 |
Ines Antti-Poika
Convention Director, Helsinki Convention Bureau
Did you know, that…?
Helsinki is big enough to host a congress of 10,000 participants - and still small enough to be discovered on foot. Helsinki is an ideal setting for meetings and business events: a rich mix, where nature meets urban city life.
Helsinki was recently ranked as the 15th most popular congress destination in the world by UIA. But there's more to it...
The sea is all around you in Helsinki: You can sense the proximity of the sea everywhere, as the city has over a hundred kilometres of shoreline and around 300 islands in its archipelago.
Design is everywhere! Finland’s world-renowned modern design heritage can be seen everywhere in Helsinki. Famous brands like Marimekko, Iittala, Artek and Arabia are a cool part of everyday life here.
Helsinki’s locals are extremely open and hospitable, and they speak English fluently, so don’t be afraid to ask us for advice. We’d love to tell you about Helsinki’s greatest secrets! I love Helsinki and I am sure you will love it too: Vogue just named Helsinki “The Next Capital of Cool”.
Where to meet?
There are four major conference venues which offer meeting space to small meetings and big conferences of up to 10,000 delegates.
Messukeskus is the largest congress center in Helsinki, offering a fixed auditorium for 4,400, seven halls for exhibitions and congresses, and 40 meeting rooms + a hotel on-site.
The Finlandia Hall, located in the city centre by the beautiful Töölönlahti Bay, offers 30 meeting facilities and an auditorium for 1,700.
Helsinki Congress Paasitorni is a historic venue with 30 adaptable meeting spaces for 8–800 participants, complemented by five individual restaurants and 170 hotel rooms.
Scandic Marina Congress Center has a stunning waterfront location. The center can accommodate up to 2,500 persons in the 11 meeting rooms. The largest meeting room is suitable for 600 delegates.
Where to stay?
The hotel scene offers great locations from design and boutique hotels to large conference hotels. Almost all international hotel brands have presence in Helsinki and most of the hotels are located within 1.5 km of the main railway station. The hotel capacity is about 90 hotels with 15,000 rooms, supported by 2,000 listings in airb’n’b.
There are 5 five-star hotels in Helsinki, The Kämp Hotel being the most traditional one and Lilla Roberts one of the newest additions. On top of that, there are 25 hotels in the four-star category (for example the F6, Hotel Fabian, Clarion Hotel Helsinki and Hotel Indigo Helsinki Boulevard) and another 20 in the three-star category. Please note, however, that official star ratings are not used in Finland.
How to get there?
There are direct flights from over 135 cities globally and 60 airlines operate to Helsinki. Helsinki is a gateway to Asia, with over 80 direct flights to Asian destinations weekly. Helsinki Airport is located 30 minutes (20 km) from the city centre and there is a direct train connection running every 10 minutes.
Do you offer any special services / assistance for associations?
The Helsinki Convention Bureau provides free-of-charge assistance to international congress organisers. We can help in the bidding process, in
selecting the best facilities, partners and service providers, and in promoting the congress.
In addition to our own services, the City of Helsinki also demonstrates its hospitality towards congresses in a variety of other ways, like offering a city reception and visibility on digital screens within the city centre.
There is also a possibility to apply for free public transport tickets to participants (congresses of over 1,000 delegates). We can also help organizers in delegate boosting and large congresses with over 1,000 participants may request a Tourist Information booth at the congress venue.
Whom to contact?
Our team is more than happy to help: Helsinki Convention Bureau can be reached at Helsinki.meetings@hel.fi.
You can also contact me at ines.antti-poika@hel.fi.