Why Bergen?

By Arve Lindgren, Director of Conventions & Events, Bergen Convention Bureau / Visit Bergen


Did you know that…?

Bergen is a city where nature, culture and a professional conference infrastructure are all within a remarkably small radius. More than 45 hotels provide around 7,500 rooms and 15,000 beds, while the city’s main congress venue, Grieghallen, can accommodate more than 2,000 delegates. Everything within walking distance!

Help for international associations?

Bergen Convention Bureau offers free and impartial assistance throughout the process, from identifying the right venues and hotels and preparing bids, to organizing site inspections, suggesting social programmes and introducing professional congress organizers. We are also your single point of contact for Bergen’s academic institutions and key industries.

Where to meet?

Grieghallen is the obvious choice for large-scale events, with capacity for up to 2,188 delegates, while Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Scandic Bergen City, Scandic Flesland Airport and Quality Hotel Edvard Grieg offer large-scale conference facilities in a hotel environment.

Where to stay?

For a high-end association meeting, I would look at hotels such as Opus XVI, Bergen Børs Hotel and Charmante Skostredet Hôtel. For larger congresses, hotels such as Hotel Norge by Scandic, Radisson Blu Royal Hotel and Scandic Bergen City provide substantial room and meeting capacity.

How to reach Bergen?

Bergen Airport Flesland has over 50 direct connections to a wide range of European destinations, including London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Helsinki and Stockholm. There are also more than 30 daily flights between Oslo and Bergen, making Bergen straightforward to reach from intercontinental destinations via Oslo.

Somewhere special: personal recommendations/insider tips?

My personal recommendation is to take delegates out of the meeting room and onto the fjord. A private RIB or boat trip into the spectacular landscape surrounding Bergen gives people an experience they simply cannot replicate in a conference centre, and it is a very effective way of creating informal conversations and lasting memories.

Whom to contact?

Arve Lindgren – Director of Conventions & Events

Bergen Convention Bureau / Visit Bergen

arve@visitbergen.com | +47 454 44 458


This text is part of UIA's World of Associations
Issue #25 – September 2026