Finland Convention Bureau Celebrates its Congress Heroes

When the pandemic hit, congress and event organisers in Finland did not sit still but looked for new ways of working. Now, Finland Convention Bureau tells the inspiring stories of these heroes and shows how they managed to combine innovative event solutions and experiences with health safety.

Finland is famous to be a great country for business events also in the post-pandemic times. The country is known for its nature, room to roam and the world’s cleanest air. Finland is also serious about cleanliness, safety and social stability.

Finland Convention Bureau is presenting four inspiring stories about persistent congress and event heroes and their courage during the pandemic. In December 2021 and January 2022, Finland Convention Bureau will be highlighting these heroes and their stories on their social media channels and website. These stories show the congress organizers’ tireless work to create memorable experiences for their guests. The heroes also have an important role in contributing to the success of the Finnish business events industry.

The first story was released this week. Katriina Aalto-Setälä and Vesa Olkkonen organised the congress of the European Atherosclerosis Society in Helsinki in May 2021. Their story can be seen here

"The purpose of the Finnish Atherosclerosis Society is to promote scientific research and education on atherosclerosis. International contacts are important to us, and one of the best ways of networking and exchanging current information is through events (...) Originally, the event was set for Messukeskus in Helsinki, where they have a great framework for inspiring, top-tier events. Due to the pandemic, we had to adapt our plans, guidelines and the whole process to the virtual realm. For a long time, we held our hopes for a hybrid event. However, we eventually decided on a virtual event where only the speakers from Finland travelled to the venue."

Katriina Aalto-Setälä, Congress Chair and Co-Chair Scientific Programme Committee and Vesa Olkkonen, Congress Chair and Co-Chair Scientific Programme Committee, Finnish Atherosclerosis Society

"Organising a congress is always a great honour and learning experience. It’s very rewarding to work together with our international colleagues and the events tend to create plenty of positive results down the line. For the younger people it is a great opportunity to get to know people who might promote your scientific career in the future. I also believe, that after the corona pandemic, Finland’s strengths as an event destination will be seen in a new light. We can offer responsible services that are produced in safe conditions in a country with a lot of room to roam, spacious and functional facilities and highly accessible nature."

The three other stories will be released in January 2022.

• Atanas Gotchev: The IEEE 23rd International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing, organized in Tampere;
• Eero Vesterinen: European Bat Research Symposium EBRS in Turku;
• Sami Leinonen: Arctic Jukola in Rovaniemi

Get to know the Finnish Congress Heroes and their inspiring stories on the Finland Convention Bureau here