Helsinki wins silver at Finnish Championships in Local and Regional Marketing
Highlights in HEL event presented Helsinki from the perspective of expertise.
Photo: Kim Öhman
The Helsinki Convention & Events Bureau invited international congress organisers to participate in the “Highlights in HEL” event, which presented Helsinki from the perspective of over three days last summer.
Held from 30 July to 1 August 2015, the event was organised differently than traditional FAM visits. In addition to presenting various congress services, the programme featured networking, interesting speakers and visits to research facilities in Helsinki, including the Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center. Participants also got to enjoy the Finnish nature and culture, including a sailing cruise through the archipelago and a performance by Finnish rap artist Signmark.
“One of the most unforgettable experiences for our guests was the fashion show, in which the event’s hosts and hostesses also got to be models,” says Kaiju Pitkänen, Convention Director at the Helsinki Convention & Events Bureau.
“The Catwalk was covered in traditional Finnish woven mats, and we got to model the latest creations by Finnish fashion designers.”
Altogether 19 decision-makers and representatives of international organisations and congress service agencies from across Europe participated in the “Highlights in HEL” event. The participants commended the variety in the programme, the interesting speakers and conversations, the unforgettable experiences and the splendid venues.
”The program was so well balanced, we met such interesting people, had such deep emotional experiences, visited outstanding venues with each such a warm welcome…..to say “just great” is not enough” (comment by a Highlights in HEL participant)
The jury at the Finnish Championships in Local and Regional Marketing commented on the “Highlights in HEL” event as follows:
“The model was suitable for all communications and marketing: personal contacts are the most effective tool. This was a precisely targeted project that achieved results many times over. The event attracted cooperation partners, who gained visibility and contacts, and it provided a comprehensive picture of the business environment in terms of the target group and marketing objectives. This was professional and well-planned work that can be applied to a wide range of situations.”
A total of 42 projects participated in the 11thannual Finnish Championships in Local and Regional Marketing. The awards were presented on Wednesday 18 May in Mikkeli. The aim of the competition is to develop marketing expertise within the Piiri network, which was established by the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, the Association of Regional Development Agencies SEKES, and the Association of Finnish Tourism Organisations SUOMA.
The members of this year’s jury were Hannu Komu, Managing Director of SUOMA, Yrjö Westling, Managing Director of SEKES, Teemu Moilanen, Principal Lecturer at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Ari Lohenoja, Community Marketing Coordinator at the Finnish Defence Forces, Lauri Sipilä, CEO of the Finnish Marketing Association MARK, and Maritta Mäkelä, Marketing Director, and Jari Seppälä, Communications Manager, at the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities.
The Convention Bureau is a marketing name used by Helsinki Marketing Ltd for international congress marketing.
Further information:
Kaiju Pitkänen, Convention Director, Helsinki Convention & Events Bureau, kaiju.pitkanen@hel.fi,
tel. +358 40 358 1718
www.visithelsinki.fi, www.meethelsinki.fi
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