2_6_ScanMag_72_Feb_2014_Text_Q9_Scan Magazine 1 04/02/2015 10:59 Page 75
Scan Magazine | Conference of the month | Finland
The centre is conveniently situated in the middle of Helsinki and offers 58,000 sq metres of exhibition space, an auditorium for 4,400 people and 40 meeting rooms.
Conference of the Month, Finland
Get inspired – Finnish style Messukeskus Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre is the biggest event, fair and conference centre in Finland. It has been inspiring and entertaining Finns for nearly 100 years and is attracting an international crowd as well. By Karin Zilliacus | Photos: Messukeskus Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre
The centre is conveniently situated in the middle of Helsinki and offers 58,000 sq metres of exhibition space, an auditorium for 4,400 people and 40 meeting rooms available for a broad range of events. These are events that are currently attracting more than one million visitors every year. As many as 10 per cent of the Finnish population have a membership card to the Messukeskus VIP club. There are not many themes that the premises haven’t hosted. Some of the most popular fairs that are held annually include the travel, boat and book fairs. Messukeskus also attracts large international forums, and the latest arrival is the 15th World Gymnaestrada in July – one of the largest gymnastics events in the world.
The Managing Director of Messukeskus, Anni Vepsäläinen, explains: “Messukeskus is constantly working on staying on par with international trends, while naturally also keeping more traditional events on the agenda.” The wellness fair called ‘i love me’ is a great example of how Messukeskus is keeping up with with the ruling trends. Fifteen hundred conferences and meetings chose Messukeskus as their event place last year, and the future looks nothing but bright and busy. Vepsäläinen emphasises the importance of working with constantly changing technological demands and needs of the customers. The latest development is a mobile application, which has been developed in order to enhance and maximise the ex
perience for the visitor. The app makes information easily accessible and ensures that all aspects of the experience run as smoothly and seamlessly as possible. The meeting and event industry is a team effort, where people and technology together can provide outstanding experiences and memories. Messukeskus is a true centre of innovation and inspiration. As an avid motorcycle fan, Vepsäläinen, who took her seat as Managing Director of Messukeskus only a few months back, enthusiastically informs us that she has attended the biggest motorcycle fair in Northern Europe “every year for 30 years”. The perfect example of how Finns just can’t get enough inspiration, entertainment and education – all under the same roof.
For more information, please visit: www.messukeskus.com
Issue 73 | February 2015 | 75