Compared to previous years, the number of international congresses organized in Finland went up by approximately 60 per cent.
Latest statistics by Finland Convention Bureau (FCB) show that a record-breaking 635 international congresses were held in Finland during 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 Sipila, 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 | ||
| Number of congresses | Number of delegates | |
| Helsinki | 254 | 40 478 |
| Espoo | 78 | 8 001 |
| Tampere | 73 | 7 300 |
| Turku | 65 | 5 074 |
| Jyväskylä | 63 | 4 802 |
| Total | 635 | 77 222 |
