AalborgCVB Magazine

WELCOME TO NORTH OF DENMARK WE GO OUT OF OUR WAY TO MAKE YOUR MEETINGS, CONFERENCES AND INCENTIVES SUCCESSFUL

+30 years of expertise in hosting national and international meetings and conferences.

Photo: Jesper Rais

TO US A MEETING IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A MEETING Here, in North of Denmark, we recognized long ago that the key to our continued success on the international business events market lies in the hands, heads and hearts of the many local people involved in creating great meetings, conferences and incentives. Most of the work these dedicated, and highly skilled, people do every day of the year is not always visible to our guests as it mostly takes place behind the scenes. However, they are all an essential part of what makes North of Denmark a truly special place to do business.

Photo: Octomedia

To us a meeting is not just a

organizations have a strong

meeting. It is so much more. To

commitment to ensuring the

us meetings, conferences and

quality and success of any type of

incentives are great opportunities

business event and that all guests

for us to meet new people, as well

leave North of Denmark with

as find and offer new inspiration.

memorable experiences. Creating

Of course, they also present our

valuable memorable experiences

guests with the opportunity to

is something we are passionate

simply experience North of Den-

about.

mark and to meet the fantastic people who live and work here.

WE LOVE OUR GUESTS A meeting, a conference or an incentive in North of Denmark is always a joint effort between experienced local partners, venues, hotels, restaurants and transportation suppliers. Teamwork between professionals who know each other well creates the high level of synergy which characterizes everything we do for the many companies and organizations that choose to visit North of Denmark.

In North of Denmark, we love to welcome guests from all over the world. We always go out of our way to make sure that each and every meeting, conference and incentive is both pleasant and rewarding for all the participants.

We firmly believe that every event, big or small, should be a great experience and that every participant should feel at home. This is what makes North of Denmark

Everybody involved, be it local

such a popular destination for in-

authorities, the local business

ternational meetings, conferenc-

community or local voluntary

es and incentives. It is also what

We work hard every day to make our small – but unique – corner of the world even more successful as a destination for international meetings, conferences and incentives markets

Photo: Jesper Rais

makes so many of our guests

A VERY SPECIAL PLACE

come back year after year. We love our guests, and it shows.

North of Denmark is a very special place. We cannot wait for you

We work hard every day to make

to come and see for yourself! In

our small – but unique – corner of

North of Denmark, you will find an

the world even more successful

unrivalled mix of exciting venues,

as a destination for internation-

great hotels, some of Denmark’s

al meetings, conferences and

best restaurants. You will also

incentives markets. It is no secret

find a world-class university and

that this market is very important

numerous high-tech companies

to us, and the many people who

that place North Denmark at the

call North of Denmark their home.

forefront of technological devel-

Every meeting, conference and

opment. In North of Denmark, we

incentive contributes to the con-

go out of our way to make sure

tinued positive development of

that your meetings, conferences

our entire region. A development

and incentives are successful. We

which gives us the opportunity to

do this in a region famous for its

continuously create great experi-

sandy beaches, innovative cultural

ences for the increasing number

institutions, breathtaking natural

of companies and organizations

wonders and pulsating city life.

that choose to make use of our expertise.

We proudly tell our guests that in North of Denmark you can indeed have it all. And all within a relatively small geographical area, making North of Denmark extremely convenient to visit.

No matter where you are travelling from, you will soon begin to understand why North of Denmark is indeed a special place.

Probably the perfect place for your next meeting, conference or incentive.

A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES… We go out of our way to make every meeting, conference and incentive a great success.

Here are a few of the many stories we have to choose from:

BACK IN FIVE MINUTES At the small Hotel Aahøj in the middle of the charming town of Sæby owner Kamilla Vinter Hoffmann loves to pamper the many business guests that make use of the cozy meeting rooms at the hotel. Among other things, she pampers them with wonderful homemade food.

“Everything is homemade.”, says Kamilla, who visits the local market every day in

BUILT ON DIVERSITY

search of high-quality cheese,

Gaarden, which is a local farm

Ask Michel Lycoops what

vegetables and other local

that has been transformed

he believes is the main

specialties. In connection

into a must-visit place for

driver behind the suc-

with large events Kamilla

everyone interested in locally

cess of ‘Mad med Mest’,

often teams up with Essens

produced food.

the catering company in Aalborg of which he is a co-owner, and he will immediately say: “Diversi-

ty and the many cultures

SLEEP TIGHT, JULIUS

that meet here”. The staff

Julius, a small dog from

members come from 17

Norway, is perhaps not the

different countries. Some

typical business guest at the

are experienced experts,

hotel Scandic The Reef in

some have spent years

Frederikshavn. However, he is

on the edges of the la-

indeed a very important guest,

bour market, some have

and has been for a number

special needs, and some

of years according to Confer-

are able to work only a

ence Coordinator Charlotte

few hours every week.

Christensen. Julius’ owner is

“We are all different, and

the CEO of a major Norwegian

that makes us success-

company that often holds

ful”, says Michel Lycoops.

conferences and other busi-

ICE BATHS, PLEASE “Anders can you help us?

I REALLY LOVE THE JOB

We have group of busi-

Michael Pierce has been

ness guests at the hotel

showing off different parts of

that would like to take

North of Denmark to inter-

ice baths tomorrow”. This

national business guests as

was the message wait-

a tour guide for more than 15

ing for Anders Nørgaard,

years. “I really love the job”, he

owner of Your Sauna in

says. One of the reasons is that

Frederikshavn, when he

he gets to meet new people

turned on his telephone

from around the world. He

after a meeting. Anders

loves the curious questions

called the hotel manag-

and interesting conversations

er to say that it would

that comes with the job. “You

be no problem at all. He

never really know what will

already had the portable

happen when you meet a

bathtubs. All he needed

group of conference partic-

was ice, a lot of ice, so

ipants in a hotel lobby and

he called the ice plant

take them on a tour. Anything

in the fishing town of

can happen”.

Strandby. That morning ice from the plant was used to cover more than just fresh fish from the Kattegat.

Masello is a true in-house magician. It feels as if Torben is everywhere. When the guests arrive Torben is often there

ness events at Scandic The

to assist them in finding the

Reef. Although Julius loves to

right parking space. He shows

travel with his owner, not all

up very early in the morning

activities are suited for a small

to make sure that equipment

dog. Therefore, Julius has his

and meeting rooms are ready

very own special place behind

before the guests arrive. And

the reception desk where he

somehow, Torben always

enjoys life with Charlotte and

manages to be just outside

her colleagues.

the door in case a guest suddenly needs a cable, a pointer,

A TRUE IN-HOUSE MAGICIAN

batteries, a water hose or a

At the Scandic Hotel in the

there. He is our very own

eastern part of Aalborg ex-

Superman”, says Conference

perienced technician Torben

Manger Pia Schrøder Idskov.

steel fire pit. “Torben is always

NORTH OF DENMARK IS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE. WE CANNOT WAIT FOR YOU TO COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF! IN NORTH OF DENMARK, YOU WILL FIND AN UNRIVALLED MIX OF EXCITING VENUES, GREAT HOTELS, SOME OF DENMARK’S BEST RESTAURANTS. YOU WILL ALSO FIND A WORLD-CLASS UNIVERSITY AND NUMEROUS HIGH-TECH COMPANIES THAT PLACE NORTH OF DENMARK AT THE FOREFRONT OF TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT.

Pikkerbakken - Frederikshavn

NORTH OF DENMARK :: International airport :: International train connections :: International ferry connections :: International highway system :: +20,000 participant capacity :: +230 conference and meeting rooms :: +50 hotels :: Home of Denmark’s first officiel ISO 20121 certified sustainable event venue

CARBON CAPTURE CONFERENCE, AALBORG, NOVEMBER 2023

Photo: Troels Lund Laursen

SOMETHING SMELLS GOOD HERE “Something smells good here” is a comment often made in the morning by meeting and conference participants at Hotel Frederikshavn.

The smell that the participants seem to enjoy so very much, is the smell of freshly baked bread.

“There’s nothing like waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread”, says Hotel Manager Gitte Vanggaard. So, every morning at 5:00 AM two members of the staff, Annika and Keld, start the day by baking rye bread and different types of buns in the hotel kitchen. “We love to go do

something special for our guests. Something they remember when the meeting is over”, adds Gitte Vanggaard.

NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT At Ruths Hotel in Skagen behind the scenes of a suc-

nothing is more impor-

AN INTERESTING TREK

tant than the well-being

In recent years guided tours

cessful commercial harbour.

of its staff. Therefore, the

of the commercial harbour in

“We call the concept Harbour

owners of the hotel have

Frederikshavn have become

Trekking. We often cover up to

decided to build a mod-

sought-after add-on experi-

8.5 km on foot and by bus to

ern staff house.

ences in connection with many

make sure that our guests get

“It’s important to us that

meetings, conferences and

the best experience possible”,

our staff members are

incentives taking place in North

says Jan Michael.

able to relax and enjoy

of Denmark. The harbour is

themselves when they

home to interesting companies

are not working. We

in, among others, the green

want them to be happy,

tech, recycling and maritime

and to work with us at

industries. All year around Jan

Ruths Hotel for a long

Michael Madsen from Harbour

time”, says Tom Boye,

Events shows people from

CEO of Ruths Hotel.

around the world what goes on

WOULD YOU LIKE A CUP OF COFFEE? One day when taxi driver Kim Marcussen entered the lobby of the Airport Hotel in Aalborg, he expected to find a stressed-out guest anxiously waiting for him. However, to Kim’s big surprise the guest, who was late for a convention in Frederikshavn, had not yet emerged from his room. The receptionist must have seen the surprise – and confusion – in Kim’s face, and immediately said: “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

CARBON CAPTURE AND GREAT COFFEE In November 2023, 450 in-person participants gathered in Aalborg for the third Carbon capture, utilisation and storage Forum hosted by the European Commission. The event took place in the old power plant Nordkraft, which has been repurposed as a cultural hub. For Jonas Hjejlesen the event was very special. It was the first time his café, Penny Lane, was responsible for serving so many people over two days.

Jonas and his staff left nothing to chance: “We brought in our own

coffee-making equipment. Good meetings depend on great coffee brewed by experts”, says Jonas.

YES, WE WORK DAY AND NIGHT! Aalborg Kongres & Kultur Center in Aalborg has an extensive range of meeting and conference rooms – big and small.

During the busy periods throughout the year many of the experienced staff members work both days and nights to make sure that everything works perfectly. “We

would not succeed with-

Photo: Jesper Rais

out teamwork and close dialogue with the partici-

THE HOTEL GALLERY

interesting for us to present art

pants”, says Anders Lang,

At Pier 5, which is a hotel locat-

to people who probably don’t

Head of Production. “It

ed in central Aalborg, art plays

expect to get a high-quality art

takes teamwork to host

an important role in creating

experience in a hotel. I strongly

more than 1.000 guests

the warm and cozy atmosphere

believe that art contributes to

in the big conference hall

that the hotel is known for. The

making Pier 5 an even more

on a Wednesday night,

hotel has teamed up with local

memorable experience than it

and then welcome 1.700

art gallery, Gallerie Wolfsen, to

already is”, says Kent Wolfsen,

new guests from a dif-

make sure that guests experi-

owner of Gallerie Wolfsen.

ferent industry Thursday

ence works of art selected by

morning. Yes, we work

experts at the gallery. “It’s very

day and night!”

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE TRAVELLING FROM, YOU WILL SOON BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHY NORTH OF DENMARK IS INDEED A SPECIAL PLACE. PROBABLY THE PERFECT PLACE FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING, CONFERENCE OR INCENTIVE.

Larvik Kristiansand Stavanger Bergen Langesund

Skagen

Faroe Islands Hirtshals

Reykjavik

Greenland

Oslo

Frederikshavn Gothenburg

E39

London

E45

Oslo AALborg Airport

Aalborg

Copenhagen Lissabon Hamburg E45

Barcelona Amsterdam Nice Napoli Salzburg

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