientific and organisational congresses to Finland. It frequently arranges presentation tours for international delegations and attends industry events abroad to market Messukeskus as a congress venue.
Messukeskus has carried out major renovations on its facilities and upgraded its technical and digital services to a level required by top international events. Helsinki’s trumps include top know-how, high-quality research in many fields of science, good reputation, excellent transport connections and high-quality services.
In its annual comparison, The Fund for Peace, an American research and educational organisation, once again ranked Finland as the world’s most stable country. According to the recent Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 by the World Economic Forum, Finland is the safest travel destination in the world.
”Intense international competition for congresses calls for a long-term approach. At present, we are negotiating congress contracts stretching well into the 2020s. We do a significant part of this work in close cooperation with Visit Finland, Visit Helsinki, Finpro and various convention bureaus,” explains Vepsalainen.
The eagerly awaited Worldcon just opened
This summer’s congress schedule at Messukeskus included the FIG 2017 congress for land surveying professionals at the turn of May–June, the EU Smart Regions Conference and EAACI, the world’s largest congress in allergology, in June, and the World Glaucoma Congress 2017 at the turn of July–August. In August, Messukeskus will host the AMEE 2017 congress that focuses on the education and training of medical professionals.
One of the highlights of Messukeskus’s busy summer is the eagerly awaited Worldcon, the world’s oldest, largest and most prestigious event for sci-fi and fantasy enthusiasts. Held on 9–13 August, Worldcon is bringing hundreds of renowned sci-fi authors and thousands of fans to Finland.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
